Tumwater Canyon. Two difficult new routes were completed on Midnight Rock last spring. Eric Bjornstad and I climbed the “Black Widow” route, using wooden blocks and pitons placed on attempts two years before, and then finished a free-roof on a line of bolts that had to be extended into a narrow chimney above the overhang. Blocks and 14 bolts with hangers were left in place to assure future climbers more rapid progress. The “Outer Slab” route, a five-pitch climb by Richard Willmott and me, includes the wild traverse of Midnight Rock but goes south to climb a slab featuring a crack that can be jammed and laybacked for two leads with just adequate piton protection. The only bolt was placed to protect a final bouldering move that completes the climb. The west face of Tum- water Tower was also climbed by Bjornstad and me; the difficult climbing was restricted to one pitch of fifth class that had a two-bolt aid section.

Fred Beckey