Squamish March 25th 2006

Squamish in the winter can be a very hit or miss experience. After almost a week straight of rain there was one somewhat clear day in the forecast. Todd and I took advantage of the clearing and headed into BC to get our hands on some of that cold hard granite. Winter time can be a perfect time to climb all the problems that prove to be too slippery in the summer. The only downfall of winter climbing is that it can take some time for the rock to dry out after a rainfall. Since it had rained for a few days before we headed up, most of the boulders were still very wet and dripping. We searched the Grand Wall Forest for a little while trying to see what was wet and what was not-so-wet. To our surprise Easy Chair Boulder was not too wet. The route Easy in an Easy Chair proved to be too slick for me in the warmer summer weather the last time that Todd and I came to Squish. This time the temps were right, but the ever so sloping route still needed to be dried somewhat before I could work it. After nearly a half hour of slapping chalk on the slopers we had made it climbable. It took me about ten attempts but I finally sent it. That problem alone made my trip to Squamish worthwhile. From the Easy Chair Area we headed up the hill to the Heartbreak Hotel Area. Here we found a fun V2 called Shakedown, that followed a nice steep arete. I attempted the V6 sit start and was able to latch the undercling pinch, but couldn't quite get myself high enough up to pull through to the arete. Todd worked the moves on Shakedown, but topping out was pretty sketchy due to the top being very wet. A little further up the hill we both hiked a four start V0-, which proved to be quite awesome for the grade. Around the other side of the V0-, I worked out the moves on Trad Killer, a five star overhanging crimpy V4. I surprised myself by sending it on the third try. For a day trip to the Squish it was definitely squishy, but well worth the drive.