ECHO SPLITTER CLIFF

From the east end of Echo's upper parking lot, find the PCT and start up it as it bends to the SW. Somewhat over a hundred meters up, the PCT takes a sharp left turn; don't make this turn, rather bear straight/right on a cobbly old roadbed. In about 70m, cross a down tree, then in 20 paces more, turn sharply left and steeply uphill. It should be easy to follow the use-trail and ducks at this point. After the short steep portion, amble along westerly, go through a meadow-ish area, cross a couple of logs, and come to an old truck wreck, the mechanism for running a skiers' early rope tow at Echo. Continue westerly for a bit, then turn sharply left around a down-tree root and go steeply uphill for the next hundred meters or so, mounting this lateral moraine. When you reach the plateau, you'll be hiking gradually upwards between two moraines. Nearly another kilometer along, the trail will bend left and head up towards Becker Peak. At the start of the left bend just mentioned, there are two large evergreen trees (white fir, red fir?) together, on your left; 40 paces beyond these two trees, turn right and look for a thin use-trail that goes up and down across the steep hillside. If you're not on a reasonably obvious trail, you've missed it. Finally, the trail drops down to the plateau that forms the beautiful granite top of the Echo Splitter Cliff.

By the way, one can access the crag by taking the use trail, from Echo Chalet and along the south shore. After wandering along and through some bogs, a kilometer or so along, there will appear an open slope up to the left, with Becker Peak barely visible. Head up this steep slope, then you will have to head back left after gaining a couple of headwalls. There's no advantage to going in this way, unless you want to park down by the chalet.

At the crag, there is a steep minimal "trail" down the east side, and a much easier rockfall access on the west side.

If you want to TR, find the multiple anchor pairs (most are over the edge and not readily visible) and set up. You will need two 50m ropes to TR the main North Face, NW buttress, and the East Face routes. You can get by with a 60 meter rope on the steep West Wall and an 80m (or maybe a 70m) on the East Wall.

Climbers may wish to do a little gardening as needed, as a few plants have gained a foothold in some of the cracks again. It seems as if those few little plants are readily bypassable, though. Please avoid damage to the little pine tree bonsai that are growing in a couple of cracks.

The West Wall, unfortunately, has a sloping-slab base, with only a few good belay spots. Belayer might want to clip into a piece of gear, as there is little friction in a TR setup; one of us was swung into the wall when the climber fell. Climbing there in the Spring or anytime there is water running down the slab, is NOT a good time to be there - it is slicker than slime, and access up and down in that area is dangerous. Some of the West Wall routes remain a bit dirty as of this writing - climb lots and clean them up!