eldiente Posted August 13, 2009 Posted August 13, 2009 Trip: Squamish - Millennium Falcon 5.11B 14 pitches Date: 8/13/2009 Trip Report: I haven't seen a TR for this route yet, so I'll add mine in. Two week ago Jaime and I climbed this route in route in hot and humid conditions, I think we both went through a full bag of chalk without even trying. We got the onsight without too much fuss aside from some friction problems on the slab pitches. The route is not quite as clean and splitter as the Grand Wall, but it has a lot of fun pitches and no aid climbing There is a lot of hard pitches stacked together but most of the "hard" stuff is short lived and followed by good rests. I get the impression that this route doesn't see a lot of traffic, I didn't see many tick marks and nobody was on the route when we were up there. [img:center]http://www.squamishrockguides.com/pictures/millenium.jpg[/img] Route Overview courtesy of Squamish Rock Guides. Using the pitch count from Summit Post we had very little difficulty following the route. The guidebook helps too. Here is few things that come to mind. P1. Hard to find. Solo up 100 feet of dirt with steps cut in for your feet, your looking for a very obvious chimney that marks the start of P1. We went 30 feet to the right of the chimney and climbed a dirty hand-crack to the bolted belay on top of P1 P2: Maybe the best pitch on the route. 10.c or 10.d for 180 feet. Bring lots of small gear for this pitch. The anchors are high and very far right, don't be tempted to stop at the bush and belay. Move right and up of bush. I was pouring sweat after leading this pitch and it was only 7:00AM. [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbP60adDI/AAAAAAAAFS0/5RbP1Sbu740/s512/IMG_0182.JPG[/img] Start of P2 [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbQ_QuKlI/AAAAAAAAFTE/sSsHkUqDYrQ/s640/IMG_0187.JPG[/img] Higher up P2 P3:10D. Getting off the belay is crux, then doing this whacky hands-free foot-match from the crack left is tricky. Use a long runner on the crack before stepping over to the bolt to the left. Move looks harder than it is and the bolt is at your waist for the hardest move. Upper Crack is a thank-god hands crack on steep terrain. P4: Sporty bolted arete thing. 5.11ish. Very technical hand slaps and tiny feet. Really fun boulder problems followed by rests stances. I was glad to have my Murias for this pitch. P5 and P6. Link these up, use long runners near the end or have drag. Mellow. [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbSclow5I/AAAAAAAAFTc/-j63wq5r8iI/s640/IMG_0193.JPG[/img] P7. Hard! Jaime gets lured way left on a hand rail, (your supposed to mantel this hand rail and walk on it with your feet, not your hands.) Poor Jaime gets 30 feet left of the bolt and spends a long time contemplating a nasty fall before committing to the harsh slab moves. Yuck. Don't go that way. [img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbS5xFsDI/AAAAAAAAFTk/NKz6qPoh7UA/s512/IMG_0195.JPG[/img] Looking down at slab pich P8. I get there and think "no way is this .10D, looks like 5.9" Wrong! This short little crack packs a punch. After a few mellow moves it goes overhanging and 4 inches. To save the whip I desperately try to stem the tree branch out out to the right. My first attempt fails as the branch isn't strong enough and wobbles while I'm standing on it. Damn! I move a bit higher on bad fist jams and am finally able to reach a strong branch with my leg. A few more grunts and I dyno for the main tree trunk and cut my feet. Hey this is Squamish right? Trees are "on." A few sap covered campus moves and I'm at a dirty ledge and belay. [img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbVXmvGbI/AAAAAAAAFUI/7euAdNyU5Ec/s512/IMG_0201.JPG[/img] Before the crack got hard. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbWhf1U4I/AAAAAAAAFUc/URljQYWoGRQ/s512/IMG_0205.JPG[/img] After climbing the magic tree. p9-p10. Link. Jaime gets lured inside the OW and suffers. Go outside and layback this section, it works and there is two bolts to keep it safe. [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbYPrNf8I/AAAAAAAAFU0/VLz94HrOz7Y/s640/IMG_0209.JPG[/img] Jaime checks the topo. P11-14. The nature of climb changes drastically. No more cracks or corners, mostly bolted slabs and in direct sun. Hot! Although we get cooked, the position is amazing above Bellygood. P 11 is as great as the guidebook says, one of the better bolted 5.10 sport pitches I've ever done and in a very airy setting. (Sorry no more pics, too damn hot to operate camera) [img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbYroKM5I/AAAAAAAAFU8/1rQqO-D4YCk/s512/IMG_0211.JPG[/img] Walking across Bellygood. [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbUP2KbgI/AAAAAAAAFT4/AIvR6oyaxLM/s512/IMG_0199.JPG[/img] Gear Notes: Doubles on the small stuff, maybe even triple of yellow Alien. Singles of #3 and #4. Approach Notes: Walk straight behind boulders at base of Chief. Be prepared to solo 100 feet of 5th class dirt to start route. Quote
Sherri Posted August 13, 2009 Posted August 13, 2009 [img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHbS5xFsDI/AAAAAAAAFTk/NKz6qPoh7UA/s512/IMG_0195.JPG[/img] We were up there that same week(I recognize the long-weekend traffic in the background) and did "Europa", next door to MF. What a hot and muggy week. Sucked the energy and made the rock feel almost slimy...you guys did AWESOME to bag such a classic climb in such steamy conditions. Great TR! Quote
DonnieK Posted August 13, 2009 Posted August 13, 2009 We were up there that same week(I recognize the long-weekend traffic in the background) and did "Europa", next door to MF. So how is Europa? Is it getting enough traffic to be clean, enjoyable? Quote
LostCamKenny Posted August 13, 2009 Posted August 13, 2009 Nice pics... looks like the weather was pretty nice up there. Quote
Sherri Posted August 13, 2009 Posted August 13, 2009 We were up there that same week(I recognize the long-weekend traffic in the background) and did "Europa", next door to MF. So how is Europa? Is it getting enough traffic to be clean, enjoyable? We had a great time on Europa. It is still a long way from being "clean," but the dirt and loose rock kept us on our toes and added to the alpine/adventure feel of the whole thing. I've got a couple pics from it that I'll post up sometime. Quote
eldiente Posted August 13, 2009 Author Posted August 13, 2009 The traffic in Squamish is very sad, I find it depressing. If there was ever a place where a train made sense, Squamish would be it. That 50 mile long parking lot filled with cars driving from Vancouver to Whistler could be replaced with a rail system going right up to Whistler with a stop at Squish. There is already freight trains that go into Squamish. That was the worst part of climbing on the Chief, endless noise from all the traffic at the base of the wall. Quote
G-spotter Posted August 13, 2009 Posted August 13, 2009 You know there is this magical crag with cool summer temperatures and no traffic called "the alpine" eh? Quote
eldiente Posted August 13, 2009 Author Posted August 13, 2009 You know there is this magical crag with cool summer temperatures and no traffic called "the alpine" eh? Alpine? You mean I can't go and get $5 hot and ready pizza when I come down? Why would you want to climb somewhere without a Starbucks? I don't know, a few days later I went to try out this "alpine" crag you speak of and was very upset by the lack of $5 hot and ready pizza. [img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SoHWy_Nl-LI/AAAAAAAAFQE/pRE1wrtPwAU/s640/P1000454.JPG[/img] Quote
Blake Posted August 14, 2009 Posted August 14, 2009 We did it last summer and found p8 the crux as well, harder than the .11a pitches. How was the Gold Medal Ribbon (last pitch)? We did the finger crack to the right, and avoided that crux slab pitch in the hot sun. Quote
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