peas

I did the NW Couloir of Fissile early last November and it was quite nice. There was ice if you wanted, but it was faster to stick to the snow. The approach we did was a bit of a bitch since much of the scree at the base was exposed and we traversed directly from the hut. Probably best to head right down the valley to the base, then head straight up the scree rather than traverse.

Yeah, we brought a big rack, so we're probably a little slower than the old farts. The other 2 parties passed our bivy spot at around 5am, and their two seconds were on the ground when we arrived at the face, so the approach could take a little longer too.

I didn't really keep track of how long it took from the road to the lake. We left the car at around 7pm and got to the lake at dark. We crossed the bridge and went up the north side of the Shortcut Creek until we hit the creek running out of Rugged Lake. From there we hiked up the near side of that creek in the old forest for a while until it looked easier on the other side of the creek (it opens up). From then on we stuck to that side of the creek up to the lake and it was quite easy. There was flagging on the south side of Shortcut Creek, but there didn't seem to be much of a trail and we doubted that we'd be able to cross the creek when we wanted to since it's quite big at full flow. We left the lake at around 6am and were roped up and climbing by 8:45am. We didn't quite follow the approach in alpine select. We headed straight for the toe of the glacier and then directly up to the route. On the way back down we stuck more to the route described in the guide, which was probably a better option. The two parties ahead of us were together, and may have been guided, but I'm not sure. They generally took the same approach to the lake as us, but they stayed high away from Shortcut Creek and stayed on one side of the creek out of Rugged Lake all the way up to the lake. They said it was ok. They stayed high as described in the guide on the approach to the climb as well. We started climbing perhaps a little to the left of where the description says, mostly so that we could avoid rockfall from the party above and to make a more direct route to the ramp. The climbing was about 5.7 and looked the same to the right. The start required a bit of a jump over the shrund.

Thanks, that TR looks about right. Guess I should have dug around a bit more.

I went to do what may have been the South Face of Ashlu this weekend, but I have my doubts. We started at what looked like the start from the McLane guidebook, and climbed the logical line up features somewhat similar to what the guidebook describes, but it didn't quite mesh, and we did far fewer pitches than what the guidebook describes. Two other parties were on the route that day and took the same line as we did and had their doubts too. Does anyone else have any first hand experience with this route and what's described in the guidebook? Also, if you're looking for info, the rock is somewhat loose in sections, but is reasonable if you don't have anyone ahead of you. The rock is pretty compact, so thin pins may be useful, although we (and the parties ahead of us) made it through without placing any pins. The lake is beautiful and offers a great place to bivy and swim (no need to head up onto the ridge). The blueberries and huckleberries are great up there right now. The road is driveable, but there are quite a few cross ditches in the last few km. The bridge over Shortcut creek is not out, but is sketchy. Many of the support beams have cracked/been obliterated. There were tire tracks beyond Shortcut creek, so some brave/stupid souls have been through recently.

I've been in there a little more recently than Dru, and I think it has rained since he's been in there. The new road they've put in to the base of the ridge didn't seem to have culverts installed, so all the runoff came down the road. When I went up it, it was a little more than 2wd. I drive an old beater Toyota truck and scraped the skid plate off of my gas tank.

Although the laws re: provincial parks have been changed, the plan for the Chief provincial park do not involve commercial development. The consultation process in the fall will be to determine whether there is public support for changing the Chief provincial park plan and continue with the developers proposal. The rumours that I've heard say that it will go up over the Bulletheads to the South Summit, rather than up the trail, and that there will be fewer towers involved. Whatever the plan, the idea is practically the same. Valhalla Pure in Squamish has a petition against the gondola project, so if you feel strongly about it, sign the petition.

The construction company has dumped quite a bit of rock down into the river (even though they said they wouldn't), which means that Star Chek has even more loose rock above it than before. The company has committed to cleaning up the area and the river, but who knows when it will be done or how well. Helmets will probably be a useful bit of equipment on Star Chek and surrounding climbs for a while to come.

I did the Southeast Face scramble recently and found the guide (McLane's) to be fairly accurate. There are cairns on the rocks on top of the snowfield that would be helpful on the descent if you hadn't just ascended the route. We reversed the route to descend and didn't require any rappels.

Whyte Ave is a nice place to check out. Nice pubs, coffee shops and stores.

p1 also has a few trees/bushes to sling, so you can get away with not having too much big gear. It's also pretty easy, so you don't need much gear at all. The first two approach pitches are quite bushy. You can avoid the 2nd one by doing St. Vitus Direct (10a), which is quite nice.

I've parked at the Lions parking lot twice this year with no problems. Most recently last weekend. Should be ok.

There's a nice swimming hole on the Stawamus, kind of by the approach for Angel's Crest, etc. You can see it pretty easily from a lot of routes on the N side of the Chief.

Did anyone see Shannon Falls during all this rain? I didn't and would have liked to. It must have been gushing. If anyone has any pics, it would be great to see them.

My worst fear was on the Sheriff's Badge. The pitch just before the roof. I ended up pounding nails behind a fridge size block that I could feel moving everytime I hit the pin. I should have found a different way, but I was so scared that I just wanted the quickest way off the damn block. We backed off after that pitch. I also hate jugging and looking at the rope running over edges. I love the feeling of finally getting to the anchors after jugging a pitch.

You can also add Gerizim on the Starr Wall. Rated 5.8, but I'd be hard pressed to point out even a 5.7 move on it.

And what are those pictures of in your avatar???

I find kitchen utensils a little fiddly for pro. Probably would slow you down.

