johnny Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 Finally got my Summer vacation plans worked out and I have 3-4 days to play in Squamish in July. I have been there once before (did Diedre and a day at Smoke Bluffs) but I want to do more long moderate stuff this time. Any of you Canadian or wanna-be Canadians have any must do's in the 8 to 10- range? St Vitus and Sunblessed sound awsome but Sunblessed would be right at my leading limit so is a bit intimidating but looks too cool to skip! (can you say French free ) Also.....where is some of the bouldering I have heard hinted at in the area?? Any ideas would be hugely appreciated! Quote
matt_warfield Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 Snake (5.9) Rock On (5.10a) Exasperator pitch 1 (5.10a) Centrefold (5.10b) Apron Strings (5.10b) Merci Mi (5.8 but spicy runouts) The last pitch of Sunblessed is weird, stiff, and I don't think amenable to French free. The first pitches are awesome however and you can choose an alternate finish. Rock On is a little easier and also quite excellent with about the same length. You'll love Squamish! Quote
lummox Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 dream symphony grand wall theres a whole shitload of just craggin Quote
Dru Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 The bouldering,m hmm well look for rocks at the base of the cliff or buy the new guidebook (5 days old!) with 1800 problems detailed. As for classics: Calculus Crack-Apron St Vitus Dance-Apron Rock on to Squamish Buttress -Sth Gully The Ultimate Everything -Sth Gully Arrowroute-Base of Grand The Zip - Smoke Bluffs Centerfold - Papoose Mushroom-Papoose Lost Horizon - Seal Cove High Mountain Woody-Upper Malemute Worlds Toughest Milkman-Murrin Star Chek - Cheakamus Canyon Gorge Seasoned in the Sun - Grandwall Base Birds of Prey - The Squaw Klahanie Crack and other cracks nearby - Shannon Falls Orphan - Murrin Park The Reacharound - Murrin Fist - Murrin Octopus Garden In The Shade - Smoke Bluffs Cold Comfort - Bluffs Clandestine Affair - Bluffs Quote
dberdinka Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 All suggestions are good. I'd add Angel's Crest - long and varied with, I think, six 5.10a pitches and a short bolted 5.10b crux. Sun Blessed - You can skip the last pitch and do a 5.10a variation pitch that heads left at the top of pitch 2. Quote
Dru Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 angels crest - i'd only say about 3 pitches are 10a (angel crack, the #4 moving up the corner and out right, and the second-last), plus the bolted 10b and then the 10b var to the 5.8 whaleback which is where you can pass all the slow parties. but make no mistake, its easier to do squamish buttress than angels crest, nowhere near as sustained and the crux is short, super well protected, and you can french free it easily. also usually done much faster, like 4 hrs vs 7 for angels crest doing linkup of both in a day is good practice for long alpine routes! Quote
ivan Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 johnny said: I want to do more long moderate stuff this time. Any of you Canadian or wanna-be Canadians have any must do's in the 8 to 10- range? 5.10 is moderate? jesus, i'm in the ultra-wanker class... Quote
Travis Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 Assuming 'long moderate' implies multi-pitch, here's my opinion. - Squamish Buttress, french free about three meters of the crux pitch. - Ultimate Everything, A0 on the last pitch. Both of these require getting above the apron. I did St Vitus to Buttress a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't recommend it as a linkup just because St Vitus' Dance is so wide and you'll never place anything that big on Buttress, or need to on UE. So, to approach take Calculus Crack or Snake or Rock on or Deidre again, or even Banana Peel if you're in a hurry and it's not crowded. The newly cleaned South Arete might be interesting, but I haven't been. On the Squaw, I've only done Jungle Warfare, its fun and there's the bottom pitches of a bunch of others to do while you're there. Shorter moderate stuff (with stars) is available at the Bulletheads and base of the grand. Stop at Comic Rocks and do Garfield. Shannon Falls has a couple of one pitch cracks that are fun, (Klahanie and Cardue). All the stuff Dru lists, and there's tons more. Here's someone else's tick list . If you get rained out, hike up to the Cirque of the Uncrackables and aid Cobra Crack. It's awsome! Have fun. Quote
