Selected Climbs in the Cascades Volume II

When the authors of the first volume of Selected Climbs in the Cascades were choosing ascents to include in Vol. II, their criteria was simple: that the routes be fun and aesthetically outstanding. Nearly every climb in the book offers amazing views of snowfields, glacier-carved valleys, or craggy peaks shrouded in mist. And although there are technical climbs involving aids, grade V alpine ascents, and waterfall climbs rated WI5, these are balanced by easier routes that require nothing more than bouldering skills. This is not a collection of the most radical, derring-do challenges in the Cascades but rather climbs that are simply a blast.

Vol. II differs from Vol. I in that it includes not just alpine routes but sport climbs and crag climbs--great for folks who want to take their rock-gym skills outside. The book also rates the approach to each climb from the car, whether it be a 10-minute walk or a grueling, two-day hike to a frozen waterfall. It's a practical consideration, as some of the approaches are more physically demanding than the actual route. Climbs covered begin in the southern Cascades, dominated by volcanoes Hood, Adams, and Rainier, and move northward to Snoqualmie Pass, with its easily accessible sport climbs and occasionally tough alpine routes. The guide finally moves into the North Cascades. Here, the mountains lose their volcanic character and take on the glacial-carved ruggedness of spots like Forbidden Peak and Mount Fury. More than 500 glaciers dot the area, and serious alpinists will find plenty in this section to occupy them.

Anyone who climbs in the Pacific Northwest should find Vol. II useful, whether they prefer rock or ice. It's a good entry-level guide, though it's not a how-to-climb manual; get your climbing fundamentals down, then pick up a copy. --Demian McLean