Static Point Rebolting Project: Online and Rightline are climbable!
Finally, I was able to make it out to Static Point on Friday to rebolt Rightline (240m, 6 pitches, 5.10aR). This now brings two routes at Static Point up to the modern era, with Online (240m, 6 pitches, 5.10b) rebolted last year. These are the first two routes reached when you first find the wall. I adopted this ongoing project when its originator suffered a back injury and could no longer continue the work.
Online was also retro-bolted, at the request and blessing of the first ascensionist. I’m told he was bummed that Static Point’s (deserved) reputation for run-outs, plus the 35 year-old age of most of the bolts, and a brushy 1.5 hour approach has deterred most climbers. Almost every pitch features twice as many bolts - but no one could call it over-bolted! I’ll be able to give a precise number and even let you know which to skip if you want to recreate the FA experience after next week (last year’s notes have been lost - sorry 😐).
Approximately 15-20 years ago, someone rebolted the protection bolts on Online with stainless steel hangers but non-stainless steel bolts, which encouraged galvanized corrosion: all the bolts are extremely rusty, while the hangars look almost-new. They also added a bolt - or two - to each of the anchors, now in the same condition. This is a problem because the actual state and strength of the bolt can’t be determined simply by visual inspection - if the rust has progressed into the bolt there’s no telling how weak they’ve become.
All of the new bolts are completely stainless-steel, 5-piece Power Bolts. Most of the old bolts are still in place - I’m hoping to get back next week to remove them.
Approach
Drive to Spada Reservoir (1.5 hours from downtown Seattle). At this time, there is no requirement to register at the gate, but it is still “dawn-to-dusk” only access. Take the right fork in the road toward the east-side of the lake, sign-posted “South Fork Access”. After crossing the South Fork of the Sultan River bridge, park in the second pullout on the left - its large enough for 2-3 cars and has a 4'ft-tall pile of gravel on the left side. The old logging road leading to Static Point is directly across the road.
Hiking (approximately 1.5 hours). Follow the old road for approximately 45 minutes. This road has been completely decommissioned so every culvert has been pulled up. Currently there are about 18 downed trees crossing the trail that need to be sawed. This is a brushy hike - long pants are strongly recommended. If you want to do a community service, bring a pruner, hand saw, or machete with you and perform some trail maintenance on the hike back, time permitting! There are several culverts lying alongside the trail at various points - these are not the turn off!
After 45 minutes, you’ll cross a dry open creek bed, with an awesome view across the valley if you look downstream, and a view of Static Peak if you look upstream. Just on the other side of the crossing you’ll find a culvert, and a 3’ tall cairn marking the end of the road-trail, and the point to turn uphill. Leave the road, and follow the original approach trail up hill for another 30-45 minutes. It follows alongside the creek for the first half, then begins to traverse across the wooded slope in a series of traverse/up/traverse/up’s, until you reach the bottom of Static Point. A short fixed line leads to the last steep up before you arrive at the Online Sector, on a thin sandy ledge. The first bolt you spot will be for Online, located almost exactly in the middle of the wall. Rightline starts at the far side of the ledge, and the first bolt is twice as high as the first bolt for Online.
Somewhere in the corners on the left side of the wall lies Epitaph (3-4 pitches, 140 meters, 5.9). It has no bolts, so climbing up these corners to the Tombstone Ledge is an adventure for now. To my eye, the first corner left of Online looks like the best and most likely line for this route.
The old guidebook stated there was a 3rd/4th class approach to the Tombstone Ledge, where four 2-pitch routes reside. I’ve never been able to find this approach, and encountered low fifth class terrain on all three attempts to do so - and a lot of loose rock! I’d recommend climbing up to pitch 4 or 5 on Online, and then rappelling down to Tombstone to climb these routes if you have time. The current state of those bolts are unknown.
Online and Rightline share their Pitch 5 anchor and Pitch 6 to the trees. I think most parties rappel after Pitch 5. Climbing Pitch 6 into the “Mohawk” of trees (that’s the old guidebook’s term for it) is fun for exploring, but the easy 5th class climbing on pitch 6 isn’t really compelling. Rightline slowly gets closer to Online with each pitch - its easy to confuse the bolts of one for the other and get off route. I mistook Pitch 5 of Rightline for Online the first time I climbed here - but I think the additional bolts placed on Online will help keep the confusion factor to a minimum.
Rightline has not been retrobolted as Online has, and has significant runouts on Pitches 4 and 5. There is also an optional belay stance on Pitch 4 between the 2nd and 3rd bolt, with a nice ledge for the belayer to rest comfortably. I’d recommend calling Pitch 4 there and then linking the remainder of Pitch 4 into Pitch 5. Update: This mid-Pitch-4-anchor is the top of Pitch 4 of The Pillar (5.10b). To stay on Rightline, traverse left under the roof to the left corner. The Pillar clips the same first bolt and then heads straight up through the roof to the “grassy crack” described in Weekend Rock. Pitch 5 of features only one gear placement soon after the original anchor with a semi-hanging stance, and then two bolts protect the crux 5.9+/5.10a section. The climbing begins to ease about 6 feet above the second bolt, but stays serious (5.9?) before reaching the anchor. Potential falls are clean but big - not for the weak of heart!
