Squamish TR : Part V
A.M.
Part V
The Smoke Bluffs are, for many Squamish residents, an opportunity to climb
many routes quickly and easily on high quality rock. They are, for all
intents and purposes, a veritable outdoor rock climbing gym. Many people
consider it silly to even climb there in the summer when there are so many
more interesting destinations: The Chief, Cheakamus Canyon, Mount Habrich,
and beyond. The Smoke Bluffs are a series of crags located all around the
exterior of Squamish, leaving one with countless options of slab to face,
sport, trad, or aid, and provides easy walkoffs, toprope setups, and access
to post-climbing amenities. Most routes are single pitch in length, and this
attracts the hordes of topropers which are so noticeably absent from the
Chief.
Wolfang and I walked the few kilometres from the campground to town, and
entered the Bluffs via "Loggers Lane", a road which leads to many of the
lower Smoke Bluffs crags. After wandering around for quite some time, we
could not find any crag which provided the combination of sun and beautiful
climbing we were looking for. Continuing to search progressively uphill, we
came upon the crag "Burgers and Fries", an area which is like Rattle Snake
Point to Squamish; many beginners and topropers, with guides and instructors
providing help from below. Based upon the guidebook description I expected
we would be able to find at least one appealing line. But its low-angle,
discontinous cracks, and generally unappealing asthetic quality left me
thinking that the Smoke Bluffs were going to majorly disappoint.
Not ready to give up yet, Wolfang and I (and Alejandra), came upon the crag
"Neat and Cool". I spotted one attractive line immediately, and looked it up
in the guidebook. The name was "Flying Circus (5.10a)", and I decided to
lead it. Unfortunately somebody was toproping it at the moment, so Wolfang
racked up for an overhanging climb "Neat and Cool (5.10a)", the namesake of
the crag itself. The route starts below a left-angling crack which leads to
a roof where it diverts right again, a semi-mantle into a left-angling crack
again which leads to the anchors. The distinctive "Z" movement of the climb
was an irrestible part of the attraction. Wolfang lead the route in style,
placing good protection, acting with minimal hesitation, and finishing on an
impressive runout. The fact is that Wolfang was in his element: overhanging,
thin holds, power moves. I had some trouble at the crux section of the route
where a semi-mantle is required before diverting left into the final layback
of the "Z". In fact I almost fell off before grunting my way past the roof.
When we got down, a Squamish local told us that he was glad Wolfang placed 2
pieces at the crux move. Apparently there have been people who have had
ground fall trying to make the move on one piece. One didn't walk away from
the fall.
I racked for "Flying Circus" and started up the crack. The guidebook
description is not as alluring as the climb itself: "A fine crack, but is
becoming badly polished from heavy top-rope use." In fact, in the beginning
of the guide, the author uses Flying Circus as his example for the
irreversible degradation of granite by over-toproping. Undeterred, however,
I jammed my way up the shiny crack. It certainly was tricky, since the
smearing was difficult on such smooth rock, but it seemed, to me at least,
that whenever things were getting thin or desperate, a perfect fingerjam
would appear, and I could slot a piece. I finished the crack on adequate
gear, without rests or even many pauses. It was a purely enjoyable
experience. Wolfang had commented upon my climbing in Squamish with some
interest. In Ontario I had climbed with quick and desperate movements;
scared and runout on suspect rock, hesitant to move up, searching for escape
from a self-inflicted torture. But here in Squamish I had started climbing
differently; quick and confident movements across solid rock, with good
protection placements, and reassuring finger jams.
We were about to leave the Neat and Cool crag when we spotted an interesting
zig-zag route to the right of the Neat and Cool route. It was named "Geritol
(5.10c)", a crack climb which finished on some slippery looking holds at the
top protected by bolts. Wolfang led the first section to the bolts well, but
got stuck on the topout face moves. After many attempts, I suggested he
simply use the bolt as a foothold and finish the climb. He stepped on the
bolt and after some awkward moves he made a dynamic throw for a jug and
stuck it. Topping out, he set up the belay and I cleaned. The first section
was about 5.8, moving into some 5.10a/b moves before the bolts. After I had
pulled the QD from the second bolt, I found myself clinging to some
extremely polished and crimpy rock. After many tries, I had not made any
upward progress, and decided to use the bolt as a foothold as well. Even so,
I still could not solve the Geritol puzzle. The moves called for thin
gaston-crimps with polished and scary footholds, with a good metre between
me and the finishing jug. I tried again and again, but could not finish the
climb. Going on tension, I half-climbed, half-cheated my way to the jug
hold. I'm not a great sport climber, but I have been able to redpoint .11a
or .11b before, and so the grade seemed a little soft considering the
difficult moves required. Wolfang felt it was more like an .11a. But we
didn't spend too much time dwelling on it, as we packed up and headed for
town to have a nice post-climb sundae.
John Peterson
very easily. Routes that get just as much traffic in New Hampshire or
Yosemite don't appear to be nearly as polished. I was struck by the
comment in the guidebook:
> "A fine crack, but is becoming badly polished from heavy top-rope
> use." In fact, in the beginning of the guide, the author uses Flying
> Circus as his example for the irreversible degradation of granite by
> over-toproping.
