Type: Trad, 400 ft (121 m), 5 pitches, Grade II
FA: FFA Bob Milward and Jim Campbell, 1983
Page Views: 38,005 total · 182/month
Shared By: Peter Spindloe on Jan 20, 2007 · Updates
Admins: Mark Roberts, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra, Kate Lynn, Braden Batsford

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

p1. A few dirty moves off the ground get you past a tree with exposed roots and into beautiful clean granite corners and cracks. A fun 5.8 crux makes you layback or fist jam.

p2. Step out left from the belay and climb the clean corner or undercling a crack a little further left (both seem to be graded the same, but left feels easier). A few blocky sections then lead to a perfect belay ledge.

p3. This 5.9 pitch is awkward and strenuous, starting with a solid couple of layback moves into a flaring crack. After a few moves in the crack you can move onto the left wall and pass tough moves with good protection. Traverse far left under the roof and across a steep gully to a bolted belay.

p4. The long crux pitch starts with an intimidating corner. Three small nuts can be placed to protect this corner -- take your time and place them well. The difficulty eases and then gradually ratchets back up as you work up a steepening corner to a 10a mantle crux. Climb ten more feet past the crux to a very cool belay. I've done this route twice a group of three and this belay is tight for two, but possible if no one minds getting cozy.

p5. This pitch can be linked with the previous one. It's short but burly. Three cams (camalots 0.5, 1, and 2) are entirely sufficient for the entire pitch (so if you have just led p4 and have those pieces, keep going).

p6. If you belayed after pitch 4, just link this one with p5. This 5.7 pitch leads to the trees.

Either continue up the Squamish Buttress or The Ultimate Everything, or descend by walking along the treed ledge to a bolted rap station that will drop you in the Memorial Ledge swimming pool (only by carrying the loose end of the rope with you will you have a chance of keeping it dry). From Memorial Ledge you can traverse south to the usual Apron descent.

Location Suggest change

This climb is on the vertical left edge of the Apron. From the Apron parking lot, walk up the Mamquam Forest Service Road a little more than hundred feet until a trail heads up towards the cliff. The trail should take you into the gully. The climb starts from well up the South Gully, about 500-800 feet past the start of calculus crack (about 200 feet past the rappel line from the top of the Apron). Hike the gully until looking back and right you can see a left facing corner system running the height of the cliff. It's not visible until you are a little past it. Good landmarks include the incredible arching 5.13 crack of The Great Arch left of the climb and a variety of abandoned fixed ropes in the area. 

Protection Suggest change

Excellent gear throughout except perhaps the start of p4 where small nuts are good, but take care to place.

Photos

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