[Johnny Brown]

Better than T-crack? Are you fucking insane? Are we talking about the same problem here? Can you not do T-crack or something?

Routes-wise, the Grand is fun but not amazing. Freeway is amazing, also Dream Symphony, very good, University wall is supposed to be tops too.

[dave]

Better than T-crack? Are you fucking insane? Are we talking about the same problem here? Can you not do T-crack or something?

do you kiss your mother with that mouth? how many chips and inconsistent rules does a grit problem need before it becomes "classic"? with talk like that you should get down the tor more.

I've also been recommended Angels Crest as a good finish to any of the apron routes.

[a dense loner]

easy chair is wank. i thought some problem about a cupboard was decent, but nobody else did

[dom]

Exasperator (10c) is my favourite route hands down.  Do both pitches as one.

my favourite boulders at each grade that i've done at Squamish

Titanic V3
Shots Fired V4 -they are going to blow up this block in the next month or so, so get on it now
Viper V5
SDS Holmboy V6
Golden Boy V7

i'm going to be back in a couple of weeks too 

[dom]

easy chair IS wank, its polished to fuck.  theres way better V4's to be found

[richieb]

This looks to be a good list if you've not already seen it...
http://www.squamishrockguides.com/classics.htm

I remember 'The Great Game' on the Squaw being excellent.

[hongkongstuey]

cheers richie - that list should keep me busy for a few days...

[richieb]

Im pretty sure North Wales strong man Neil 'ding dong' Dyer will be in Squamish during September. Keep and eye out for him, he's awash with knowledge,  practically a local these days. A handy rope gun too.
   

[AndyR]

cheers richie - that list should keep me busy for a few days...

Me and Sparky should be able to think of a few things to point you at.
Be good if you can scope out Pipeline for us......

[hongkongstuey]

I'll treat anything you and Sparky point me at with both trepidation and caution...

See you for beers on Saturday night.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

All the routes I've done on the Chief have been enjoyable. Remember that 1 star routes here would probably get 3 stars elsewhere.

Angels Crest is huge,  a good day out, however be prepared for quite a few 'trapesing uphill through trees' pitches. It can get  a bit tedious for example when you think your near the top you end up abbing down a couple of pitches only to reclimb the back of the ridge. There is one stunning diagonal crack pitch quite near the bottom, and a couple more nice cracks near the top and the chimney finale is pretty good fun!

We did the snake on the apron. Good fun, nothing too hard.

The Grand Wall is certainly a world class route. Both the Sword and Split pillar pitches are deservably famous. But there are plenty more gems along the way. Just when you think it's all over the last pitch to the ledge has some evil undercutting, not helped by getting cramp in both arms when your half way along the traverse!  By the way Perry's layback is by far the hardest pitch, harder than both the Sword and Split pillar.

[Nigel]

I've heard a few people say that Perry's layback is the hardest bit. Honestly I thought it was comparable to 5.9's I've done elsewhere in the States. Possibly most people get tricked by clipping all the (ten million, 6-inch apart) bolts and box themselves stupid, when if you only clip a couple and keep moving its a doddle. I wouldn't downplay it either, I thought it was a brilliant route and deservably praised, if not quite in the same league as Freeway in terms of quality.

Easy Chair is ridiculous with relation to the hype, but the rest of the bouldering more than compensates.

Other tips - yammer jammers (sweet potato chips) at the Howe Sound Brewery, along with their lovely beers.

[AndyR]

I'll treat anything you and Sparky point me at with both trepidation and caution...

See you for beers on Saturday night.

Right on - see you then.

[andyh]

climbing:

loads of good stuff to go at at nightmare rock, steep cracks and stuff. an murrin lake to cool down in afterwards.

over the road are some good new mixed routes on jalap buttress with 2 minute walk in. vip parking due to the roadworks. topos in the new routes book in climb on.

also try the all new grit lane on the slab at the top of penny lane (topo in the new routes book in climb on). 11a r or e4/5 6a. scary. most stuff at penny lane and neat and cool are good. psychopath is a good almost e4 highball, the right hand finish is definately e4.

local boys do good at shannon falls is supposedly awesome at 10d but not got round to it yet. also klaharnie crack at the same place.