So why would topropers cause polish and not lead climbers? Are
topropers less entitled to the resource than lead climbers? That
seems rather elitest! My Squamish guidebook is one of the older ones
so I don't know exactly what the guidebook author actually says - I'm
curious whether he makes a major distinction between these two groups
or just points out the problem of overuse in general.
John
A.M.
news:kb65snc...@ragged.cs.yale.edu...
> Good TR. Squamish is unusual for granite - it seems to polish
> very easily. Routes that get just as much traffic in New Hampshire or
> Yosemite don't appear to be nearly as polished. I was struck by the
> comment in the guidebook:
Allow me to quote the guidebook:
It is Kevin McLane's "The Climbers Guide to Squamish - March 2001 Edition
(ISBN 09682472-1-0)
On Page 23, Mr.McLane writes:
" * Excessive Top-Roping Polishes. Excessive top-roping on popular climbs
polishes the rock - an irreversible process - look at 'Flying Circus'. This
damage can be reduced by avoiding excessive top-rope sessions on such climbs
until your skill is up to climbing them without falls. Please exercise
restraint and have fun flailing on easier, less-traveled routes. It is the
pressure of climbers flailing above their ability level that does most
damage to the rock. "
I personally do not have any opinion on the matter, as I am neither an
expert on geological erosion via natural or climber-related means. I did
observe the crack was pretty polished, however, much like Rattle Snake Point
here in Ontario. It is generally understood that the same polish here is due
to excessive top-roping. I agree that it could be construed as slightly
"elitist". As a sidenote, I would trade all of the crags in Milton for a
couple of cracks as sweet as that one.
A. Cairns
John Peterson wrote:
> Good TR. Squamish is unusual for granite - it seems to polish
> very easily. Routes that get just as much traffic in New Hampshire or
> Yosemite don't appear to be nearly as polished.
We're hard and you're a bunch of softies.
> I was struck by the
> comment in the guidebook:
>
> > "A fine crack, but is becoming badly polished from heavy top-rope
> > use." In fact, in the beginning of the guide, the author uses Flying
> > Circus as his example for the irreversible degradation of granite by
> > over-toproping.
>
> So why would topropers cause polish and not lead climbers? Are
> topropers less entitled to the resource than lead climbers? That
> seems rather elitest!
Why did you read more than simple fact into the statement? Are you
especially sensitive to the distinction between leading and top-roping?
Is that because you are in Connecticut?
> My Squamish guidebook is one of the older ones
> so I don't know exactly what the guidebook author actually says - I'm
> curious whether he makes a major distinction between these two groups
> or just points out the problem of overuse in general.
>
> John
Do you really want to know what this ex-Brit guidebook author *actually*
says?
Andy Cairns
Mad Dog
>I did observe the crack was pretty polished, however, much like Rattle
>Snake Point here in Ontario. It is generally understood that the same
>polish here is due to excessive top-roping.
What a crock. Is top-roping illegal at Squamish or Rattlesnake? If not, then
how does one determine what is excessive? Are there crag ethics cops compiling
stats of lead vs. TR? If not, how do we know what's real? I'll bet my left nut
that I've led more pitches at Rattlesnake than you (you're a local - I'm not)
but I won't try to deprive or disrespect anyone that wants to go there and drop
a TR.
Adrian, check it out: RSP is fucking limestone or Dolostone or whatver you want
to call it. Perspiration is probably responsible for much of the polish there.
It is a South-facing crag close to Toronto with a trivial approach that is
climbed 12 months a year, every year. If any Ontario crag would be expected to
be polished for a number of reasons, RSP is it. You can't really compare
limestone polish to granite without more qualifiers.
>As a sidenote, I would trade all of the crags in Milton for a
>couple of cracks as sweet as that one.
Good thing you're not the one with the power to do so.
x15x15
> Do you really want to know what this ex-Brit guidebook author *actually*
> says?
Not really.
x15x15
A.M.
news:b0a8g...@drn.newsguy.com...
> What a crock. Is top-roping illegal at Squamish or Rattlesnake? If not,
then
> how does one determine what is excessive? Are there crag ethics cops
compiling
> stats of lead vs. TR? If not, how do we know what's real? I'll bet my
left nut
> that I've led more pitches at Rattlesnake than you (you're a local - I'm
not)
> but I won't try to deprive or disrespect anyone that wants to go there and
drop
> a TR.
Easy there!!! I said that "it is generally understood that..." That doesn't
mean it's not a misconception of the public. I'm no geological expert....
A. Cairns
x15x15 wrote:
A fine situation.
Sketchball
You rarely see beginners, feet flailing madly like the Road Runner
with a noticeable lack of upward progress, trying to LEAD up Flying
Circus, but this behaviour is common, nay endemic, among top ropers on
the route.
Sketchball
Here is the Geritol beta. Slab climb and smear with your feet, don't
edge. Crimp with your hands. No need to gaston.
I always thought Geritol was soft for 10c, in fact it was my first 10c
lead.... then again I can only lead 10a on limestone, so....