The Longhouse - Stratosphere

Stratosphere is the first cliff reached on the Shannon Creek FSR approach to The Longhouse, with an orange-marked trail taking about 10–15 minutes from the road. The zone sits roughly 10–15 minutes uphill from the Catalan Wall.

This is a shady granite crag with north and west aspects, focused on single-pitch trad crack climbing over vertical to overhanging terrain. Stratosphere works well as a warm-up zone, with routes including Little Dipper (5.10−), Harvest Moon (5.11), The Perciad (5.10−), The Sextant (5.10+), and The Tomahawk (5.10).

The wider Longhouse area has 31 trad routes and is known for steep, often wide cracks. A full double rack through #4, together with #5 and #6 cams, is recommended; wide lines may need multiples of the larger sizes. A 60 m rope covers the climbs except Bonghouse, for which a 70 m rope was used on its first ascent.

Loose rock and overhead hazards are present at this relatively new crag. Upper Longhouse walls follow a low-bolting ethic, with natural protection emphasized and two-bolt anchors used where appropriate for lowering.