The CragBaby

Lately I have been thinking a lot about travel (considering it is my current full time focus).  It is extremely helpful to receive beta from fellow travelers or locals prior to a trip.  In hopes of returning the beta karma, I thought I would start posting up trip beta from places I have visited or lived.

Since my most recent big trip was to Squamish, I will start there.

Guidebooks

• Three guides are currently available for the Squamish area, all with their own distinct purposes.  If looking to do a mix of classic routes (sport and trad) plus wanting integrate some bouldering, definitely get the Squamish Select by Marc Bourdon.  If wanting to stay right in Squamish itself and climb mostly around The Chief, buy The Climber’s Guide to Squamish by Kevin McClane.  If strictly bouldering, buy Squamish Bouldering by Marc Bourdon and Scott Tasaka.  I happened to have both The Squamish Select and The Climber’s Guide to Squamish.  Shaft and I were doing a mix of climbs, and though it was helpful to have both, I really only needed the Squamish Select for the routes we wanted to do and the length of our stay (2 weeks).  Yet, I must mention that  The Climber’s Guide to Squamish included a great history of the area and the Chief.

Camping

• Chief Campground – most popular campground for climbers.  Cost is $10 a site for drive in sites, which can be shared with up to 4 people, and I believe free for the walk-in sites. It is good to note that the campground gate is shut from 11pm to 7am.  Also, it was really helpful to have a tarp and some cord to shelter items from the rain.
• The Sound – there is free camping if you want to camp out of bounds.  However, run-ins with giant sea creatures can become a reality.
  

Food / Drink

• Howe Sound Brew Pub – great food, especially pizza.  They have great daily specials that the server never seems to mention, so remember to ask.
• Mountain Burger House – great hamburgers, great price.
• Eagle’s Nest – this restaurant is a little out of the way, but is a great place for a nicer dinner if getting tired of bar food or camp pasta.
• Sunflower Bakery – the usual bakery. Nice change from the usual oatmeal for breakfast.
• Alcoholic Beverages – Note that it is VERY expensive to buy alcoholic beverages, especially beer, in Squamish.  Customs allows one case of beer and 1500ml of wine to cross the border.  It is very wise to bring this in with you.

Personal Hygiene

• Showers – The Recreation Centre is the best place for showers.  Cheap, fairly clean, plus includes a hot tub, pool and steam room if wanted.
• Laundromat – The laundromat is a little tricky to find as it is nestled in a shopping center.

Other

• Gasoline – Fuel is also very pricey in Canada, so once again fill up prior to crossing the border.
• Internet – The adventure center offers free wifi if you have a laptop.  If not, there is an Internet Cafe on the main street.
• Currency – We had zero problems with currency and/or the dollar being accepted.  However, few places take the American Express card.
• Theft – Theft was surprisingly a problem in Squamish, even at the Howe Sound.  When climbing at the Smoke Bluffs, park a little south at the Adventure Center rather than the designated parking spot as your vehicle will be safer.

If you readers have any beta of your own, please feel free to comment.

Shaft, the Cb-gbers and I took a two and half week climbing vacation in Squamish, Canada. British Columbia receives a fair bit of rain during the month of June, but we luckily encountered cooperative weather allowing us to climb everyday.

Driving through beautiful Oregon. At this rest stop we happened to meet a trucker who also owned a chihuahua.

The coastal views on the way to Squamish. In this area, scuba divers congregate to explore two sunken ships.

View of The Chief. While taking this picture a car stopped and the driver warned us of an approaching bear.

The Pemberton landscape.

Squamish and the outlying areas house thousands of routes and boulder problems. Shaft and I alternated between bouldering, trad and sport lines, taking one rest day to hike to the top of the Chief.

Me working ‘In Your Face’ in Pemberton.  This extremely fun v3 was on the Yosemite boulder that sits adjacent the railroad tracks.  The guidebook states to hide if a train is coming due to access concerns.

Shaft warming up at the SuperFly boulder in Squamish.

Shaft sending ‘Sloppy Poppy’, known to be one of the most popular v4′s in Squamish.

Me warming up on the Warm Up Traverse.

Me working ‘Bo Jo Jones’.  This problem consisted of numerous heel hooks. =)

Shaft roping up for routes at the Smoke Bluffs.

Me on Ancient Heart. This climb alone was worth the 15 hour drive to Canada. The 9 bolt 11c showcased numerous heel hooks, a boulder-y slopey crux and a crimpy top out. Pure magic!

Shaft on the third pitch of Deidre, our final climb in Squamish.  We had wanted to run it the day prior but were rained out, ending up bouldering instead.  We thankfully waited one more day, finishing up our trip beautifully with this classic line on The Chief.

Besides numerous days of setting up ropes and throwing out bouldering pads ….

Shaft continually munched on wild raspberries.

I made a new best friend.

We happen-stanced many bear sitings, two of which included dog-bear chases. For the record, the bear surprisingly ran away on both occasions.

We spotted logger truck collision signs.

And saw the biggest, ugliest slugs!

By the time we arrived home, the sweater-clad Cb-gbers was tuckered out, a sure sign of a successful trip.