Lighthouse Park Climb In March

Yes, that's right.  March.  In West Vancouver.  Climbing.  It's a bit of a long shot, but we have had 3 days of not raining, which is a rare treat here.  The temperatures are climbing into the low single digits, and a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of rock.  It's a relaxing Sunday morning, and I have been perusing climbing websites and guidebooks in an attempt to plan my goals for the coming climbing season. 

I realised that the exposed sea cliffs at Lighthouse park could possibly have had enough sun and wind in the last couple of days that the rock could very well be dry.  Pretty much no vegetation above to hold moisture, and this could mean climbing on the third day of March.  Heather and I round up Mert and set forth.

As always in this wonderful city a sunny break in any season other than summer is so rare that EVERYBODY will take full advantage of it, and today is no exception.  We get out to Lighthouse Park after noon, and parking just is not happening.  We find a spot all the way out on Marine Drive and trek in.  We soon find the path down to Juniper Point, which is where the routes that we intend to attempt are located.

What a BEAUTIFUL day.  I feel so lucky to be here today, and we set out in search of anchors.  All the routes here are listed as 'top rope only' routes, so it's safe to assume that we will be rappelling down to climb. 

We find a couple anchor pairs, and after consulting the information we have we select an anchor that works for both a 5.7 and a 5.10a.  I set up the anchor, and by the time I'm finished, Mert and Heather have found a way down to the base of the climb.

By the time I'm down Heather is already tied in and ready to achieve the first climb of the year.  She works her way up the 5.7 side.  She makes it look like she's been out on the rock every day for a month, having no difficulty with 'Jugs Away'   Mert and I both enjoyed climbing the 10a, 'Boobies' as a great way to warm up for the year.

There's allegedly another anchor a few metres over to the left, but I can only find one bolt.  Nobody is going to be climbing on that, so we head over to the only other spot that we found with a pair.  This was fun.  There were a lot of other people enjoying the area, hiking and taking pictures and such, and some of them started to get rather excited when I walked over to the edge and tethered in to start setting up my anchor. 

I was a popular photo op for the next few minutes while I got everything ready and rappelled partway down the climb to check for water.  This one is really cool.  The belay space is right down at sea level, the waves crashing behind you, the sun hot on your back, I can't imagine a place I would rather be right now.  We all come down and climb out.  Joyous.

The day's climbing at Lighthouse Park over, I reflect again on just how lucky I am to be living in such a beautiful place.  Third day of March!  Not the most wonderful climbing, toproping some 12M warmups was a great way to start the year.

And So It Ends....

So ends my 2012 climbing adventures.  Shortly after climbing with Leif I suffered a significant hand injury while climbing in the gym.  It was weeks until I was able to start climbing easy stuff again.  Climbing can have a noticable negative impact on my work when stuff like that happens.  Something to think about.  At any rate, I won't be climbing again until 2013.

Area 44 Goes International

Today I headed back up to Area 44 again with a Couchsurfer that I had been corresponding with.  Leif seemed a good fellow, and I was looking forward to showing a Swedish climber a little bit of our world-famous Squamish rock. 

In conversing with him on the drive I got the impression that he was a very, very experienced gym climber, but that he had limited outdoor experience.  Should be fun. We decided to warm up with some 5.9's in Preview, and see where we would go from there.

I hit one of my favourites first, that beautiful arrete that is 'Blue du Jour' and had a glorious sunrise climb.  Leif followed on top rope, and when he got to the top he had to yell down for instructions that got me rather ...concerned....  Leif arrived safely on terra firma, however, and we moved over to a 5.8 to get a little more practice before continuing on to some harder stuff.

I lead up a rather routine climb, it's a nice warmup, but I've done it so many times this year!  Leif followed on top rope, and was cleaning the station when the unthinkable happened.  He unsecured himself from the anchor without asking me to take out all the slack that he had pulled though!

Never in my life have I been so terrified, never have I been so happy that I didn't unrig my belay device once he was secured.  I had been concerned enough about his experience that I was keeping a pretty close eye on him, but when he let go, he just fell.  With a tonne of slack in the rope he just started dropping.  I reefed in a monster armload of rope and leaned back to take more slack out too.  After about 5M he stopped, just above a vicious outcropping of rock.

