Even non-climbers love a good cold-water plunge during hot summer months in many parts of the world, and Eastern Washington is no exception. In Leavenworth, in the Central Cascades, people jump from a bridge into Icicle Creek. In Wenatchee, it’s popular to plunge into the Columbia River after hiking up to overlooks. But in Banks Lake, nestled up against the Grand Coulee Dam, climbing reigns.
The flashy deep water solo sites around the world often involve long and possibly-dangerous falls into rough ocean water, but if you’re not quite that hardcore (or quite a bit more sane, perhaps), you can leap off a cliff into the calm waters of a riverine lake. Banks Lake is long and narrow, stretching almost 27 miles through a dramatic basalt gorge. Despite the towering columns, though, most of the climbing is on gorgeous fine-grained granite that rises up directly from the lake itself. There’s also a scattering of bolted routes–including some that can be accessed best by boat–and surely some trad opportunities, too.
Banks Lake receives only occasional mention in guidebooks describing Washington climbing, and we didn’t see much detail on Mountain Project. You can find the sport routes there easily, though the pictures often don’t quite match up with reality. The best routes on the granite are at Roadside Rock, where several beautiful lines rise up right beside the road and a bunch more are accessible via a rappel down from above or hike up from a boat landing on the other side. Our favorite was Tom Thumb Blues, 5.10b. We also did hear rumors of climbing on the basalt, but found no record of it. Let me know if you find it!
But you’re really there for the deep water soloing. Rent a boat in Grand Coulee at the north end of the lake (we got a good deal on a pontoon boat + two stand up paddle boards from Coulee Playground) and set off. Pick a likely line — anywhere the cliff rises vertical above the waves and you can’t see the bottom — and give it a whirl. There’s virtually limitless potential.
Safety notes, of course — make sure you’re confident in how deep the water is and how steep the cliff before deciding to deep water solo. If you can see rocks beneath the water or if the route isn’t steep enough, it can be quite dangerous. It’s advisable to bring earplugs. Remember to plug your nose when you plunge into the water and jump away from the wall!
If you’ve never deep water soloed before, take it slow. Jumping off five feet into the waves can be strangely terrifying, even if you’re used to jumping a lot farther off a bouldering wall or taking a much bigger lead fall.
Bring a few pairs of climbing shoes since they’ll get pretty water logged. Maybe even experiment with climbing barefoot! Liquid chalk works better than powder.
In general, though, just relax and have fun. The best thing about deep water soloing is how amenable it is to exploration! Check out the lake and find your own perfect line.
Some of our favorite spots:
If what you want is sport climbing above the water, here are a few options — belay from your boat, or just send it free solo and crash into the waves. If you’re going to belay, you probably want to rent one of the pontoon boats, not just a kayak!