multipitch away from the crowds at the squaw

can confirm that the grand is awesome (but potentially v busy) and shitty in a shitty chair is shitty. superfly is really nice, stuff round the cutting edge on the apron boulders dries quickest after rain. viper is awesome, sloppy poppy not worth bothering with, titanic is also really cool. all the stuff on the apron is really nice, banana peel is a really nice solo - only 2 real moves in 500 feet.

non-climbing:

half price appys in the brewpub and the shady tree on thursdays, new club opening in the chieftain bar this friday, the op has strippers wed, thurs and friday if thats your bag, the watershed grill has ace views, grizzly bar for late night drinking with the local rednecks, and use the accent, the girls love it, we're exotic 

[hongkongstuey]

cheers all - one and a half days left after almost two weeks of perfect weather (two rainy days so far but managed to make them rest days)

only down side is the $600 bill from Whistler Clinic after a slight 'incident' in the mountain bike park (I currently look a bit Franknstein like....)

[Bubba]

Faceplant?

[hongkongstuey]

not 100% sure  - I went over the handle bars on a lovely twisty turny run called Angry Pirate and some how the front of the saddle managed to find its way through a small gap in a full face helmet and take me straight in the eye socket - leaving me half way up a hillside, blind in one eye (only temporarily fortunately) and with a rather bloody face

half a dozen stiches in the eyelid and nose (each) and a broken nose were the end result - however, I got off lucky - the girl in the cubicle next to me is looking at the rest of her life in a wheel chair and on a respirator after a very nasty slam on one of the table top jumps (note to self - future rest days are for resting and doing sweet FA instead of trying to kill myself hurtling down steep hillsides on a mtn bike)

[runt]

ouch
another reminder to keep my wheels on the floor

don't pick the scabs

[a dense loner]

mtn biking is the most dangerous sport in the world. i await fatdoc's obituary

[Jaspersharpe]

 

My Mum's been climbing for 23 years with no major injuries. She decided to take up mountain biking about a year ago as her husband and mates are into it. Of the four of em who go one has a fucked up elbow, one has a broken collarbone and my Mum's just dislocated her shoulder and now has suspected nerve damage, some sort of rotator cuff injury and needs two operations.

I'll stick to bouldering ta.

[hongkongstuey]

my good handsome self after my little tumble...


plus a few bouldery shots from the darkness of the woods
Titanic


Black Mark


Thighmaster


Easy Chair (which isn't as bad as everyone says - I quite enjoyed it)



Caterpillar


Tradkiller



and no Squamish set is complete without a few shots of The Egg

[hongkongstuey]

I'm sure it's perfectly safe if you have the common sense to aquiant yourself with the place and you rental bike gradually instead of hoping straight onto the twisty turny black runs....

Common sense was never my strong point though - hence the trip to hospital on only my thrid run down the slope (the blues / blacks i'd done up to that point - a line / B line / Dirt Merchant etc) were all really good fun though

[SA Chris]

Toying with heading there mid sept for a couple of weeks. Reckon that's the best time for doing a few of the bumbly slabs (up the 5.10) and some bouldering. Other than really hurting yourself on a mountain bike, is there anything esle to do if the weater craps out? Is sea kayaking popular? Have heard mutterings of surfing on Vancouver Island, is it worth doing, or only worthwhile if you live there (can't be worse than North Sea surely?).

[dobbin]

The ferry to the island is quite expensive, but worthwhile - takes about 45minutes. Trying to remember how much it was - maybe $70 for two people and ridiculous gold SUV. I dont think its cheaper the less ridiculous your vehicle. Once you get there its 2.5/3hrs drive to get to Tofino/Ucluelet which is afaik the surfing center. Strong surfing vibe to the place, apparently its good but we didnt try whilst we were there. Tofino is very nice. Middle beach lodge is where we stayed - lovely, nice views etc etc. Good out of season deals. Just next door were some crazy shaped beach hut things. You'd have to google to find out what they were called.

Really nice part of the world. If you do go, check out Pemberton - supposed to have been quite a bit done up there in recent years. Its a real goldmine if you are into biking or climbing, but squamish is pretty thin on the ground in terms of other things to do.

[rowena]

Who did peeps fly with?  We are scouting around at the moment but the flights are all pretty expensive to Vancouver in Sept (ie/ £700)  even the 'budget' airlines - Zoom, Flyglobespan and Canadian Affair are of a similar price (plus crappy baggage allowance!).

Did consider flying into Seattle and driving north from there but the saving doesn't really make the extra driving and border crossing worthwhile.