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Canada - road trip (Read 3676 times)

JohnM

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Canada - road trip
February 10, 2016, 09:24:31 pm
Right y'all, I am thinking of doing a road trip round Canada with my gf for the whole of July.  We were thinking of renting an RV and doing Vancouver Island, Squamish, Bugaboos and some sport round Lake Louise and Canmore ending up in Calgary.  This option may be more expensive than hiring a car and staying in a tent/renting accommodation but we like the idea of just pulling up and sleeping anywhere, having breakfast right at the climbing etc.

My first question is if it is possible to sleep anywhere for free or do you generally get moved on and will we have to mainly stay on official sites and pay extra on top of renting the RV?  My second question is whether having an RV might make accessing some of the climbing areas difficult?  Basically I can't decide whether travelling round in an RV is going to be awesome or actually a massive ball ache! 

Any advice gratefully welcomed  ;D

Teaboy

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#1 Re: Canada - road trip
February 10, 2016, 10:59:01 pm
I doubt you'd want to take a hired RV to the Bugaboos car park, it's many miles up a rutted forest track (complete with forest trucks). We did it in hire car but it seemed a bit touch and go. That said the Bugaboos is one of the best places I've ever been. Lake Louise is pretty but I didn't reckon much to the climbing

bigtuboflard

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#2 Re: Canada - road trip
February 11, 2016, 07:02:34 am
Sounds like a great trip. I think you'll be ok in an RV in most places though some access spots will inevitably be tricky as Teaboy points out.

I'd also definitely put some time in your schedule to do other interesting stuff on your down days; Tofino on Vancouver island is worth a visit IMO, as are spots like Rogers Pass or you could even do some glacier skiing in Whistler (pretty sure they're open in June and July). And if you've not been to BC before, spend a day or so in Vancouver and also don't underestimate driving distances, make sure you use your rest days behind the wheel!


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T_B

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#3 Re: Canada - road trip
February 11, 2016, 09:14:08 am
Sounds as though you could be spreading yourself very thinly in a month. Plus no-one had mentioned the R word yet. I spent a month in Squamish in July and it rained solid for 2 weeks (unlucky maybe, but the climate aint Cali!).

SA Chris

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#4 Re: Canada - road trip
February 12, 2016, 08:49:16 am
They all speak funny that side.

JohnM

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#5 Re: Canada - road trip
February 12, 2016, 03:48:32 pm
Thanks for the replies guys!  I was thinking one of those huge RV things but your suggestion habrich looks spot on.  Something we can sleep in but should be able to access most areas and cheap too!  I have been to Squamish before and I do remember it raining quite a lot but still managed to get some stuff done.  I guess it comes down to luck.  Would love to return and do the Grand Wall and I didn't do it last time.

I am sure I will be back on here nearer the time getting more beta for specific climbing spots etc.  So far the ones I am aware of are Horne Lake (possibly banned?), Squamish, Pemberton, Bugaboos and Back of the Lake but I am sure there are loads more that I need to investigate! 

lagerstarfish

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#6 Re: Canada - road trip
February 12, 2016, 03:54:22 pm
those GMC vans are also available in All Wheel Drive

in fact, I have one (in Sheffield), if you want to have a look at one before you commit to renting one

petejh

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#7 Re: Canada - road trip
February 13, 2016, 11:35:02 am
I lived in the rockies (canmore) for 4 years and know most of the good areas east of Squamish.

Skaha is ace, sport and trad, but will be boiling in July. We used to go at easter. Could climb in the shade.

Revelstoke (waterworld etc.) - nothing amazing but OK for a day or so.

Bugaboos are as awesome as everyone else has said. Long logging track drive-in (not suitable for a big rv but camper van OK) followed by a few hours walk-in. Easy to get a shut-down by a storm cycle so try to plan ahead for a stable weather period. The glacier approaches to the towers closest to the camping are piss (Snowpatch, Bugaboo), like alpine cragging on big walls. The approach over the col to the backside of Snowpatch Spire was fine when we did it but subject to change/rockfall/bergscrund/snow turning into hard boilerplate/long slide potential (depends how competent you both are).
South Howser Tower is more involved requiring a bivi or a long approach early doors.
If you're feeling very plush you can be the person who flies in.

Back of the Lake - good for a couple of days on a trip. Lovely setting, perfect quartzite unlike the rest of the chossies. July is prime season (gets cold up there spring and autumn). Air Voyage wall is well good, gently overhanging 50m.

Banff area - nothing stand-out but Guides Rock has a couple of OK 'trad' (few bolts on them) routes. Paperchase was decent, couple of others. I wouldn't go out of your way.

Canmore Area: some really good limestone sport crags around Canmore, all have longish uphill walk-ins (not Grassi Lakes, although it's decent enough for a quick convenient hit):
4 best sport crags around Canmore:
The Coliseum - AMAZING! 1  -1.5hr steep uphill walk-in. 50 - 70m hard 7s and 8s.
Acephale - never really did much here but it's really good. Hardcore
Bataan - another really good sport crag with a death march approach. Both this and Acephale are well worth a visit, both are pretty hardcore not much pottering.
Crag X: at the top of Cougar Canyon - 45min walk-in. Really good.

