Very excited that I got to squeeze in a day of rock climbing in Vantage, Washington this past weekend. Jean-Pierre and I headed to the Columbia River Gorge to explore the Frenchman Coulee and it's amazing basalt cliffs. I've been coming to this area for years, but this time the beauty of the landscape really struck me. Valleys dug during the ice age, waterfalls cascading over the basalt columns, dry sage brush and bright green lichen make this place feel like the set of Lord of the Rings. Especially since the approach down to Sunshine Wall weaves through a narrow secret passage amongst the columns. I kept wondering who first discovered it and how exciting that must have been.
The view from Moonshine Wall:
Hiking out at sunset looking out over the Columbia River Gorge:
Shot of me courtesy of Jean-Pierre Chery:
View of the wind turbines lining the ridge across the river:
