In an email the other day, Kevin McLane said that there are nearly 450 new climbs since the 2005 guide. That does not include the hundreds of pitches that have been retro'd. So taking that figure, it looks like around 100 new routes are established on average every year. Kevin and Andrew Boyd are working on a new guide for sometime next year -- can't wait. Kevin says there will be over 500 new climbs in the guide.
I thought it would be interesting to canvass people here what they think are the stellar new or retro'd crags and climbs from easy moderates up to extremely difficult.
I'll start off with some suggestions I've climbed very few of them but they're on my tick list or dream list. Chime in with a comment if you've climbed any of these or disagree or agree with the list.
- Apron:
Slab Alley (retro) - 6 p, 5.9 - nice varied climbing including a traverse, mantle, slab and the elephant steps).
Pineapple Peel (retro) - 3 p, 5.8 variation to Slab Alley won't be ready until this summer
Calculus Crack new 2p, 5.8 start
Smoke Bluffs:
Mosquito Area Smoke Bluffs retro and new routes 5.7-5.10a
Funarama retro + new routes 5.7-5.11
Split Beaver retro + new routes 5.7-5.11
AMO Wall 5.6-5.10 plus
Olsen Creek Wall 5.8-5.11c including WireTap 5p, 5.10a
Shannon Creek retro + new routes including Forked Flume 5.8 (?) ready this summer
Chief
Butt Face (Squamish North Buttress North Face Variation) 5.9
Milk Road 9p, 5.10d A0
Gravity Bong 9p 5.13a - I'll never get on it but the photos sure look awesome.
Slhanay
White Feather 5p 5.11d
North Walls:
Polaris 5.12a (5.11b, A0)