Willis Wall, Volcanic cliff at Mount Rainier, Pierce County, United States
Willis Wall is a volcanic cliff on the north face of Mount Rainier in Pierce County, Washington, rising more than 3,500 feet above the Carbon Glacier below. The face is made up of layers of rock and compacted volcanic material, topped by a thick crown of ice that overhangs the upper section of the wall.
The wall takes its name from Bailey Willis, a geologist who surveyed the Mount Rainier area in the 1880s. It gained wider recognition among climbers after early ascents showed just how much technical skill the route demands.
The Willis Wall is known in climbing circles as one of the most demanding ice routes in North America. Completing a route on this face carries real weight among alpinists and is seen as a serious achievement.
This wall is only for climbers with solid ice climbing experience, as falling ice and rock from the upper crown are a constant hazard throughout most of the year. Weather on Mount Rainier can shift fast, so careful planning and ongoing attention to conditions are essential before and during any attempt.
The Carbon Glacier basin beneath the wall is constantly reshaped by ice movement and avalanches, meaning the conditions a climber finds one season can be markedly different from the next. What looks like a fixed route one year may be partly gone or altered the following season.
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