Plenty of options for scramblers.

Byline: The Register-Guard

To reach the summit of Diamond Peak, or most other peaks in Oregon, you don't have to be a mountaineer - you just have to be a "scrambler."

That's the thesis behind a new book by Portland freelance writer Barbara Bond, "75 Scrambles in Oregon: Best Nontechnical Ascents."

Bond is a member, rock climbing instructor and trail trip leader for the Mazamas, a Portland-based outdoor club similar to Eugene's Obsidians.

She describes "scrambling" as a "sport that's more adventurous than hiking, less extreme than climbing."

It's a sport that can be enjoyed by the average person with ordinary talent, skill and courage, Bond said. Scrambling involves hiking or climbing over rough or rocky terrain - usually off-trail - and requires agility, a good sense of balance and route-finding skills.

Scrambling may require use of the hands for balance and/or safety. But it does not require ropes or climbing gear.

"Oregon scrambling is for any outdoor person looking for challenges beyond the constraints of maintained trails," Bond writes.

"It is for peak baggers looking for mountain summits off the beaten path. It is for adventurers seeking to explore Oregon's wild places and experience its diverse landscapes, ecoregions and remote communities."

Bond outlines a plan of attack for 75 of the most interesting peaks in Oregon. She rates each for strenuousness and difficulty. In addition to mileages and elevations for each scramble, Bond also tells readers how much time a trip is likely to take and what time of year is best to visit.

Her suggested scrambles take readers from peaks ranging in elevation from 1,740 feet to 10,358 feet (the South Sister) and include out-of-the-way summits with names like "Rock of Ages" and "Venus, Jupiter and Lucifer."

About one-third of Bond's suggested scrambles are located in the Cascade mountain range. Most of the rest are east of the Cascades.

In the central Cascades, her "best scrambles" include Belknap Crater, Little Brother, Middle Sister, South Sister, The Wife, Broken Top, Tam McArthur Rim and Broken Hand, Mount Bachelor, Mount Yoran, Diamond Peak, Cowhorn Mountain, Mount Bailey and Mount Thielsen.

"75 Scrambles in Oregon: Best Nontechnical Ascents" is a trade paperback published by The Mountaineers Books of Seattle. Its 256 pages include 110 black and white photos and 77 contour maps.

List price is $17.95, and the booksellers' number (ISBN) is 0-89886-550-6.

CAPTION(S):

A new book lists 75 peaks in Oregon good for scrambling.