The Crag: Eagles Rest Rock Climbing
The Crag. Photo courtesy of Ammon Gallup.
Growing up in Springfield, I explored a lot of the hikes in the area with my friends and family. Getting swallowed up by the trees was one of my favorite pastimes. It’s hard to find a hike without an incredible view in the Willamette Valley that won’t satisfy your adventure needs. A good hike we did on many of our outings was the Eagles Rest trial. From the parking lot to the view point it is only about a mile away, making it great for something to do after a long day of work or school. I usually enjoyed a quick trail run here, getting up and back down before dark. Although short, it was still something to get the lungs and heart pumping. And, you can be ensured a sea of trees and clouds swaying in the wind will greet you at the peak of this hike.
Today, Eagles Rest is also a popular local rock climbing spot, providing the local climbing community with a crag just 35 minutes from Eugene. Routes varying between 5.6 and 5.13d. Climbing is something I’ve wanted to get into in the past, along with a hundred other hobbies, but never fully committed to. However, I did have the opportunity once to climb here and try out a few of the routes.
With Upper Eagles Rest trail head plotted on your map, you will want to start driving east from Eugene on highway 58. Not too far past Pleasant Hill High School, take a right onto Rattle Snake Road. Stay on this road for about ten minutes, before taking a left turn onto Eagles Rest road. After fifteen minutes or so of dodging deep potholes and some fallen tree branches trying to give your car a new paint job, you will arrive to a gravel road where to your right the trail head to the summit begins. Drive with caution; the road to Eagles Rest can sometimes be a bit… interesting. There are a few spaces to park along the left side next to the trail head, and spots a little further down the gravel road also on the left side. Parking at one of the spots further down the gravel road and hiking up any of the trails to the right will lead you to the base of the cliff to start your climbing.
One day without rain, and the sun making a warm appearance, me and some of my buddies parked where we normally would for the hike. My friend knew of the rock wall here, and he had some spare harnesses and rope. We decided to spend a day on the wall, sheltered by the looming Douglas fir and incense cedars that surrounded us. Me and some others in the group hadn’t done much rock climbing before, so we started on an easier route to the right of the cliff. My friend went up first and set the rope on top. We were taught a few basic knots, how to belay each other, and learned the importance of always having one hand on the rope as a fail safe in case the belay device failed. We each took turns alternating between climbing and belaying, getting a feel for the rock under our hands and feet. After a while we finished up this section, each with a small celebration for making it to the top and completing the route, we headed down the trail along the wall to some more challenging and longer climbs—the exciting stuff.
At this point I didn’t have my own climbing shoes. My friend was so kind as to let me borrow his old beat up sweaty ones, that may or may not have already been getting cycled around amongst the group. A little bit gross I will admit, but I didn’t mind if it made my climbing better. The next route we chose was much taller, and required more technique. We began this climb at the perfect time, commonly known as golden hour. As the sun gets closer and closer to setting, the woods get illuminated with sun beams streaking through the branches. Underlying pine cones and hidden plants getting partially colored gold for their short time in the limelight. We began to be lured by the mountain in all its glory, starting to climb a little harder. Fueled by adrenaline, our hope to not slip and fall, and a competitive drive to reach the top. Each hand and foot hold slightly more precise. One by one, before we were each gently belayed back down to the dirt, we climbed up and took some time to enjoy the view and a mouthful of fresh air. Just as the golden sun fell behind the hills, we finished up our climbing and began our drive home. I am forever grateful for days like these.