[TR] Squamish- Blazing Saddles, Borderline, Great Game et al 4/24/2004

[matt_m]

Climb: Squamish-Blazing Saddles, Borderline, Great Game et al

 

Date of Climb: 4/24/2004

 

Trip Report:

Since I love the place and I've got another 20 minutes till my graphics finish rendering - Here's another TR...

Squam is in kids! And I'm not talking wandering around the Smokes excited 'cause it's a little dry. I mean A LOT of stuff is already coming into climbing shape. Sat partner (Ryan T) and I headed up to the Sheriff's Bade to check out Borderline and Blazing Saddles. Border line was first... The 1st 10b pitch was cool starting off a nice ledge and traversing up the wall left, giving you exposure right off the deck. Some face climbing past the two bolts (all VERY new - Squam has some of the best anchor stewardship around - the locals get major props for taking pride in their cliffs - drop some $$ into the bolt fund if they still need it - otherwise - drop a thank you at the shops for all the good work) Anyway - first pitch is pretty cool leading up to a belay in a corner. Ryan led up the second pitch and STYLED the 11c roof variation. Cool stemming and pumpy laybacking will get you though the roof. Calfs burning I followed the thing clean, although it was touch and go for a bit. Pitch 3 heads out left past a series of bolts with climbing similar to Cruel Shoes. Pull over a lip into an awesome finger crack for another 80 feet or so. Long. Sustained. Awesome. P4 is shorter and pulls a cool roof at 10a ish. That was supposed to be the top of the route but there were bolts above breaching a overhang into a WIDE offwidth. Off I went. First reaction was "No way this roof/offwidth is going at less than hard 11" but Ryan called me out and I found the right sequence and pulled ridiculous moves up and around. More face climbing and bolts leads to a ledge above. You can continue up some ledge along a fixed line, joining with Angels Crest or rap - We rapped down to the start of Blazing Saddles and fired up that 2p as well. Again - amazing climbing with one of the coolest roof moves around - stellar! Do Not miss. Both of these had some foliage and I gardened a little but as things dry out they'll just get better and better.

 

Day 2 - The Squaw

 

The plan for the day was to do as many of the classic 10s over there as we could. Starting with the Great Game. Ryan led up P1, a slanting finger crack ala Exasperator to straight up hand jamming. Man that pitch was pumpy! Not feeling "in the zone" like I was on Sat - I wussied out and just led p2 instead of linking it though p3 (10d). Build and natural anchor right below the dihedral (Very much like Anxiety State). In retrospect - build the anchor probably isn't a bad idea since the rope drag might get you near the top of the dihedral. 2 hard moves near the very top (bolt) gets you to the next anchor below the "reachy" final pitch. I guess it could be reachy for those under 5' 6" but really it wasn't bad - Bomber hand hold pull you through overhanging flakes to a great exit ramp. Walk off the back side to the base. Great Stuff.

Next we wanted to start on Birds of Prey and check out Right Wing (There was a party suffering on Pipeline - very cool - I'll do that later this year!) Leading up the LONG .8 P1 I was scoping out right wing - Sadly it still looked wet and dirty - man I want to climb it - may have to garden later this year. Anyway - ran it up to the base of the 10b corner on B of Prey and we finished up that route. We opted to to hoof it down to the car in the apron to either meet up with our buds or do another route - Beer and food won out in the parking lot battle though and we sat scoping routes for out next trip as the sun set on the walls.

 

Good Times, Great Days and Awesome Climbing

 

pics to follow at some point...

 

 

Edit - Further info gathered tells me the bolts were all original put up by the FA - Seattle-ites all of them - so good job to the locals down here as well. (See addendum in 2001 guide)

 

Approach Notes:

Still "Early" Season for Squam so expect some dirt, wetness etc in some of the Cracks - Don't wussy out though - Games on in Squam

Edited April 26, 2004 by matt_m

[mneagle]

I think the Borderline to Angel's Crest link-up is my favorite climb so far in Squamish. I made a TR awile ago:

 

link

 

The route got short-changed in the select guide. There was some conflict between the FA's and the guidebook writer (something to do with the writer stealing biners and leaving them with a dangerous anchor). Note: he was from BC and the FA's were from Seattle. Spray away...

Edited April 29, 2004 by fern

[specialsparky]

Cool, nice to see pitches 3-5 of Borderline getting traffic. We (Susan Bolton, David Harris, and I) developed that climb ground up over 4 seasons, from 1996-1999, and it was a monster project for as soft a group as ourselves.

 

Most people seem to just climb 1&2 to get to Blazing Saddles or Daily Planet, but they're missing my favorite parts of the route when they do that.

 

I think Blazing Saddles is a slightly harder lead than anything on Borderline besides the 5.11 variation of pitch 2. There's some 10+ face on pitches 3&5, but it's generously bolted. The hardest crack sections feel like about 5.10a to me. And the offwidth on pitch 5 is only, um, "5.9+."

 

Bring 2 ropes unless you're sure you can link to Angel's Crest and beyond -- pitches 1,3, and 5 are all 45-50 meters long.

 

-Eric

[pinner]

A little late in the game on this, but 'spray-away' I shall. As a Squamish resident and acquaintance of the guide-book writer, I will say with confidence there is zero probability that he either stole beaners or left anyone with a "dangerous anchor". The author in question is not only an ethical climber (of course, climbing ethics are always debatable) but an ethical man - I could not conceive of him stealing anything. And I don't see how he could have left the FA'ers with a "dangerous anchor" - either they built it dangerously or the story got misconstrued, as the owner of the local guiding company is surely not going around vandalizing anchors. Likely a case of misunderstanding.

 

[skykilo]

Cool, nice to see pitches 3-5 of Borderline getting traffic. We (Susan Bolton, David Harris, and I) developed that climb ground up over 4 seasons, from 1996-1999, and it was a monster project for as soft a group as ourselves.

 

Most people seem to just climb 1&2 to get to Blazing Saddles or Daily Planet, but they're missing my favorite parts of the route when they do that.

 

I think Blazing Saddles is a slightly harder lead than anything on Borderline besides the 5.11 variation of pitch 2. There's some 10+ face on pitches 3&5, but it's generously bolted. The hardest crack sections feel like about 5.10a to me. And the offwidth on pitch 5 is only, um, "5.9+."

 

Bring 2 ropes unless you're sure you can link to Angel's Crest and beyond -- pitches 1,3, and 5 are all 45-50 meters long.

 

-Eric

 

Thanks to all three of you! That climb was a blast and pitches 3-5 were crazy fun.

[glassgowkiss]

I think the Borderline to Angel's Crest link-up is my favorite climb so far in Squamish. I made a TR awile ago:

 

link

 

The route got short-changed in the select guide. There was some conflict between the FA's and the guidebook writer (something to do with the writer stealing biners and leaving them with a dangerous anchor). Note: he was from BC and the FA's were from Seattle. Spray away...

For a full value don't skip 11d pitch low down and finish on High Planes Drifter- I think it's harder then Freeway.