Yeah, the topic has probably been beaten to death. That said, if you have something really valuable in your car and someone can smash and grab it, it probably means it's portable and that also means that you can stash it somewhere fairly easily. That is great that Murray is doing something about it.

Valid points. Unfortunately, restrictions and decisions on a provincial scale usually aren't tailored to fit an individual, but to benefit the greater population. So forest closures are more important than smash and grabs. I guess that's where your comment about money comes in. One other thought is that if something is that important to someone, should they leave it lying around in their car so that people can come along and take it with little effort? Putting it in a better place may be a little difficult if you're living out of your car, but usually something can be done. Lots of other points can be made. I guess I was just a little touchy about the caps and the apparent lack of sympathy for those affected by the fires. Your second comments provided a little more insight into what you were saying though. I agree.

To put in perspective why everyone is so concerned about stopping fires, you should look at how much property damage and grief has been caused by fires in Kelowna. A few smash and grabs in Squamish pale in comparison to the damage the fires have caused. I hope this was a troll

An update from CASBC CASBC has obtained such current information as is available about how the closures will affect climbers and mountaineers. Our sources: a) the government website (www.gov.bc.ca) - the main page includes the announcement of the closure, and the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection and Ministry of Forests sections have much more detail, though they are being updated; b) Vancouver papers; c) Vicki Haberl at MWLAP (Parks) in Squamish, and Bev Goodwin of the District of Squamish Parks & Recreation. CASBC is attempting here to provide a summary of the closures, and how they affect climbers and mountaineers. We make no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or its currency. The situation is changing very quickly, and we suggest that you directly consult the relevant body, or its website, for updates. Local and provincial government staff are understandably somewhat overwhelmed by the situation, which is not an easy one for them. The Provincial Emergency Program website (www.pep.bc.ca) also appears to be a reasonable and current summary of developments, and includes key links. About 90% of B.C. is provincially owned/managed land. It is safest to assume that all land off public highways, and outside urban areas, is closed to all forms of recreation, except privately-owned land; most cities and municipalities have also imposed closures and limitations on forested and other park areas. The closure affects the southern 1/3 of B.C., the only exception apparently being the Powell River area. It also affects the southern and western 1/3 of Vancouver Island. The following provincial parks are closed to climbing and mountaineering: Bugaboo; Mt. Seymour; Cypress (all sides); Tantalus; Callaghan; Joffre. (These are those which seem of most interest to climbers and mountaineers. Many others are closed in part or fully.) Other parks are open on a limited basis, usually only to supervised camping and day use. Details: Murrin: the park is open and there is no restriction on climbing, but the situation is being monitored. Stawamus Chief: as of 10 AM today, the backside trail is closed. Climbing on the Chief and satellite cliffs in the park is permitted, but again the situation is being closely monitored. Climbers are asked not to do climbs that lead to the top of the Chief i.e. that would require use of the backside trail for descent. Garibaldi: closed, with the sole exception of the Garibaldi Lake trail and area. Camping is permitted at Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows, but new campers will not be allowed up the trail until there are confirmed spaces. Hiking up the Black Tusk and Panorama Ridge is also permitted. The Helm Creek, Singing Pass, Wedgemount, and Elfin Lakes trails, huts and camping areas are all closed, as is the rest of the park. CalChek: This area, partly reached from a provincial park, is closed. Brandywine, Nairn Falls: open for day use. Virtually all the cliffs in Whistler Rockclimbs (Cheakamus Canyon north) are on forest or park land, and it is safest to assume they are closed. Little Smoke Bluffs: the Bluffs, and many hiking and cycling trails on District of Squamish land, were closed late this morning. Second-hand information indicates that Glacier National Park (Roger's Pass) and Pacific Rim National Park may not be affected at present. Again, check first! Likewise, North Cascades National Park, and adjoining national and state forests, parks, and recreation areas hadn't been closed as of Thursday morning. Call the offices in Marblemount or Glacier for updates, though. It appears that Kelowna Crags burnt over during the Kelowna fire, but no one has been there yet to confirm this. Skaha is closed. CASBC encourages all climbers and mountainers to behave responsibly. Don't climb in an area unless you're certain it is open. The closures are an infernal nuisance. But losing a week or two of climbing every twenty years (the last such closure was in 1985) is hardly life or death, and in the larger perspective is reasonable. Even if the closures, their implementation, and communication about them will be less than perfect, they're a not unreasonable sacrifice. Last but not least, be exceedingly careful with any possible source of fire - essentially, eliminate all of them, and closely monitor all those that can't be eliminated e.g. hot car parked over dry grass; rocks or gear sparking off each other; cigarettes, bits of glass that might magnify sunlight, etc. Thanks! ps Note that the maximum penalties under the Forest Practices Code for contravening the closure are $10,000 fine and six months in prison. And its not hard for enforcement personnel to find, and ticket, illicitly parked vehicles or their owners.

The canada.com story is a little off on the area that is closed. Only most of Southern BC is closed. If you want to take a look at the official press release and a map of the closed area, click here

I was up there about a month ago. The road is in great condition with no need for 4wd hc. I think there are more logging roads in the area than when McLane's guide was published, so it took us a while to find the right road. We were also driving at 2 in the morning, so that didn't help. As Dru said, the road goes farther than shown in the guide and the end of it is a good place to bivy. There is a nice flat spot by the lake, but the bushwack in is not pleasant and it would probably be best to head right up and down the ridge. After not getting to the top of Sloan we decided it would be nice to check out the lake and ended up with a not so nice bushwack. Have fun. It's a beautiful mountain.

Just being anal, but wasn't July 19 a Saturday? And trying to get the last post.