After a few seconds, I called up asking if he was ok.  He replied in the affirmative, and I lowered him back to ground.  Shaken, but not stirred, we had a post-incident conference, during which I learned that he had never climbed outdoors at all, and that all of his knowledge came from YouTube videos. 

Terrifying.  Utterly terrifying.  We covered some important issues, such as the importance of clear vocal communication.  Undaunted, he wanted to keep going.  I led off another 5.9 that I had done a couple times before, and I was quite happy that I was able to notice significant improvement in the areas that had caused me grief before.  Excellent.

We elected next to head down to the 'Outta Sight Wall' to try out Area 44's offering for multi-pitch sport.  A 5.9 called 'Square Dance' following into 'Allemagne Right' sounded like a well-regarded route, so we set up.

I didn't like Square Dance.  Not at all.  It had a couple fun laybacks, but the rock was pretty dirty and the route was short and excessively crenellated for my liking.  Oh well.  After Leif joined me at the belay station on a MASSIVE, comfy ledge, we discovered that we couldn't see any evidence of 'Allemagne Right'  The Square Dance anchor allegedly was the base of three climbs, one to the left, one straight up, and one to the right.  Looking at the bolts we could see we decided that we only saw two routes.  The book was down at the base of the climb, so I decided to explore farther right to see what I could find.

I travelled down a generous ledge, pretty much unprotected, wondering how far off track I must be, when all of a sudden I found a belay anchor and saw two clear bolt lines up the rock.  Awesome.  I guess I found it.  Leif joined me and it was 'go' time.  Knowing that the route I wanted was on the right I started up.  Pretty much immediately it was a big, bulging, overhanging crack.  It was a really intimidating sequence to work over the crack, so far up, with minimal protection below (1 bolt) I was nervous.  That was the most beautiful sequence of the day, and once I got past it things got simple. 

Before I knew it though, the climb started changing character on me.  It was getting really, really run out, and much slabbier than I was expecting.  I finally spotted a bolt ahead, after waiting way, way too long.  One more bolt and I arrived at the anchor and set up belay.  Leif was struggling away, obviously working at ascending the crack, when another climber popped over the crest beside me.

Uh-oh...  What doing, climber?  Why here?  We had a quick talk, and decided that I was most certainly in the wrong place.  Crap. Luckily buddy is patient, because Leif really isn't getting anywhere on this route.  After about ten minutes he concedes defeat, and I retrive my rope and walk off so new guy can finish his route.

I track down another anchor and rappel down to where Leif is waiting for me, but I sadly failed to retrieve one of my quick draws.  Balls.  We re-traced our path to the base of Square Dance, where I discovered that the second pitch was actually called 'Special Ed' and was rated at 5.10a.  I also was pretty confidant that I missed the last bolt of this climb and ended up at the anchor for 'Climb in Peace' 

Oh well, another adventure for the logbook.  Really a fun day though.

Top 100 Time

After a mixed morning's effort at Shannon Falls Mert and I headed up the road to Area 44 to try some more vertically-inclined climbing.  Area 44 is always a popular destination, and this beautiful day is no different.  There are over a dozen cars parked here already, and fitting one more in looks pretty questionable.  Oh well, I'm not going to miss out on climbing more because of parking issues.

Down we trek, all the way to the end, with the goal being to try a 'Top 100" 5.10a hiding at the end of the area called 'Rocky Horror'  It will be the highest difficulty climb that I have tried outdoors on lead.  I'm stoked, and the idea of climbing something that highly regarded is quite attractive.  Only concern is whether or not we will actually find it free.



Luckily there isn't a single other soul in that area when we arrive, so we set up to hit it.  It's an awkward approach and setup there.  The gulley is very steep, and like all of Area 44 it is quite unstable ground, there really is not much space to stand and move around.  We decide that Mert gets first crack, he feels the need to redeem himself after a rather tough morning at Shannon Falls.