Dru Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 the 10b var. finish out left on the UE is pretty easy, I thought, no need to A0 then Quote
johnny Posted June 4, 2003 Author Posted June 4, 2003 Thanks guys, just been checking some of the things you recommended in the guidebook and am getting pretty psyched!!!!! Ivan, there is no ultra wanker division. It's just that many of the people I've met and climbed with here in NC are leading stuff that I can barely or just plain can't follow. (and very likely never will!) Puts things in about as much perspective as one can take! I can't think of a better way to improve though!!!!! Quote
Travis Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 Oh yeah, nearly forgot Blazing Saddles! Absolutely the best climb I've ever done! Some other stuff that is good but gets overlooked.. Nubile Woman and The Kip in the Bluffs, everything at Up among the Firs, Stairway and Zoe in Murrin Park, among others... You realize of course, this list will never end. Quote
fern Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 days are long in July. a good strategy is to get up early, climb, siesta in the mid aft, early dinner then climb again until it gets dark. With only a few days I think it would be a waste of your time to fight the midday crowds in the Bluffs. Quote
glassgowkiss Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 one of the best shorter routes i have climbed there is "Milk Run". you can A0 through the 2 bolt face traverse ( 11d) and then the rest is 10c. I would say as good as Split Pillar without the crowds Quote
chelle Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 I agree with Fern. Was there a few days in July last year and found climbing early then a dip in the lake up the road to be a good way to cool off. You can get some pitches in there too if it is not too crowded, or play board games and BBQ instead. Then go back out in the evening. I think Rock-on to the Butress route is a nice link up and it avoids the weird (for me at least) pitch off Memorial Ledge above the other Apron routes. IMO the Ultimate Everything is an interesting route, but you have to love face climbing. If you're looking for cracks find another route. Quote
Bill_Simpkins Posted June 4, 2003 Posted June 4, 2003 (edited) Some of my favorites up there are: Fatty Bolger (11a)-short,slab mania! also good TR Kangaroo Corner (11a)-short, stemming fun Pixie Corner(5.8-5.9)-short, interesting twin cracks Banana Peel (5.7-5.8)-long...kind of...fun Anything on the Raven's Castle on top of the Chief ***Joes Dike (5.7) 2 pitch bolted.*** Nice views, slabby, a couple good sport routes, 2 pitches Edited June 4, 2003 by Bill_Simpkins Quote
snoboy Posted June 5, 2003 Posted June 5, 2003 Travis said:The newly cleaned South Arete might be interesting, but I haven't been. It is. I did it a couple years ago, and even uncleaned it was a blast. 2 You might have to tunnel through a bit of bush to find the start of it though... On the Squaw, I've only done Jungle Warfare, its fun and there's the bottom pitches of a bunch of others to do while you're there. One of my favourite 5.8 pitches in Squamish is on JW. The "5.10" start is burly, but frenchable. Eagle's Domain is the 2p 5.8 start to Birds of Prey, also at the Squaw. The best part of that route in my opinion. If you are feeling ambitious and strong after all this Squamish climbing, then you must do Peasant's Route, and the extension pitches. Drop in to Valhalla Pure and they will have a topo of that. Or ask real nice and I will scan one and post it here. In the Smoke Bluffs, do the connection. It can be busy though, so try this as an alternate: Old Age->Sparky's Crack->Wonderland. This is purely on someone else's reccomendation, but I trust him. If you want to pass a party on Mosquito (classic start to the connection) then don't miss Sphinxter Quits. Merci Me is a blast too, then if you've got a ropegun, go on to the top of the Pillar and rap off. If you are doing anything on the South Apron, get there by climbing the Bottom Line. Excellent slab route. then do Banana Peel, Boomstick Crack, and the Buttress for the "B-Line." Hvae fun and drink at the Brew Pub. Quote
Distel32 Posted June 5, 2003 Posted June 5, 2003 If you do indeed do a little evening bouldering or whatever, make sure and get on Tim's Sloper Problem. Quote
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