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Posted

I'm taking my rope & rack to Squamish - never been there before. I've been scouring the guidebook for quality 5.7-and-under routes and to my surprise it looks like there is plenty enough there to keep me busy for a three-day weekend.

 

Hoping to camp at the Chief. I have the car-camping stuff bigdrink.gifHCL.gif sitting in a pile ready to go. If that place is full then, er, well I dont have a backup plan really.

 

Any suggestions re routes and camping and... well, whatever would be much appreciated. grin.gif

 

Doxey

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Posted

The crux of the whole trip will be keeping the local hoodlum kids from burning down your tent, trashing your car, and beating you half to death. If you manage to survive all of that, make sure you don't leave any valuables visible in your car or the bastards will rob you. If you manage to avoid that, Diedre and Banana Peel are good 5.7 and under climbs, but they will be crowded. Diedre is the most crowded route I've ever seen, anywhere; even more so than 5-gallon buckets at Smiffay. That said, it IS a fun route, albeit a little greasy and polished from traffic, so get on it if you have the chance. Banana Peel is a good backup since it is in the same neighborhood. I'm sure our Canadian comrades (Dru, murraysoveriegn, Fern, Jordop, snoboy, etc) will have more, and better, suggestions on climbs.

 

You'll have a great time and the forecast looks good.

 

And remember to water your cactuses before you go. wink.gif

 

Cheers!

Posted

Expect to wait in line on the classics unless you climb in the rain or in the early morning or late evening.

 

Be weary of break-ins to cars. Definitely don't park on the backroad to Angel's Crest, Ultimate Everything, etc. Even the Apron parking lot is vulnerable.

Posted
I would suggest you revise your route list to "quality 5.8 and under". wink.gif

Hmmm, you wouldn't sandbag a guy, would'ja? wazzup.gifcrazy.gif I have perhaps three dozen gear leads under my belt and I'm taking it slow.

Posted
squamish 5.8 = 5.7 everywhere else...

 

no, he's not sandbaggin' you...

 

Although my experience with Squamish is pretty limited, I did not find the ratings exceptionally soft there. Perhaps folks with this perception are just very familiar with the climbing at Squish? I felt the grades of the stuff I did were pretty right on (Rock On = 10a, Calculus = 5.8, etc). I dunno, I've heard several people say Squish is soft, so I guess it probably is.

 

I guess I'm just a softie. fruit.gif

 

Anyway, we should probably take the "Great Grade Debate" to another thread. rolleyes.gif

Posted

With 3 dozen gear leads under your belt you should be jumping on some soft 10as. laugh.gif

 

You need a plan, man. Here's whatcha should think about. 1 day at the apron. 1 day at the Bluffs, and one day split between Murrin and the Shannon Falls area.

 

Apron day - climb Calculus Crack and one of either Diedre or Banana Peel. That's 12 pitches of 5.7. If you have time, do Pig dogs on Parade too.

 

smoked out bluffs day - climb at least 10 of the following routes

 

Sally 5 fingers

corner crack

cat crack

gross incomptence

easter island

cold comfort

burgers and fries

quarryman

penny lane

edible panties

octopus' garden in the shade

davey jones locker

pixie corner

mosquito

sphinxter quits

phlegmish dance

laughing crack

old age

move it on over

first class

squatters rights

magical child

ridge runner

MCM

fata morgana

moominland

hamish's

nubile woman

the GMB

 

murrin/shannon. this day will require some runnin' around but can be done.

 

start at shannon falls, climb klahanie crack and urine to deep

head down to murrin. your ticklist there is at least 6 of the following

 

holiday in cambodia

orphan

lieback crack

stairway

up from the bog

handfull

up for grabs

flake off

flake on

wakey wakey

worlds toughest milkman

heart of the sun

oscars slab

zoe

 

 

on the way home stop at comic rocks and blast up garfield laugh.gif

Posted
If you're pushing the 5.8 limit, Squamish (via the current guide) is a good place to do so.

 

This thread might have a bit of what you're after.

 

Ooops, er blush.gif I searched cc.com but musta missed that thread crazy.gif. Thanks, it does have a lot of what I'm looking for.

Posted

I would think <5.7 or <5.8, you will still have a great trip. The only route I climbed that seemed noticeably soft was Klahanie, although it is exceptional at any grade. Cat crack felt like solid 5.6 to me. Penny lane felt on par with icicle 5.9s. If you spend time in the bluffs, you can always join the masses and toperope routes that you are afraid to lead. That way you can sample the harder grades and see if you are up for them.

Posted

I highly reccomend High Mountain Woody on the Upper Malamute (sometime crowded). There are some other cracks, 5.9-10a/b on the same wall. They are pretty easy for the grade with one or two small well protected cruxes and the rest is pretty easy climbing.

 

I like Dru's list above. Pretty much sums it up.

Posted

The softest pitch I've seen at Squamish is the 3rd pitch of Angel's Crest (the face-climbing crux). It's 5.10c in the latest guidebook. It's a one-move wonder with a bolt above. In a guidebook a few years older, the pitch was rated 5.10a.

Posted

What silliness!

The 10c I'm getting from Bourdon 2004.

McLane 2001 lists that pitch as 10b.

I'm sure folks who have gym-climbed will find that face pitch easier than the previous 10a/b(depending on who you ask) Angel Crack pitch.

Posted

but mclane 2005 wave.gif has it as 10b straight up or 10a with the secret beta. YOUR LIBRARY RESOURCES are out of date blush.gif

 

It USED to be 10c in the Campbell guide, and it still feels fucking hard when it's wet because the holds are a bit slopy cry.gif

Posted

so there's no difference between, say, a sit start and a standing start in your world? or three variant finishes to a route should all be given the same grade b/c figuring out which one of them to take is purely a route finding skill?

Posted

It's funny how some guidebooks give beta on moves, gear to take, where the crux is, etc. (Smith) and others give you nothing. I remember the old Vogel guide to J-tree (early '90s) which gave you a crappy photo, a name and a rating for most routes. (The real crux was usually figuring out how to build a safe anchor once the climb was over.)

 

I guess this could fit into that 'climbing is so stupid' thread, arguing over how much beta still constitutes an on-sight. Geek_em8.gif

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