Gear
Online. Gear to 2”. I found a set of BD cams #0.3-#2 and a set of stoppers #4-#10 adequate. The crux pitch has 8 bolts, so either 8 quickdraws and 2 should-length slings, or 6 quickdraws and 2-4 “alpine-draws”. All anchors are equipped with Fixe rap rings, so whatever your preferred anchoring material works.
Rightline. Gear to 3”. Similar to above, just add a #3 cam to your rack. Similar quickdraw/sling recommendations. Identical Fixe anchors to Online.
Ropes. These routes were originally established ground-up with 50m ropes. At least one pitch on Online is 40m. Come with two lines for the rappels - lead and tag, twins, half-ropes, whatever your preference is, as long as you can do long rappels!
Guidebooks. Weekend Rock, by David Whitelaw, is the only guidebook currently in print, and isn’t comprehensive but has an excellent topo of Online and Tombstone Ledge. Rightline is listed in the out-of-print Sky Valley Rock, by Darryl Cramer. The driving directions are dated - you can no longer drive up the logging road to Static Point. DO NOT CAMP AT THE TRAILHEAD. Getting busted for this will threaten access!
Special Note. Spada Reservoir is the city of Everett’s water supply. Camping is available at Olney Park, managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.
History
Online is believed to be the first route in Washington established with battery-powered drills, in the early-mid 1980’s. At the time, the logging road was in full use and it was possible to drive to the culvert turnoff, similar to 3 O’Clock rock in Darrington - leaving a 30-45 minute approach up through a huge mature forest. Those climbing pioneers established a dozen routes, 2 to 6 pitches long, from 5.9 to 5.12. Since then, the city of Everett has cracked down on camping in the watershed (Spada is the city’s water supply), the road has been fully decommissioned, and the bolts have seen, until recently, almost no replacement work.
Current Status
Someone 15-20 years ago established a route to the right of Rightline with mixed stainless/non-stainless hardware, and add the same bolts to Online and possibly the Tombstone Ledge Routes. Online was re- and retro-bolted in 2019 with 1/2”, 3” long, 5-piece PowerBolts. Rightline was re-bolted (but not retro’ed) in 2020. The eight pitches climbed from Tombstone Ledge are next.
It’s my goal with the Static Point Rebolting Project to replace every single bolt (as needed) on the entire wall.
Rock climbing has been identified as a historic use of the watershed - but to keep our access climbers need to use the access. The trail to Static Point will only continue to exist with traffic. Its amazing how fast the forest grows back in a winter!
If you make it up to Static Point, please consider hauling one retired rope down - there is a pile of ropes too beat to use as fixed lines at the base of Online. There is also a collection of hardware and all of my equipment is currently triple wrapped in black contractor trash bags. Please don’t take it. Taking trash down to a dumpster and leaving my kit up at the cliff will bring you heaps of good karma! And please consider doing some trail maintenance on the hike out, as your time and schedule allows. Even just moving some dead limbs by hand, or beating back the bushes with a trekking pole, would help.
The bolts for Online and Rightline - and the future anchors at Tombstone Ledge - have been donated by the American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA). Future work will feature hardware from the Washington Anchor Replacement Program (WARP). WARP is part of the Cascades Section of the American Alpine Club and supported by the Washington Climbers Coalition. If you’re not a member of the AAC and the WCC (or whomever represents your home crags), I strongly encourage you to join up!
Last year I spent approximately $600 on equipment, $250 in gasoline and car maintenance, and +48 hours of time on this project. As of last Friday I’ve spent another $400 on equipment, $62 in gasoline and car maintenance, and 12 hours of time. This is my labor for community - I’ll never be allowed to guide here. If you appreciate this work and want to support my efforts, I can accept donations through this website: here’s the link to the Static Point Rebolting Project. Thank you for your support!
This year I hope to take more videos and pictures of this amazing place. I would have video for you today, but I dropped my camera on Friday from Pitch 4 😭, so I’m waiting for the new camera to arrive next Tuesday. It’s right up against the wilderness, bears and foxes roam the woods, goats climb the alpine peaks. You hear nothing but the sound of the wind and the river below. Its a magical place, with plenty of adventure still to be found. Come climbing at Static Point!
Photos from Friday’s work at Static Point. 1) 1/4” “button head” protection bolt; 2) 1/4” threaded bolt; 3) 1/4” button head, but a bit longer (1.25”?) than the one in Photo 1; the new bolts being installed.
I’ll be adding a topo for both routes next week, after I finish cleaning the old bolts and confirm the pitch lengths.
