[TR] Squamish - Cerberus 1/26/2014

[eldiente]

Trip: Squamish - Cerberus

 

Date: 1/26/2014

 

Trip Report:

Cerberus. 5.11D 4 pitches. Tantalus Wall. Squamish BC.

 

Kinda crazy to be climbing multi-pitch routes in Squamish the last week in January but hey why not. We started climbing around 1:00PM and were in single layers most of the day. Winter is a great time to do this route, mostly bolted slab so it dries quickly and it catches the last bit of afternoon sun. That was the best part about the day, amazing sunset just as we topped out on the last pitch.

 

 

Cerberus is a bit unusual for Squamish as it doesn't follow a crack system and instead goes up a blank wall weaving around on dyke features. From the ground it looks intimidating. Mercifully bolts make it possible but not really a clip-up, the bolts are spaced far enough to keep it honest. i.e. can't pull on draws at the cruxes. I thought it was kinda hard and for a point of reference found the cruxes harder than anything on Freeway. (less sustained though) Tech slab skills and cold temps are probably a good idea. Cool route.

 

 

Approach. We feared that the normal approach (Milk Road, 5.10D) might be wet so we hiked up the South South Gully and climbed the first pitch of a new route called Labyrinth (5.12C) The approach up to Labyrinth is a steep gully with fixed lines, go left up steep fixed line and belay from tree ledge with bolts heading left.

 

 

 

Pitch 1: Labyrinth 5.10D. Sandbag, hard for 5.10D. This pitch traverses to the left by under-clinging these massive flakes. At times you lose elevation going straight left and not much up. Long pitch and massive pump for the back and biceps. Bolts are there but spaced, falling off means falling sideways. Bring a few small cams (yellow Master Cam) for the run-out in the middle and a #1 BD for the end. Burly.

 

Pitch 2: 5.11, this is where Labyrinth joins Cerberus. Soft for 5.11 although there is a harsh boulder problem right off the belay to a small bush. Cruise magic dyke system to an airy belay.

 

Pitch 3: 5.11D Long pitch, 14 bolts. Very airy position. Crux boulder problem right above the belay before moving left below roof. Traverse right under roof and go over roof, really nice holds pulling roof. Harsh traversing slab crux after you get stood up above the roof. Felt like 5.12 to me but my slab skills are awful. For added spice this pitch finishes on car sized detached flakes that wiggle when touched, I've never climbed flakes that large that lose. Bolts or no bolts when that thing comes off someone is in for a hell of a ride.

 

 

Looking down from pitch 2, amazing dyke climbing.

 

Pitch 4: Another traverse pitch going straight left. A real pain to get back on when you fall. Not as sustained but the single hardest problem of the day is around bolt 4 or 5. Crazy tech slab move on the tinniest of feet. Keep moving further left to a horizontal crack thingy that can be protected with a hand sized piece of gear, move up and right from this crack on easy but run out jugs. Belay at chains or climb 10M further to tree belay and the top out. Walk off.

 

 

Looking down the last pitch.

 

Gear Notes:

15 draws with runners for rope drag. Single rack from Green C3 to #2 BD. We only placed #2 BD, #1BD, and a yellow master cam (fixed) but you might be able to find other options. A strong party could probably do the route with only draws.

 

Approach Notes:

South South Gully.

[boadman]

Awesome! I've wanted to get on that route for years, but have always been intimidated by the flakes.

[marc_leclerc]

hi eldiente, nice work! we originally climbed that first pitch as an alternate start to Cerb, for those dry winter days when the headwall is prime but the standard approaches wet. We called it Catharsis Crack 10+. I thought it to be quite fun.

 

I did the upper section of labyrinth while trying to find a free route through the wrist twister finger crack. One day my partner Luke and I did the Catharsis Crack and brought the drill and hooks and linked right to join those awesome upper dykes and called it Labyrinth.

 

 

Its really good and has nicer rock than Cerb. Really aesthetic foot traversing with boulder cruxes. It was fun aiding it with hooks too.Stoked people are doing Catharsis crack into Cerb as that's what it was originally intended for

Edited February 8, 2014 by marc_leclerc

[eldiente]

Hey Marc, thanks for putting in the the work on Catharsis Crack. Brilliant idea as Cerberus looks to be one of the driest multi pitch routes in Squishy and the position is lovely. Ross I both found knee bars in the under clings on Catharsis Crack, kinda rad to be doing knee bars on the Chief.

 

As for Labyrinth, I peeked over and looked at from the belay... You guys are out of your mind putting that up ground up. Thin looking.

 

RE boadman. The flakes are scary feeling but the climbing is easy at that point, you can put half your weight on the slab and half on the flakes. If the flake pulled off I don't think it would hit your belayer and the bolts are to the right of it so hopefully your lead line would survive.

 

Summer continues in Squamish...

 

-Nate

 

Edited February 8, 2014 by eldiente