Concord Tower — North Face
🚐 Join the caravan
Concord Tower's North Face is the most popular line on this excellent-granite spire just S of Liberty Bell, sharing the Liberty Bell–Concord notch start so it links easily with Liberty Bell's Beckey Route for a full weekend day. Short (3 pitches, ~300 ft) Grade II 5.7 trad: a 5.6 crack to a treed ledge, a traverse through hollow flaky rock with huecos, then a 5.6+/5.7 crack and bear-hug flake to the airy summit. Stay left after the blank wall to avoid the Tunnel Route. FA Beckey & Parrott, 1956.
🚗 Getting there & comms
Trailhead: Blue Lake Trailhead, WA-20 (~MM 161)
From Mazama drive WA-20 W toward Washington Pass; signed pullout on the S side ~1 mi W of the pass. NW Forest Pass.
⛽ Last services: Mazama Store (gas 24/7 pumps, deli/bakery, water) — last fuel before the pass; fuller services in Winthrop/Twisp. Westbound: nothing until Marblemount.
📶 Cell signal: No reliable cell at the TH, gully, or route — off-grid. Carry inReach/PLB.
🧗 Routes
🥾 Approach · descent · season
Approach: From Blue Lake TH, hike the Blue Lake Trail until a climber's boot path breaks off (right/N) up talus + brush of the Liberty Bell–Concord gully (Beckey Gully) to the notch. ~1–1.5 hr, ~1,000+ ft. Route starts at the notch — shared with Liberty Bell's Beckey Route, so start early.
⬇️ Descent: Rappel the route: from two summit bolts, then a second rappel off two more bolts to the bushy P1 ledge, then to the base at the notch. One 60m rope. From the notch, descend the Beckey Gully. Bail off the same anchors from the P1 ledge.
🗓️ Season: Roughly July–September. Stays wet after rain; icy/snowy early + late season; the gully holds snow into early summer.
🎒 Gear & food
Rack: One set of cams + one set of nuts, plus slings/runners for the meandering line. Helmet — loose rock + shared gully below.
Ropes: One 60m rope (climb + rappel).
✅ Before you leave the trailhead
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🏕️ Land · camp · water · permits
🪧 Land & passes: Okanogan-Wenatchee NF (Methow Valley RD); just outside North Cascades NP, Okanogan County.
📋 Permits: NW Forest Pass to park at Blue Lake TH. No climbing permit.
⚠️ Hazards · fire · emergency
- Loose/hollow flaky rock on P2 — test holds, manage rockfall in the shared gully
- Stays wet after rain; icy early/late season
- Exposed 3rd-class scrambling + a bear-hug flake near the summit
- Multi-rappel descent off fixed bolts — verify anchors + rope ends
- Crowded shared notch/gully start with Liberty Bell Beckey (rockfall from above)
- Afternoon thunderstorms on an exposed summit
- No cell, no quick walk-off
🆘 Emergency contacts
- Emergency (SAR/EMS) 911 — If no cell, satellite SOS. Okanogan County.
- Okanogan County Sheriff (SAR) 509-422-7232 — Coordinates Okanogan County SAR
- Mid-Valley Hospital (nearest 24/7 ER), Omak 509-826-1760 — ~40–50 mi E via WA-20
🌤️ Live conditions
Auto-updated 20h ago · °F · tap a link for the mountain-specific picture ↓
👀 In the field
Tap any for ID, edibility & first-aid.
📍 Nearby & other interest
- Liberty Bell — Beckey Route (II 5.6) — shares the notch, common linkup
- Lexington Tower — North Face
- South Early Winter Spire — SW Rib (III 5.8) / S Arête (5.5)
- North Early Winter Spire — NW Corner
💬 Comments
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