[TR] Squamish: My First Visit- The Ultimate Everything and Others 8/18/2005

[catbirdseat]

Climb: Squamish: My First Visit-The Ultimate Everything and Others

 

Date of Climb: 8/18/2005

 

Trip Report:

Arrived in the early afternoon on Sunday and met my buddy Jim in the climber's campground. He said goodbye to his partner of the past three days and off we went to do Diedre. It's a pretty fun route and very moderate, except for one weird friction move on the first pitch. We continued on up and climbed Memorial Crack which I followed on. It seemed like a pretty nice climb. In the afternoon we went and played at Murrin Park for a bit, doing 3 pitches of 5.8-5.9 cracks there.

 

On Monday we intended to do the Ultimate Everything. Instead of doing one of the easy routes up the Apron, like Bananna Peel or some such, we took Saint Vitus Dance, 5.9. On the third pitch I made the mistake of continuing straight up past the belay cove and onto a different 5.10b which I was able to do with the 60 m rope we had. I thus robbed Jim of his pitch which should have gone at an angle to the right. It was dumb, but part of my rationale was I was a bit short of gear for the belay, but I could have done it.

 

Jim finished what remained of the other route and we had our pick of Karen's Math, 5.9, Dessert Dyke, 5.10a, or Form, 5.10c. Jim doesn't like laybacks and he managed to psych me out so we didn't want to do Karen's Math. He'd already done Dessert Dyke the previous day and said it was runnout, so we decided on Form. Jim managed to get to the third bolt and lowered off. I had a crack at it, but couldn't get any farther, so I traversed over to Dessert Dyke and finished on that route in the interest of time. I then led Memorial Crack and decided it was harder on lead than I had anticipated. Plus I managed to fatboy myself by clipping through a sling that was hanging from my harness. Dumbass!

 

By now it was 2 pm so we scrapped plans for the Ultimate Everything and descended for lunch we finished the day by doing a fun route at Campground Wall called Feeling Groovy, 5.9. It features an undercling traverse that was really fun.

 

On Tuesday we got up early and zipped up The Sickle, 5.10- and then Boomstick, 5.6 to get on Ultimate Everything by 10 am. Jim took the odd pitches and I took the even. The last pitch was my first clean 5.10b onsight. I think it's can't be that hard if I was able to do it. We topped out at 1:30 pm. That afternoon we climbed Slot Machine, 5.9 at the Bullet Heads. It's a pretty good route, but it has a bit of a tricky start.

 

It rained Tuesday night which put the kebosh on our plans to climb Rock on Wednesday, but we did manage to climb 3 pitches at Smoke Bluffs. It was kind of slippery in places. The cracks were a bit slimy inside in places, but it was fun anyway. I led a 5.8 and Jim led a 5.9 and a 5.10a called Circus Crack. A nice one and very popular. The sun came out and we had nice lunch before going home.

 

Gear Notes:

One set of nuts. One set of Clog cams to #3.5. Aliens from blue to orange. Small tricams.

[fern]

sounds like you got up most of the greasy classics

[catbirdseat]

I almost forgot to add that Squamish is a really great place to climb. The people there are very nice in general, althought the boulderers pretty much keep to themselves. If you look like a trad climber, you don't exist.

 

Dru was right about tricams. They come in handy in Squamish. They work great for building anchors, and in horizontal cracks.

[Dru]

Another convert to the worship of Pinky

[Dru]

I guess you are going by the grades in the McLane guide too... most would call Slot Machine 5.8 and Sickle 5.9. The final grade of Ultimate everything is debatable, but you are right, it feels pretty easy for 10b, even though it is pumpy and the pro is fiddly the holds are quite large and if you heel hook placing pro is manageable.

 

On the other hand, the Bourdon Guide calls Form 11a!

[thelawgoddess]

your first visit to squamish??? right on!

[catbirdseat]

I didn't have to heel hook that last pitch of UltiEvy. Aliens make protecting the thing a breeze. I pissed off Jim a little by running out the last bit. Gotta remember your second on those traversing pitches!

 

Yeah, Sickle was pretty easy. Felt like 5.9. Jim managed to walk right by a bolt on the hardest crux of the route. I told him to not forget to clip the next one.

 

If you told me 5.11a, I wouldn't argue. Form is way hard!

Edited August 18, 2005 by catbirdseat

[Dru]

Aliens? I use #2 and #3 Camalots.

[catbirdseat]

I did, in fact, use a Red Camalot.

[catbirdseat]

Given what I wrote above, can anyone offer some suggestions for multipitch (or single pitch) routes that I might enjoy on my next visit? Other "must do" routes up to 5.10b.

 

I might be going back in another week. I'd need a partner though.

[thelawgoddess]

angel's crest!!! take a good partner.

[Dru]

rock on to squamish buttress

 

snake

 

smoke bluff connection

 

peasants route

 

apron strings to split pillar

 

seal cove

[catbirdseat]

angel's crest!!! take a good partner.

I'm probably not up to that one yet. That's got some 5.11 in it, does it not?

[Squid]

sounds like you're ready to give exasperator a shot.

[Dru]

angel's crest!!! take a good partner.

I'm probably not up to that one yet. That's got some 5.11 in it, does it not?

 

nope.

[thelawgoddess]

angel's crest!!! take a good partner.

I'm probably not up to that one yet. That's got some 5.11 in it, does it not?

not at all! it goes 5.10b. if i recall correctly there are only two 10b "pitches" - one is definitely a one move wonder (that is sporty and easy to pull through if needed). there's a 5.9 pitch that felt harder than any of the 10 pitches, though.

 

i recommend the 10a's along the base of the grand wall. sunblessed and the first pitch of rutabaga, i think? good stuff there!

[slothrop]

Calculus Crack is fun. Same approach as St. Vitus' Dance, then two long cracks, from 5.4 to 5.8.

[foraker]

Jim doesn't like laybacks

 

I think I remember him saying that several times.

Funny thing is, he does pretty well at them...

[worldbfree]

for single pitch, flying circus is a fun, very manageable 10a. also, old age is a great 5.9, with lots more variety of climbing than i've found on other squamish single pitches.

[jhamaker]

Ha! Annother convert to Squamish. I can second most of the above reccomendations. Anything on the Lower Apron is good. I know you like off-widths, I think there are some in the Bulletheads? Don't forget the odd rt at the falls.

 

Any trouble with construction between Squamish and B-ham?

[Sol]

some others:

stairway to heaven (when its open, though not technically closed)

jungle warfare (kinda lame, but maybe not?)

blazing saddles

[Bill_Simpkins]

High Mountain Woody. Stephanie's Tears. Banana Peel. Sole Mate with traverse to it. Backsack is awesome!!!!!! Fatty Bolger (the actual climb, not the crag) is a great TR if you are noobish like me(really interesting). One of my favorite climbs is Joe's Dyke on top of the Chief.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Bill_Simpkins

[Wakaranai]

Borderline/Blazing Saddles is a must do.

-B

 

[bstach]

Birds of Prey is great. Combine with Jungle Warfare for a full day.

[G-spotter]

Caramba Crags. Never a lineup.