[SA Chris]

Sept / oct is marginal, aim closer to September if youm can. We were there at that time and we got a bit of rain, but generally OK. We were apparently lucky.

[Fultonius]

Can't help with that time of year as we were there late June/July - but if you have a car and it rains, you can always head to Skaha as it practically never rains there!

Also, can't help with accom - we camped.

Can help with psyche - the place is awesome go go go go!  Don't forget to drop into the Howe Sound Brewpub!

Aawwww, I wont to go back!

[AndyR]

I am looking to plan a trip to squamish for next september/october time (after kids are back at school and flight prices drop). Just wondering if this is a good time to go.

I have not been there later than mid-August but I do have a few friends resident in Squamish/ Vancouver and their climbing activity does seem to tail off sharply in September. I was there mid-June once and it was tediously wet, though I think we were unlucky. It's definitely not a place to be in bad conditions. Skaha should be OK but it is a pretty long drive.

Hopefully AndyR will be along shortly to give the definitive local perspective.

September can be pretty good - you'll be unlucky to be washed out, and chances are you'll get some reasonable spells of good weather - this can be the best time for long trad... But October is pretty dicey - lots of potential for several days of crappy damp weather - Skaha will pretty much still be a safe bet though - about 5 hrs drive from Squampton.
That time of year, still a tonne of mountain biking action if you're into that sort of thing - trails around Squam are world class.

Dunno re accom - that said, I know a rather nice house in Garibaldi Highlands I could help you break in to....

Enjoy.

[chillax]

Ah, local knowledge....excellent! I'm heading over to moose-land (Vancouver) next march. Have march and april free for bumming around climbing. When is the earliest squamish is worth looking at for trad/bouldering? Or any other canadian spots of that ilk that could be good if Squamish is grim? Fallback plan is to head down to the desert for a while, sandstone cracks look niiiiiice 

[SA Chris]

If Squamish is wet, head to Whistler and get some powder. Win win.

[Fultonius]

Ah, local knowledge....excellent! I'm heading over to moose-land (Vancouver) next march. Have march and april free for bumming around climbing. When is the earliest squamish is worth looking at for trad/bouldering? Or any other canadian spots of that ilk that could be good if Squamish is grim? Fallback plan is to head down to the desert for a while, sandstone cracks look niiiiiice 

Feb/March is good times for Indian Creek/Utah from what I've heard!

That is a place I MUST go to at some point in my life!!!

[Grubes]

If Squamish is wet, head to Whistler and get some powder. Win win.

my cousin lives in vancouver and his girlfriends family have a cabin up there apparently so it is on the potential list

[SA Chris]

I was talking about chillax going in March April. I don't think snowsport starts until November.

[Grubes]

Time to resurrect this again (sorry).
After my plans fell through this year I am now off to a wedding in canada next september so I have manage to convince someone to head out climbing for 3 week.

Is there any direct flights from UK to vancouver? any recommended airlines?
If we are going to be there for 3 weeks whats the camp site like? i.e. how basic?

[Johnny Brown]

Yes. Canadian affair are worth checking first, flights from LDn or MCR.

Campsite is very basic, squares of dirt, composting toilets, no showers. You can shower up at the rec/ leisure centre ($5 includes swim, hot tub, sauna) or  at a hostel in town (I think still). Its a fair hike to town, and miles to the rec, so if you've no car expect to smell.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Klahanie Campground is a minute or two up the road with much better facilities.

Alternatively there's quite a few hostels in town. Several years ago we stayed at 'Inn on the water' which has hostel style rooms and motel style rooms.

http://www.innonthewater.com/index.html

[Johnny Brown]

Ah yes, that's where I had a shower in 2006. Its the closest one to the Chief.

   Located minutes north of Klahanie Campground, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is Squamish's latest provincial park. The Stawamus Chief, one of the worlds largest granite monoliths, stands at 652 meters (2140 feet) high and is the second highest free-standing granite outcropping in the world, number one being the Rock of Gibralter.

Amazing how such complete bollocks gets perpetuated.

[SA Chris]

I think we ended up going BA for not much more than Canadian Affair; Aberdeen - Heathrow - Vancouver. Check skyscanner for options.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Worth checking how luggage allowances varies before you book anything. When we went with Air Transat through Canadian Affair they allowed 'sporting goods' for free. Dead satifying when I had a huge bag full of kit for free when the family behind us with a overweight suitcase got charged loads.

