Open Sesame
5.8 YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British
Type: | Trad, 215 ft (65 m), 3 pitches |
FA: | Nick McNutt, Jack Fieldhouse, 2021 |
Page Views: | 768 total · 36/month |
Shared By: | Adrian Suskauer on Aug 10, 2023 |
Admins: | Mark Roberts, Kate Lynn, Braden Batsford, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra |
VAN CAMPING / WILD CAMPING
Within District Boundaries
The District of Squamish PROHIBITS camping within the municipal boundary. This includes sleeping in a vehicle anywhere within District boundaries. A bylaw gives the District the power to issue tickets for contraventions.
Camping on urban / residential streets is prohibited under pre-existing bylaws.
The “hot spots” that have been of most concern are below.
· The whole of the Mamquam Forest Service Road under the North Walls of the Chief between the junction with the 99 and junction with the Stawamus/Indian Arm Forest Service Road (as a salmon run and sensitive riparian area, camping close to the Stawamus River is especially inappropriate)
· The Powerhouse Springs Road including the parking area for the Fern Hill cliff
· The dirt road to the kitesurfing “Spit.”
Outside of District Boundaries
If you explore forest roads in crown land outside the municipal boundaries, it may be possible to find discreet roadside sites suitable for tents or van camping. However, the provincial authorities do have some restrictions ;
· Stays are limited to 14 days.
· Campers should follow Leave No Trace principles. HUMAN WASTE is a major issue.
· Strictly observe any current fire bans.
DESIGNATED CAMPGROUNDS
Please see the District of Squamish website for a comprehensive list of designated campgrounds.
Recommended affordable camping:
- At the Chief: Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Campground BC parks site, spots start at $10.00 CAD/person. No reservations.
- 7 minutes north: Mamquam River Campground A non-profit site, spots start at $15.00cad/night for a drive-in site. Reservations recommended, not required.
- 20 minutes north: Chek Canyon Recreation Site A public site; no fees, no reservations and world class sport-climbing. No running water. The road is steep and rough but 4x4 not required
Description
This is a fun, fairly casual approach/warm-up for the harder climbs at Zen.
Pitch 1: Climb a slabby corner to a bolt (shared start with Gatekeeper, 5.10b), and pull over the corner to a sweet finger rail that connects the corner with a short hand crack. Bolted belay. The FA party called this 5.7, but my partner and I both found it stiff for that grade.
Pitch 2: The money. Jam up the hand-and-fist crack in a corner to a bolted anchor on a ledge.
Pitch 3: Move the belay around the corner to the base of the bolted slab, then smear your way up this short pitch. 7 bolts, no trad gear needed. This will place you at the bottom of the Zen Garden proper, below Half Lotus.
The route can be rappelled with a 60, but it is likely to become a fairly busy area, particularly since Gatekeeper shares the start--walking off is preferred. The descent trail is visible to your left when you top out. Alternatively, hike up to the fantastic cragging that awaits above!
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