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Squamish Must-do's


johnny

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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 grin.gif)

 

Also.....where is some of the bouldering I have heard hinted at in the area??

Any ideas would be hugely appreciated!

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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! bigdrink.gif

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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

 

 

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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.

 

 

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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! thumbs_up.gif

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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. bigdrink.gif

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Thanks guys, just been checking some of the things you recommended in the guidebook and am getting pretty psyched!!!!! rockband.gif

 

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!!!!!

 

 

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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.

 

tongue.gif

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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. thumbs_up.gif With only a few days

I think it would be a waste of your time to fight the midday

crowds in the Bluffs.

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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.

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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 by Bill_Simpkins
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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 thumbs_up.gif 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. laugh.gif The "5.10" start is burly, but frenchable. wink.gif

 

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. bigdrink.gif

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