Climbing Washington's Mountains (Climbing Mountains Series) (Paperback)

by Jeffrey L. Smoot (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Washington is home to some of the nation's most inspiring and rugged mountains. Rocky summits, glaciers, high mountain lakes, deep glacier-carved valleys, and long, exposed ridges are just some of the rewards awaiting hikers and climbers in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains.

From moderate walk-ups and alpine scrambles in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Olympic Mountains, to technical routes in the North Cascades, and including all of the state's 9,000-footers and high volcanoes, Climbing Washington's Mountains provides the information needed to climb 100 of the state's outstanding summits. Look inside for detailed descriptions of each peak and recommended routes, including: an introduction to each peak - geology, history, scenic highlights, and more; summit details, including elevation and elevation gain, route names and ratings, and trip distance and duration; detailed approach maps and illustrated descriptions of routes; route variations, alternate summit routes, and information on other mountains in the area. (6 x 9, 416 pages, b&w photos, maps)

From the Back Cover
Washington is home to some of the nation's most inspiring and rugged mountains. Rocky summits, glaciers, high mountain lakes, deep glacier-carved valleys, and long, exposed ridges are just some of the rewards awaiting hikers and climbers in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains. From moderate walk-ups and alpine scrambles in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Olympic Mountains, to technical routes in the North Cascades, and including all of the state's 9,000-footers and high volcanoes, Climbing Washington's Mountains provides the information needed to climb 100 of the state's outstanding summits. Look inside for detailed descriptions of each peak and recommended routes, including: an introduction to each peak - geology, history, scenic highlights, and more; summit details, including elevation and elevation gain, route names and ratings, and trip distance and duration; detailed approach maps and illustrated descriptions of routes; route variations, alternate summit routes, and information on other mountains in the area. (6 x 9, 416 pages, b&w photos, maps)


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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762710861
• ISBN-13: 978-0762710867
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #425,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very useful resource, October 1, 2002

By	Mike Garrison (Covington, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Smoot bills his book as a "Selected Climbs" for the rest of us. I'm not quite sure I buy that, but I do think this book deserves a spot on the shelf nestled in between "Selected Climbs" and Beckey.

Compared to Goldman's "75 Scrambles", it is noticably better in some respects: it covers a wider range of climbing (all the way from class 2 to easy class 5); it covers a wider variety of climbing (more snow routes); and it does a better job at providing and describing options beyond just the most popular route.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Definitive, but aging, October 20, 2008

By	G. Chappell (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Smoot's "Climbing Washington's Mountains" is still the best guidebook available for a wide variety of climbs across Washington state. The routes are thoughtfully chosen to provide a wide variety of climbs from easy to very challenging, from afternoon jaunts to multi-day marathons in all regions across the state. I've done about 20 of his recommended climbs, and regularly climb with friends who have done more than half of his recommended climbs.

Unfortunately, the book was published back in 2002 and is beginning to show its age. For example, I departed on his recommended route for Mt Hinman, only to drive three hours from Seattle to find the forest road permanently closed years prior, ruining my planned weekend ascent. My climb of Mt Chikamin was *much* longer than he described as it's degenerated into a 6 mile bushwhack (instead of the smooth approach hike he described). The approach road to the Monte Cristo peaks that he describes has been washed out for years that adds significant approach difficulty to the routes he describes.

With that said, there are no guidebooks for Class 2-5 climbing printed more recently than 2003, so this is unfortunately a problem with any climbing guide currently available. Smoot's recommended climbs have given me a great smattering of adventures in all regions across Washington, his writing style is clear, and his descriptions (and alternate routes) are generally accurate and trusthworthy. A photocopy of his route description has become a 10th essential for all my Washington climbing.

Another downfall of this guide is the lack of an index or information charts for quickly categorizing climb difficulty and length.

Peggy Goldman also has a very good book on Washington scrambles. I would recommend owning them both, but if I could only own one, I'd take Smoot's as it is more straightforward.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth The Money!, February 2, 2003

By A Customer

This book gave me a great description of the routes to some of the most scenic and captivating peaks in Washington. I especially liked the way he gave other options to chose from if you didn't like the route he chose. The only problem I had was a very minor one, I felt he could have added several more Olympic peaks like the bailey range, stone, and some lesser known (which means less crowded) peaks like McCartney or Warrior. Other than that this book is a must have for everyone from a scrambler to a technical mountaineer looking to climb the Highest peaks of Washington