4 days in Squamish

[TeleRoss]

Steph and I spent an awesome four days up in Squamish. Outstanding weather and even better climbing were the general themes for our time up there.

After stops for coffee(me) and diet vanilla pepsi(Steph) we arrived in Squamish in the early afternoon. We decided to climb on the Apron, and chose an interesting route called Unfinished Symphony. Great route! Starts out on the first pitch of Snake, then continues up the huge corner straight above. Two outstanding pitches of thin fingers in the corner lead to a steep burly slab pitch at the top for a nice sting in the tail...hahaaha..especially since slab climbing is definitely not my strong suit.

The next day, after a leisurly morning of drinking coffee and devouring some amazing blueberry muffins, we set out for the Grand Wall. Nothing really needs to be said about this climb, it's simply outstanding!

 

Steph on the Split Pillar

 

 

Saturday followed basically the same routine, we set up a nice little picnic spot on the sunny side of the sidewalk and soaked up some rays and copious amounts of caffeine, and tried to figure out what to climb. We finally decided to do the Milk Run-Tantalus Wall link up.

Milk Run and the Tantalus Wall

 

The bottom pitch of Milk Run was basically a waterfall, and after taking a small tumble trying to aid up to a soaking wet mantle, I finally was able to lasso a small tree and tension over to drier ground and the start of the undercling pitch. Fun and interesting maneuver...hahahaahha..

Steph in the Mlk Run corner

 

Once past the undercling pitch which is about 10c and a couple points of aid, the next two pitches follow a steep left facing corner. Felt very tough and sustained for the grade, but excellent climbing.

From the top of the corner a short pitch leads to Tantalus ledge where we walked and bushwhacked right for a few hundred feet until we were below the flaring offwidth that is the first pitch of Upper Tantalus Wall.

This gaping offwidth looks much more fearsome than it is as a couple of fixed pins make protection possible.

The second pitch follows a very thin finger crack, mostly piton scars, up to the big roof, to to most amazing belay ever. A big old cedar is growing out from below the roof and kind of curves up to form a big tree hammock, and you climb up on this thing and just chill...wild spot, but way cool!

Steph above the offwidth

 

From the tree you aid over the roof and aid left on bolts until you reach an incredible finger crack that splits the upper headwall in two long pitches.

Steph on the third pitch of Upper Tantalus Wall

 

Fabulous route! Not as classic as the Grand Wall, but more sustained and worth it simply for the tree hammock belay!

Sunday we wanted to climb in the sun for a change so we hiked up to the Solarium, a nice south facing cliff up around the back side of the Chief. We climbed Sunblessed, which starts out with a run out left trending dike, first bolt is about 30' up, but the climbing is fairly moderate, and then you get one of the best 5.10 cracks around on the second pitch and then a fun flaring offwidth to finish.

Next we did Enlightened which again follows the dike but then trends up and left into a funky little groove and then a stellar layback corner to finish. Good stuff and well worth the hike up.

All in all a fantastic weekend up in Squishy...which actually wasn't on this occasion.

 

[Dannible]

Nice. Squamish+me=love.

[David Trippett]

Awesome Ross...hope to see you in the Valley.

[els]

Very nice indeed. Looking forward to that soon.

[olyclimber]

Great pics Ross, looks like a fun trip to the Great White North.

[jmace]

watched you do the last couple pitches, I was quite jealous..looked great!!

 

ill second how amazing unfinished is, and for folks thinking about it the last pitch is well bolted and if you cant do it you can pull past the crux.

 

nice 4 days!!

[tyree]

Nice! The undercling on milk run is hard, even when dry! Was Freeway still super wet? Thanks- Ty

[Blake]

It was cool to see you guys on the Grand Wall on Friday. I wish we'd had a camera. The sun coming out just as you hopped on the Split Pillar might have made for some choice photos.

[Sol]

nice pics, thanks for the squamish stoke! been wanting to get on tantalus for a while, looks and sounds rad. get on millenium falcon if you haven't climbed it yet, fun and easy, the pitches off of bellygood are sweet.