Unfortunately for Mert, a good chunk of the middle of the climb follows a beautiful overhanging crack.  Mert readily admits that he has pretty much zero crack experience, and doesn't much care for it.  He moves confidently up towards the half way point before he starts to struggle.  After trying to work out the moves at the fifth draw for quite some time, he concedes defeat and lowers off. 

Whoa.  My turn already?  I had hoped to observe the whole route before trying my luck.  I guess this will pretty much be a legit 'on sight' attempt.  And, away I go.  The moves are nice, the holds are comfortable.  Before I know it I have passed the point that Mert made it to and am continuing up.  As I'm trying to find the correct placement for attaching my next draw I slip!  I had been trying to get comfortable to place a draw, but Mert thought I was clipping and had let out a healthy length of rope when I came dropping off the rock like I had just let go!  Before I even realized I had fallen I was dangling 20 feet below the rock, spinning like a top.  Ooops...

Bounced my way back up none the worse for the experience and continued my ascent.  The move that I wasn't even trying to make when I fell was easy-peasy.  The crux for me was two bolts down from the top, I ended up with one leg flagged straight out while making a big pull on my left arm.  It was pretty intense, and there was a whole lot of nice holds after that.  What an awesome feeling once I got to the top.

After I lowered off we decided to try the 5.9 beside Rocky.  Mert started first again, but it's just not his day.  I certainly didn't find this one to be as fun as the 5.10a, but it was a pretty good climb.  Really edgy, and the sun was off the route, which made me rather sad, but it was a fun.

What an awesome day of climbing!

Shannon Falls--A New Adventure

After the awesome excitement from succeeding at my first multi-pitch climb, I sought out more in the book and came to the distressing realization that sport multipitch really doesn't exist in the Squamish area.  Except in one place.  Shannon Falls A.M.O. (Advanced Mountaineering Operations) Wall.  There are at least a dozen routes spidering all over the face of the slab to the left of the falls.  What a cool place to climb!



The easiest route of the three accessible from the base is 'The Relish Route' which is a 3-pitch, 72 metre 5.8 adventure which goes all the way up, and offers a lot of options after completing the third pitch.  We find the start, probably, and set up to climb.  A lot of the fun about new climbing areas is the quest to figure out where the hell you even are.  It's a challenge sometimes, but it looks like we got it right today.  Mert isn't feeling up to leading today, so I lace 'em up and get going.

The first 7M was delightful climbing, but quite tricky until you're out of sight to your belayer, but no big deal.  Upon reaching the stump, I paused on a great foothold and got a look at the rest of the route.  Whoa.  Seriously, there's NOTHING here.  It's a massive, low angle slab with almost no feature to it.  Just a flat granite ramp.  How do you climb something like this?  I don't know but should probably start figuring it out. 

Away I go, slowly creeping up the face.  Now I know how spiders feel.  All I can think is that my shoes are too old for this kind of adventure, because they're the only thing keeping me moving.  Every once in a while there's a bit of a depression in the rock, which excites me way more than it should, because it's an opportunity to gain a little bit of friction with a hand.  Slowly I inch upwards, until it starts to get steeper.  Now I have a problem.  When I move a foot up, it just slips right back down the second I put any weight on it.  Hmmm...  Need more friction.

I try bending my ankle even farther, to try to get more shoe on the wall.  Hurts, doesn't help.
I start trying to turn around, and put my ass on the wall so I can get the whole surface of my shoe on the wall.  I'm currently above all my protection and my belayer can't hear me yell.  So I think this would be a poor idea too.
I need another foot.  My hands are doing nothing to help here.  Now the light goes on.  I take my right hand, rotate it over so fingers point down and palm is towards the rock, and lodge my elbow into my ribcage.  Now I have 3 feet, and one hand to manage the quickdraws and such.  I try again, and am able to make progress.  Another 10M or so of this and I'm at the end of the first pitch.  Thank God.  That was pretty hairy.

Mert follows up, and he's just hating this.  He can't implement my 3 foot method, and nothing that he seems to find is helping him advance.  He eventually makes it up to me and I set up to lead off the second pitch.  It looks like there's a lot more here, and there is.  Still completely dependant on friction most of the time, but a little bit more texture to the rock.  It's cool, I arrive at the second belay station and I can see the cars on the highway, and all the way out to Howe Sound.

