Right Wing (Squamish Squaw) overhaul

[Optimally-Primed]

Right Wing is a 4-pitch, 10c route up the centre of the Squaw in Squamish. Despite having been the line of first ascent of the Squaw (it is THE obvious line), it fell into disuse (partially due to a scary, unprotectable corner early on) and became overgrown. This winter, I (with friends) gave the route a major overhaul, and retrobolted the scary corner (with permission from the FAist and FFAist). The climb is outageous with a middle pitch perhaps unparalleled in Squamish: 55m of sustained climbing (10b) in a single corner feature. Not a good rest till the belay. I've put together a blog (www.squamish-rightwing.blogspot.com) where you'll find a topo, photos, and history.
Enjoy!
Jeremy

[Axel]

Nice work. Thanks. Can't wait to get on it.

[glomeruli]

got on right wing yesterday after changing our minds last minute from climbing "birds". definitely a worthwhile climb although it kicked our asses for sure. the third pitch was "long" with no rests except when i got too pumped while looking through my rapidly depleting stock of protection and screamed "TAKE!!!" (this happened more times that i would like to admit). the last pitch was also quite strenuous, and we didn't earn any style points there either. by the time i got to the top of the beak flake all i could do was lay there straddling the flake one arm and leg dangling from either side while trying to catch my breath before shimmying my way up the flake doing my best to avoid any more laybacking due to exhaustion.

nice work Jeremy!!

[Mikey]

Also got on Right Wing a couple of weekends ago. Awesome route. At 5.10c, we figured it was pretty stout. Kinda like Milk Run is a 5.10c. The dihedral is not very difficult to protect, but god almighty is it long. Noticed that there are some old/chopped bolts just before the 30 m mark, where the topo suggests a possible hanging gear belay. Was there originally a bolted station there? Most humans could probably use a break from the 5.10 punishment at that point, no? If nothing else, it would save you for the world's hardest 5.10b finishing pitch. Hero moves--a memorable finish--but bring your biggest set of arms!

Nice scrubbing Jeremy. I've always been keen to do RW.


Mike

[Optimally-Primed]

It's great to see people getting on Right Wing. After all the scrubbing over the winter, it's really satisfying to see that the project yielded something of quality. I've now climbed the thing twice this summer. The first time, I had a rather typical battle with the Filibuster, getting spanked thoroughly and having to build a gear belay at 40m (after burning through a triple set). The second time, I watched the Early, Great Katherine Fraser battle her way through the pitch, making the chains with a single cam left on her harness.

There have been diverging opinions about whether or not to replace the bolted belay mid-pitch. I've certainly heard good arguments both ways. On the one hand, just about everyone is bagged at that point and desperate for a rest. On the other hand, there is no natural rest there and leaving it as is makes it a pitch unparalleled in Squamish---something to aspire to leading clean. The grade of 10d seems to be sticking but it's a funny 10d in that there's probably not a move harder than 10a or 10b (nor is there a move easier).

Right now, I'm leaning towards leaving it as-is. But I'm interested in making this climb into something that Squamish folk like. So if anyone out there that has climbed it has some input about "to bolt or not to bolt", please speak up.

[Squamishmonkey]

Do not bolt it...it would be a crime!
If people need to rest they can take on gear or build a station....but please don't bolt it.
I climbed it two days ago and the grade of 10c seems right, no move is harder than 10a/b.
Also, you can no hands rest at either fat section low down or higher taking the sting totally out of the pump making placing gear relaxed and then higher there are bomber hands to rest up.
It takes such a huge selection of gear sizes that whatever you have left will fit somewhere making it less desperate than it sounds.
Leave the corner as is.....my two cents.

Good climb...amazing last pitch...totally worthy, thanks for cleaning it.

[Charlie]

Besides, someone will just come along and free it w/o using any bolts and then chop them. Tis the way of the world.

[Mikey]

"Besides, someone will just come along and free it w/o using any bolts and then chop them. Tis the way of the world."

Wait a minute. If I climb something and skip a bolt along the way, I can chop it later? I know this typing thing is a limited method of communication but really, that can't be what you're saying. i.e. How many times have you linked pitches on some route and then felt justified to return and chop the midway anchors? To wit, the Sword has a station that a few stronger climbers skip so that they can do "To The Hilt". The rest of us humans dive for the chains.

Placement of anchors is an issue that is may be troublesome if connected to the way other routes are done. If J wants to place the anchors, great. If not, great. Trying to make a decision based on historical consensus will be laced with contradictions in style.

[Axel]

Bolt the whole damn climb! Gear climbing is soooo yesterday!

[slopr]

bump for a 5.10 testpiece