Questions from someone new to the area

[starky]

I'm planning to stop by Squamish for the first time on the way to a family reunion in Whistler and was hoping to check out the climbing.

You'll have to forgive my totally naive questions, but I haven't been to Squamish before.

1) Is all of the climbing in Squamish trad? I get that impression from my online research. I'm living in China at the moment and all of the climbing in China and Thailand is sport, so all my equipment is geared towards sport climbing.

2) If it's all trad, are there good top-ropes with walkarounds where I could set an anchor with a few good slings and some biners? That way I can still climb without having to invest in new trad equipment.

3) If there are some good top-ropes, I'm looking for something in the 5.8/9 range so I could show the ropes to a couple of interested family members who haven't climbed before. If there is a 5.8/9 beside something 5.10cd/5.11a-ish where they both use the same anchor, that would be optimal as I could teach them on the easy climb, then do the harder climb myself.

Thanks in advance!

-Collin

[stuamos]

Collin,

Check out Murrin Park, about 9km south of Squamish (there's a clearly marked parking lot). According to the guidebook it's the "pre-eminent sport climbing crag." I'm sure others' will point you to more inspiring routes there, but, if you want easy access to a top-rope anchor, then there's actually The Bog Wall (it sounds worse than it is). You can clamber up the side to the anchors, and there's a 5.7, 5.8 and a really nice 5.10a on one anchor, and a couple of 5.9's and 5.11a (with a heinous move) on the other. For ease of access it can't be beat (you could almost belay from the parking lot), and I certainly had a fun top-roping session myself.

So that's your worst case scenario, hopefully someone else will be able to point you to more hidden gems.

Stu

[c-plus]

There's lots of sport and lots of trad so you can do whatever you like. Pick up a copy of Squamish Select and you'll have all the info you need. There is some toproping, but not a huge amount, so easily top-ropable areas tend to get busy fast. Enjoy your visit!

[dakine]

Chek is another good area there are a few places to set up a TR in the 'Well of souls"

http://www.squamishclimbing.com/squamis ... m.php?f=15

[pinner]

Your best bet is north of Squamish, closer to Whistler. As the previous reply states, Chek is a good spot for you, also Cheakamus Canyon has some good easy sport, and there will be nobody there, where as Chek will be packed.

Also, right in Whistler, there are some fun pocketed sport climbs like nothing else in the area, a couple are 5.8's I believe. The crag is called Swiss Cheese in the Nordic area of Whistler.

Pick up a copy of Squamish Select, it'll also show you all the harder sport at Chek, which is a sport heaven, everything up to 5.14