Once Mert gains the ledge I set off on pitch 3, which has a lot more vertical breaking up the slab crawl.  It's really sweet climbing, and at one point I find a rusty old piton hammered into a crack that looks like it would still hold up if used for a draw.  Pretty cool stuff!  The view from the top was totally worth the challenge, and since we're up here I intend to try another climb or so.

A 5.7 called 'The Beaten Zone' brings you up right beside the falls.  Sounds awesome, so we head on over and check it out.  Pretty similar in character to the rest of the climbing today, I start on up with my 3-foot technique.  As I approach the top, the roar of the falls is intense, and I'm getting cool, damp air blowing ove my body from time to time, which is actually quite welcome on this hot morning.  What a rewarding climb!

We rappel off, and decide that since it's so early, and Mert wasn't loving the climbing, that we should head a short distance up the road and climb some routes at Area 44.

Sounds like awesome.

A Pilgrimage To Sport Climbing's Mecca

A new destination to explore.  Cheakamous Canyon, the home of the biggest concentration of high quality bolted climbs in the area.  There's also a camping area here to investigate for future use.  Starting up from the highway, things are looking good, despite the description indicating that 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended.  The GTI is all over this.  Then the road starts to get STEEP.  I keep trucking, however, picking up speed as I try to get up the hill before losing traction.  Happily, the GTI prevails and we arrive at the parking area.  There are a bunch of tents in a quaint ravine, a few outhouses, and a lot of high granite walls.

Good morning world, we have arrived!  I'm very excited today, both because we're discovering something new and also because we're going to climb our first multi-pitch climb today.  Now we're going to get high!  Some new skills to practise and put in the tool kit.  Emil and the Detectives, a 5.8 two-pitch climb, which is rated as a 'can't miss' climb in the guidebook.  7AM and it's already getting hot, it's going to be a beauty.

The first pitch was reachy, not a lot to work with, but not excessively taxing.  I was really sweating trying to pass the crux, and was really happy once I managed to get onto something a little more substantial.  At the anchor, I set up to belay from top, and Heather followed me up.  The second pitch was shorter, and a lot easier, and after we got up to the top, the view was AMAZING.

Rappel off, and high fives all around.  There's another multi-pitch climb right beside this one that we wanted to try, but unfortunately there was somebody already on the climb.  The decision was made to head just down the path to the 'Foundation Wall' to get in a good group.

We hit 'Flaming Arete,' 5.7  'Awake in a Ditch With a Horse Licking Your Face,' 5.8, and then moved on to a 5.9 graded climb called 'Mystery.'  I started working my way up the start of the climb.  Really, really thin climbing.  Not much to work with at all.  I got up two bolts and was starting to get into some significant difficulty.  Heather was discussing my climb with Mert, trying to come up with some suggestions, when they arrived at the conclusion that I was not climbing the 5.9 at all, but the 5.11a beside it. 

Ooops...  what now?  Logical answer, I guess, would be start again.  Wade's answer, of course, is somewhat less logical...  Try to move over to the correct route and continue up.  Stubborn bastard...  It wasn't easy, but I did it, which was a nice start to a very pleasant climb.  A great way to finish an exciting day.

Multipitch on!

Rappeling Class. So much to learn.

Another camping trip, another day of climbing the hills above the quarry.  Mert is going to teach rapelling class today, so we decided to head up Huckleberry Lane with its easy to access top for a good quality demo.

So many safety points to remember, but the one that I cling to is the simple one.  Check everything, then check it again.  And one more time before you un-secure yourself.  I figure that as long as I don't screw that one up, nothing too, too bad can happen to me. 

Overall, rappelling is pretty simple though, and I really like it because I can go down REALLY fast.  Also, I think it will probably prolong the life of the rope too, which I appreciate, because this stuff isn't excessively cheap.

We take the opportunity to climb a few fairly forgettable routes up on Shelf Road, and I think that's about as much time as I'll spend up there until I'm pushing up on 5.11.

The camping cooler.  Epic.