The Index Town Walls

By: Chris Kalman and Matty Van Biene

The Index Town Walls, a beautiful collection of granite crags in the Skykomish Valley just outside Seattle, are praised for their superb quality and variety. The crown-jewel of Washington climbing, it has everything from 800-foot trad odysseys, to modern clip-ups, to Grade IV aid climbs, are found nestled among the forest, river, and alpine peaks.

This guide includes areas: 

• The Lower Lump
• The Inner Walls
• The Lower Town Walls
• The Country
• The Middle Town Walls
• The Upper Town Walls
• The Cheeks
• The Diamond
• Lookout Point

This guidebook is comprehensive, covering not only the vast majority of the historic routes (some of which have been reclaimed by the forest), but also many brand-spanking-new ones. Index is widely regarded as the finest crag in Washington, and often touted as the best climbing destination in the United States. Some suggest that Index has the densest collection of high quality routes in the world. There's only one way to find out.