As discussed briefly in our earlier article called “Portland Advantage”, traveling rock climbers who come to the Portland, Oregon region (southern Washington and northern Oregon) tend to gravitate to the 3-4 primary climbing sites on the leftmost portion of that chart, primarily due to a combination of events ranging from common site popularity, frequency and quality of rock climbs, accessibility, and more. By glancing at that simple chart on that other web page you attain a quick sense of the "pack" that the wolves are running with.

The same method of goals determination generally applies to local climbers (beginner and experienced) living in this region (except perhaps those who trend toward alpine or other wilder forms of climbing adventure), as most of us tend to start at the commonly popular, conveniently situated rock climbing sites, then gradually, as we expand our level of experience, our interests broaden out to the lesser crags, finding utilitarian value in some of these often little, yet numerous and entertaining climbing sites scattered throughout this region.

This region simply does not have Norway sized big walls. So, many local rock climbers have learned to take greater interest in all the various crags (quality or otherwise) found in this region, no matter the size, though some may even look like mere quasi-roadside tiny scarps or literal road-cuts.

This deeper article pertains back to our other broad analysis called Portland Advantage, by tackling a lengthy constituent analogy of each rock climbing sites characteristic nuances, its “flavors” (so-to-speak), both beneficial and detractory.

The end result of this study will hopefully provide you, the traveling rock climber (including local climbers), with a useful means to identify with this regions crags, helping you to make effective and suitable choices to meet your specific climbing goals and needs. We refer to this chart as a the “good-average-minor” chart of climbing sites, but in reality folks tend to enjoy some of these climbing crags regardless of the crags minuscule size or regardless of a crags sometimes boxed-in tree-shrouded gloomy nature.

Read enough? Climbing gear is packed? Then jump straight to the cragging search tool:  Go Cragging Tool

The following chart strives to categorize many of this regions common and lesser sites into a string of events that are relatively important to most climbers. These basic site characteristics and nuances serve as a valued list of criteria forming the end needs of user expectations about a given climbing site. Each crag listed in our "Go cragging" search tool has both summary and detailed information designed for fast on-the-road smart phone technology.

Some of the string factors or parameters we have included so far in this analysis are:

• Cliff Orientation: N-S-E-W direction of crag, AM-PM sunshine, shaded by trees, or full sunshine.
• Locale & Accessibility: Whether the site is urban, high-altitude forest, semi-arid desert, alpine, or backcountry. Year-round or seasonal.
• Best season: (month-month) or split season (i.e. Smith Rock), and temperature variables.
• Road & trail conditions (miles & hike time): Paved, gravel, rough (AWD or vehicle with reasonable clearance); the trail is either well-graded, steep & narrow, or non-existent. Approach time is walking time to crag from vehicle parking spot. Driving distance (from Portland metro), or commute hours.
• Quantity of routes & ratings variety: 1-1000+. The ratings variety vary from 5.x-5.14x, and best range.
• Type of climbing: sport, traditional, sport/trad combo, alpine, pinnacle, crag or big wall.
• Equipment needs: Quick-draws, rack of gear, either or both.
• Skill Level: beginner, intermediate, or expert.
• Cliff height & angle: vertical face, overhanging, slab, or cracks.
• Elevation: low-, mid-, or high-altitude location (in feet).
• Rock type & Quality: basalt, andesite, tuff, sandstone, granite, conglomerate, etc. And is quality of rock clean, minimal lichen, mossy, or chossy (friable).
• Risk factors: rockfall, helmet advisory, R or X advisory, etc.
• Nuisances (pest or plant): bees, mosquitoes, black flies, poison oak, ticks, snakes, scorpions.
• Regulations & Permits: state/county managed (forest land or park), federally managed (FS/BLM), or private.

In a minor sense these parameters are a brief biographical sketch for each climbing site. Other additional parameters may be applied later if it brings indicative value and benefit that is helpful to the charts factorial equation (such as weather dependencies).

As a whole, this chart should find utilitarian value to a generally broad range of rock climbers, from local to northwest U.S based climbers, as well as to traveling climbers from other states (or other countries). This chart will also be useful for beginner rock climbers who are seeking the optimal crags to begin learning the sport (though in this Oregon region there are few optimal choices of very low grade [i.e. 5.4 - 5.7] beginner learning routes simply because most of our crags tend to be vertical). A few of those low beginner grades usually exist at most of the local crags, but not necessarily in the quantities (nor the lesser steep angle) you might desire.

Our unique “Crag Biographical Comparison Chart” may be less beneficial to instructional fee-based organizations or guide businesses, primarily because other additional important factors are usually considered prior to venturing forth to a specific crag.

This chart strives to encompass a modest partial string of common and lesser climbing crags within 0-3 hours of Portland, Oregon, yet does not detail every single crag in this region.

To start your crag search:  Go Cragging