DIELIVING Urban Style: Rocky Butte in Portland, OR

You don’t always need to head to the middle of nowhere to get your climbing fix in. In fact, plenty of cities are beginning to feature some of their natural crags and ledges for climbers to enjoy without breaking the bank on a weekend climbing adventure.

Portland, Oregon’s Rocky Butte is one America’s premier urban climb sites. Just fifteen minutes from the center of the PDX, Rocky Butte features around 150 different routes of varying difficulty and type. And while most routes are top-roped, there are options for trad and lead climbing.

 

Ranging from a few meters to sixty-plus feet, Rocky Butte provides more than enough climbing surface to keep you busy for at least a full day.  

Of course, Rocky Butte is an urban crag, so a little trash and the occasional homeless encampment at the base are things you’ll have to deal with.

In a feature on gearjunkie.com, local climber Ramsel Ruiz is quoted as saying, “A day out there is always an urban adventure because of the homeless encampments at the base of the wall.”

Regulars recommend bringing an extra plastic bag to collect some ground trash before you leave to get your good deed on along with your climbing fix. I suggest bringing an extra bottle of water for the homeless.

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