Welcome to the 2011 Climbing Season
Hello Squamish, here we come. The days are getting brighter, the sun is out a little longer and the rock…well it’s getting a little drier. Which can only mean one thing — the 2011 climbing season is just around the corner. So it’s time to refine that tick list and put those days of pulling on plastic to good use.
A lot has been happening on the Squamish climbing scene over the last year so here’s a quick recap:
Starting right here. You may have noticed Squamishclimbing.com – the go to site for climbing in Squamish has undergone a significant upgrade. The forum is now easier to use, navigate and post. There will soon be a new user photo gallery where you can post your pictures and see what others have done in Squamish. And the crag and map pages have been upgraded allowing easier updating. Check it out, sign up and start enjoying the benefits of the community forum.
On the climbing front the big news is that the Malemute has been made part of Stawamus Provincial Park. Hopefully this will put an end to the illegal camping at the top of the Malemute which has been a problem the last few summers. While some of the lower parts of the crag remain closed to climbing because of the CN Rail right of way, look for improved rap stations that provide access to many of the lower climbs. The Malamute offers a unique seaside climbing experience with some of the best cracks in the Sea to Sky corridor.
An area that has seen a lot of work over the last year is the Smoke Bluffs. The park advisory committee has spearheaded a new trail from Crag X up to Lumberland and the top tier climbs. If you have never visited the park before you will be impressed by the climber-friendly ambience such as benches and picnic tables at the base of some crags, helpful signs and maps and several pit toilets. This has got to be one of the few urban parks in the world that not only welcomes climbers but goes out of its way to accommodate them.
On the new route front there’s additions galore, meriting an article on it’s own. Here are some highlights: On Tantulus Wall Jeremy Frimmer established the nine pitch Milk Road 5.10d A0 (5.11d). This is a fantastic route with crack, face and a memorable finish on a delicate dike. The climb is on par with the Grand Wall in difficulty and commitment. Also On the Chief, Sonnie Trotter put in a two pitch 5.9 finish to the Squamish Buttress called Butt Face, making a great moderate route to the top. Speaking of moderates, Slab Alley 5.9, one of the first climbs on the Apron got a big overhaul by Anders Ourom, and Kris Wild cleaned a new start to Calculus Crack 5.8. eliminating the bushy tree climb at the bottom.
More committing climbs have been put up on the North Walls and Slhanay including The White Feather, 5 pitches at 5.11d with reportedly the one of the best pitches in all of Squamish.
On the sport climbing front new bolted lines have gone up at the Pet Wall including the four star Underwire 5.10d/5.11a put up by Chris Small. For full on sport climbing the Chek area north of Squamish remains the place to go.
Lots and lots of new boulder problems have been established in the last year. Definitely check out Marc Bourdon’s book Squamish Bouldering Guide, Second Edition. It came out last year and is a brilliant and comprehensive book on more than 2500 problems.
Phew, that just starts to scratch the surface as far as new routes go. Check the new routes/cleaning thread on the forum for more info on the routes mentioned and many others.
Now to look ahead to events and happenings this summer. The highlight is going to be the Squamish Mountain Festival July 13-17. Every year this celebration of local climbing culture and international gathering gets better and better.
Speaking of culture, last year Live at Squamish had it’s debut. And by all accounts it rocked. This year the music and art festival is gearing up for even more fun and great bands. The lineup this year includes Weezer, Metric and Major Lazer. Needless to say August 20 to 21 is going to be very busy in Squamish. You may have trouble finding a campsite anywhere in town. But if you want to climb and take in a great music festival this would be the time to go.
Okay that’s it for now. Have a great and safe climbing season.
