Early season rock climbing abounds at Stonehill

Songbirds chirp overhead as the melting April snow around town pivots minds from skiing and ice climbing to sunny spring days spent rock climbing.  

Getting ready for the first climbing weekend of the season means gear of all sorts makes its initial appearance for the new year. Duffels are loaded with cams, ropes and carabiners crammed next to summer sleeping bags. Countless bulging packs are loaded into the back of a red F-150 along with a cast of characters primed for a weekend of Koocanusa climbing. Winding up past Eureka and along Lake Koocanusa with our rig crammed to the brim, we took turns peering out the backseat to lay eyes on the Stonehill climbing area until our car finally skidded to a stop.  

The south facing walls of the Stonehill climbing area grant climbers a getaway destination during the spring months when skiing and ice climbing are on their way out. The sun beats down on the quartzite faces, where it dries the cracks and crimps enough for eager climbers to whet their appetite and get back into the swing of things after a long winter.

Our motley crew of climbers piled out of the car, greeted by the spring sun on our faces, welcoming us to a warm April weekend. With easy access, we park nearly 10 feet from the crag to gear up and get climbing. Adam Cazell, one of my longtime climbing partners, takes the sharp end of the rope and begins leading a classic warmup at the Hold-Up Bluffs Wall. Cazell works his way into a steepening roof, where a traverse around a peculiar chock stone block becomes his main focus. Clipping the chains, he lets out an elated holler before being lowered back down to flat ground.  

The rest of the group took turns leading and following the classic routes above the highway before packing up and moving to the famous Room-With-A-View area, home of the most picturesque and classic climb at Stonehill.  

A Room With A View was first climbed in the early 1990s and is the most aesthetic and unnerving moderate route in the area. Another member of the crew, Frank Dean, begins to work his way up the route on steepening crimps and jugs before reaching the “room,” a sheltered flat slab of rock tucked below a massive overhang, where views of Lake Koocanusa and Stonehill take your breath away.  

Though the secure nook feels welcoming, the next sequence to work your way up and out of the room is anything but. Exposure extends way past your belayer, hanging below your heels hundreds of feet as you commit to stepping out into the void, nothing but a few hand holds above your head to work across the sheer face.  

Dean leans out into space before cutting his feet loose and dangling above the reservoir, where he pulls himself up to the next good hold and re-establishes his feet to clip the chains. One by one, we took turns on this classic route before the rumbling in our stomachs called for dinner. 

A smorgasbord of entrées is prepared by a fire. Only the finest of hot dogs, freeze-dried meals and instant ramen are fitting fuel to replenish a climber’s body after a long day at Koocanusa. 

Winding down, we take a couple laps on nearby easy cracks until our hands are puffy and swollen from jamming them into the wall before retreating to our sleeping bags on a clear moon-lit night. Stories by the fire trail off into the evening as we snuggle deeper into our bags with smiles on our faces for what tomorrow holds.

Groans resulting from tight shoulders and cracked hands are the first sounds to stir the group, signifying another long day of climbing ahead of us. Slowly, the crew stirs one by one to stretch their tired limbs in the morning sun and prepare for another day at Stonehill. 

A quick breakfast and we are off, crossing the bridge at the northern end of the area to access the north side crags and the popular enchanted neighborhood area – where a plethora of routes awaits us in the shaded trees. Climbing the neighboring routes feels hectic until you reach the top of the wall and find a second of peace to enjoy the views of the reservoir glittering far below and predatory birds circling overhead. 

The midday sun began to tuck around the hill, depleting our group of energy and stoke. The first weekend back to climbing had us a bit haggard, the jamming and micro crimps of Koocanusa are unforgiving after a winter of casual climbing.  

Before packing up and heading home, we joined the local Northwest Montana Climbers Coalition to replace dangerous bolts and anchors. We worked with the coalition throughout the afternoon to maintain and improve the climbing at Stonehill, making it safer for all to enjoy. The NWMTCC also established new trail signs and trails during the weekend in hopes of creating a safe and sustainable climbing area for generations to come.

The now quiet car retraced its winding path back to the Flathead Valley as our crew of climbers snored loudly in the backseat, a sign of a great weekend at Stonehill. The first rock climbing weekend of the season reminds us that long summer days draw ever closer. Weaving along the reservoir I doze off, dreaming of the long days and plentiful climbs that await this coming summer.