On Sunday, September 16th from 2 to 4 pm join author Jeff Smoot will present a talk about a unique West Seattle landmark, Schurman Rock, long noted as the first "climbing wall" ever built. Smoot is the author of Schurman Rock: A History & Guide which details the facts about the background on the famous rock. Immediately following the public is invited to visit to Schurman Rock at Camp Long.

High Point Branch
Seattle Public Library
3411 SW Raymond St
Seattle, WA 98126

 

“Schurman Rock: A History & Guide”

Part history, part biography, part climbing guide, Schurman Rock: A History & Guide describes the design and construction of Schurman Rock, the world’s first artificial climbing wall, built in 1938-39 at Camp Long in Seattle, Washington.

The book includes a history of the creation of Camp Long by by William G. Long, a Superior Court judge, who seized the opportunity to turn an unused 68-acre tract of swampy forest land into a wilderness camp for youth, and a biography of Clark Schurman, a Scoutmaster and Chief Climbing Guide at Mount Rainier, who envisioned and then built his “dream rock” to provide a place to teach mountaineering skills to youth.

Thousands of kids and adults, including Fred Beckey and Jim and Lou Whittaker, learned to climb on Schurman Rock over the past 80 years. In 1938, Schurman published an article describing 22 routes on the rock—“short bits” as he called them. This book expands on this with a guide to several boulder problems on the rock. Includes many historic photos and a foreword by Pacific Northwest climbing legend Jim Whittaker.

Walk to Schurman Rock at Camp Long nearby with the author for a personal tour and in person introduction to the climbing rock

We will also get a special treat, because immediately following the talk (which is scheduled from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm) the entire audience will be invited to walk (or drive) to Camp Long a few blocks away from the High Point Library. Jeff Smoot will talk more about the rock and point out the features and speak about what makes it a significant contribution to the history of climbing around the world


Note: A map will be provided to those who choose to drive to the nearby location and reconnect with the group.

 

Jeff Smoot is an outdoor adventure writer and photographer primarily known for his hiking and climbing guidebooks including Falcon titles Climbing Washington's Mountains, Rock Climbing Washington, and Best Climbs Cascade Volcanoes. His latest book, Schurman Rock: A History & Guide, was released in May 2018.