You won't find info on The Coliseum, Baatan, top end of Cougar Canyon (or much of Acephale) on ukc. But they're the best sport crags by far.

Cougar Canyon, Grassi Lakes, Carrot Creek, Barrier Mountain, East End of Rundle, Heart Creek.,  None are anything special, each has a few worthwhile routes (generally obvious from guidebook) but don't go out of your way.

Ha Ling Peak - 'the longest sport route in Canada': it's alright but nothing special. Bit chossy, bit average, but fun. Nice to top out and walk down.

Yamnuska - If cloggy was another pitch higher and 500m wider, and made of (often chossy) limestone. Really amazing to climb here, but it isn't top quality rock, routes, or anything. Just the sum of everything makes climbing on Yam special. Adventurous, you could clock yourself easily. But most of the popular routes have been pacified with bolts on belays and run-outs. CMC Wall, Snert's Big Adventure i remember were both good fun. Lots of others. 45min-1hr uphill walk-in (theme around Canmore)

The Ghost wilderness. Beautiful spot, great camp spots everywhere - just park up and pitch. Go! Can take a normal car but you may not get out again - I used to go in with a honda civic and a vw golf but I tend to push things more than many it seems. Possible to park at the top of 'the big hill' and walk from there but adds around hour or more depending where you're climbing (it's a huge area!)
Any of the good routes in the Ghost guide are worth doing but aim for the longest (you can go cragging anywhere). Again the actual climbing, rock etc. isn't anything like world-class, but the sum total of climbing in the Ghost adds up to a very special experience.

Jasper area - I wouldn't go out of your way. Lost Boyz crag worthwhile but not amazing.

Alpine rock - most of the Rockies is limestone and most of it is choss. There's a few Quartzite areas. I wouldn't go especially for alpine rock routes but the East Ridge of Temple is good (crampons/axe needed for summit). Some Quartzite ridges near Jasper. There's a good-looking big trad wall being developed near Golden, details on Alpinist website.

Accom in Canmore - if you want to escape the van the alpine club hut is nice and central to everything. There used to be a campsite in town (I bought a house there, sadly now sold), not sure if it's been fully developed now, was being developed when I was there.

Bears - Be aware in any of the areas around Canmore, Banff, Ghost, Yam. Perhaps consider a can of pepper spray. Make a lot of noise when hiking to crags and take notice of warning signs/local newpaper reports. Many of the bears are tagged and locations known, this can be checked on the goverenment website/local papers. Maulings happen every summer, it isn't 'that' unusual.

Went to Squamish twice, it rained both times and I bailed to Skaha but I just got unlucky. Would have loved to check out Horne Lake.

If you discover my secret Cloggy made of quartzite, my trad projects from 2008 are still closed ;)

There's a bunch more info I could send if you want to know anything in particular.



« Last Edit: February 13, 2016, 11:44:06 am by petejh »

AndyR

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#8 Re: Canada - road trip
February 13, 2016, 04:34:26 pm
I've lived in Vancouver for ten years now and still haven't seen a wet summer yet (so maybe that means we're due one?) - anyway, I think you'd be very unlucky to have more than a few days of rain on the west coast mid-summer - and if it does become moist, skaha is always dry! As Pete said, it's too hot to climb in the sun there, but if it's overcast/you're in the shade etc, you can happily climb there in the summer - great climbing (I think) - pure climbing pleasure.
As also mentioned, you'd struggle to get an RV into the bugs - you'd prob get a small camper van in, but even that might be a bit exciting.
Also, if you fancy alpine style long cragging but without glacier complications, I would suggest the Gimli area just north of Castlegar in Valhalla Park - really cool place and the classic route on south arête of Gimli is magic.
If you're on the Island, Horne is the best cragging by far, but there are numerous other areas that are better when it's hot and sunny.

Most tourists travelling in RV's tend to stay in dedicated RV friendly campsites or Walmart parking lots. You can also stay in provincial park campsites, but you will struggle to get electric/sewer hook-up. If you have something that you don't mind driving on dirt roads, then you can find spots off the beaten track to park for the night (though you may be driving for a while).
Bear in mind that BC is a very popular summer travel destination, so if you want to stay in a specific campsite at a specific time during the peak season, you would be well advised to book some time in advance - likely to be doubly true this summer with our weak petrodollar...

Johnny Brown

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#9 Re: Canada - road trip
February 13, 2016, 08:17:56 pm
Been to Squamish thrice in summer - early Aug, late Aug, early Sept. No issues with weather, it's not Cali but seems better than the UK. Early Aug was too hot, we bailed to the Bugs.

Bugaboos are mega. We had a fairly low hire car which was okay on the road but a big storm could have changed that. The last little bit to the car park was by far the worst as you turn off the logging road which is big and fairly well maintained. Again, weather seemed to be good by UK standards.

Have also been to the Lotus flower, which you could do but it'd be the whole trip.

 

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