Looks like it's still the case http://www.canadianaffair.com/en/useful_info/detail/luggage.asp#B2 although they don't mention camping/climbing kit which I'm sure they used to. Could be worth using the old 'golf bag' trick.  Has worked a treat in the past, they never used to ask to open it to see the clubs.

[Johnny Brown]

We paid for an extra bag with Canadian affair this summer. 24kg per passenger, no mention of sports gear.

[Sasquatch]

Time to resurrect this again (sorry).
After my plans fell through this year I am now off to a wedding in canada next september so I have manage to convince someone to head out climbing for 3 week.

Is there any direct flights from UK to vancouver? any recommended airlines?
If we are going to be there for 3 weeks whats the camp site like? i.e. how basic?

Car or no car?

Type of climing preferred?

Level of comfort preferred? 1=total dirtbag, 5=posh hotel

[AndyR]

Ah yes, that's where I had a shower in 2006. Its the closest one to the Chief.

   Located minutes north of Klahanie Campground, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is Squamish's latest provincial park. The Stawamus Chief, one of the worlds largest granite monoliths, stands at 652 meters (2140 feet) high and is the second highest free-standing granite outcropping in the world, number one being the Rock of Gibralter.

Amazing how such complete bollocks gets perpetuated.

I know - it's granodiorite.

[AndyR]

Time to resurrect this again (sorry).
After my plans fell through this year I am now off to a wedding in canada next september so I have manage to convince someone to head out climbing for 3 week.

Is there any direct flights from UK to vancouver? any recommended airlines?
If we are going to be there for 3 weeks whats the camp site like? i.e. how basic?

Air Transat (Canadian Affair/Thomas Cook), Air Canada, British Airways and Virgin.
Several campsites in Squamish - if you're carless, then, as mentioned, the Chief and Klahanie sites are the most popular. If you have a car, then you can also use the Dryden Creek and Paradise Valley sites, which are both much nicer. There's also free camping at the base of Chek, up the Squamish river valley, and several other locations.
Weather in September is typically dependably good (rain started this weekend after 4 1/2 months of no rain) - if there's a few days of rain, you can also head up past Whistler to Soo River/Green River Bastion/Lillooet edges, which will be dry. If the weather is going to crap out for >4 days, I would head east to Skaha.
Either me or Thesiger can prob give you more local info, or simply ask on the Squamish Climbing forum.

[Grubes]

Right thanks for the feedback.

To answer a few questions:
Plan is to conbine camping and stay at a hostel a bit.
Currently there is two of us but have a few other mates interested.
We are mainly interested in doing big stuff trad sport or mixed, but not going to write anything off.
I think we will have a car.

Either me or Thesiger can prob give you more local info, or simply ask on the Squamish Climbing forum.

Local knowledge is always good.

although they don't mention camping/climbing kit which I'm sure they used to. Could be worth using the old 'golf bag' trick.

Good suggestion

Thanks everyone.

[Grubes]

Thanks
I will probably ask for more details nearer the time once I know what going on properly.

We are just trying to get an idea of how much the whole trip will cost at the min.

[Grubes]

okay looking at booking flights now any recommendation on internal flights in canada? I need to get from vancouver to toronto for a wedding before I fly home.

Also what are canadian affair like? I have heard they are like ryanair but for long flights, if so I might try flying BA for a bit more
I asked them about bouldering mats as sports equipment they said no but I could carry it on as hand luggage if it was less than 10kg ...  not sure they quite understand how big a buoldering mat is

[ali k]

We flew with them this summer and found it not too bad, apart from both our bags getting a bit trashed on the luggage belts (although that's hardly their fault and they did replace one of the bags no hassle). Definitely not BA but you get a couple of meals and plenty of drinks included and it was significantly cheaper than the alternatives for us.

If it hasn't already been mentioned be careful with any stuff left in your car if you're up on a long route, especially down the "Squaw" forest road - loads of break-ins when we were there. At least one every couple of days. That was the main reason we opted to stay in one of the cheap hotels in town (weekly rate worked out dirt cheap).

[a dense loner]

 I thought canadian affair were really good. Nothing is like ryanair. U won't get a pad on as hand luggage, there's obviously a mong at the other end of the phone

[slackline]

there's obviously a mong at the other end of the phone

Yeah 'cause everyone should know what every conceivable piece of sports equipment is even if they don't partake in that particular sport.

I wouldn't call it a pre-requisite for the job of working for an airlines call-center either.

[Grubes]

To be fair to dense I agree.
I did send them a link to the website incase they did not know hat one was.
So they knew the weight and demensions of the bouldering mat (if they clicked the link)