The Wombat

The Wombat is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land within the Prineville Deschutes Field Office in central Oregon. The surrounding area is crammed with other climbing spots, with Babylon Wall, Trenchtown Gulley and The Philosopher's Stone all about a tenth of a mile away. The climbing here runs from easy traditional routes to harder sport climbs. Of the 14 routes in the area, nine are sport and five are trad, with grades ranging from 5.0 up to 5.12d. North-East Scramble is a traditional 5.0, and Vombatus Ursinus, a trad 5.10d, was first climbed by Alan Watts and Ryan Cafferky in fall 1999. The sport side includes Elysian Fields at 5.12c and To Go Beyond at 5.12d, both of which were first ascents by Kevin Piarulli. Summer is the driest and warmest stretch for a visit. Typical averages from the nearby Grizzly weather station show July highs around 84°F with only about four wet days, while winter highs sit in the low 40s. The station sits about 366 feet below the climbing area, so temperatures up high run a bit cooler.