Squamish, The Grand Wall "Lite"
Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 4:43 am
Ryan and I have been having tentative discussions of climbing The Grand Wall for quite some time. One way or another, we agreed that the hour had come. Ryan arrived at my place in Vancouver via bike-Greyhound bus-bike around midnight.
After a few hours of sleep, we had some coffee and made the 45 minute walk to the train station (which is also the bus station). I had made an error. I looked at the wrong bus schedule. We arrived in time to catch a 5:50 am bus to Squamish that actually departed at 5:15 am. Maybe it was just the euphony that confused me? Regardless, we had to wait for the 8 am bus.
We tried to relax in the park with the outdoorsy drug-using types that are prevalent in this part of Vancouver.
I had a near-emergency on the bus based on too much fibre and caffeine in my diet, but we persevered to the Squamish Save-On Foods where we found fortifications for the day and a long queue for the single-occupancy washroom designated to satisfy the needs of every person who ever enters this massive store.
Then we had a nice walk to the Chief and finally the base of the Grand Wall. Our alpine start had me getting ready to lead Apron Strings after 10 am. First pitch of the Grand Wall, already feeling tired from all this walking and bus riding, I got mega-pumped by the first pitch of Apron Strings. I was seriously questioning the validity of my presence on the route, but I made it up the pitch and we were on our way.
The next pitch felt like a bit of a sandbag to both of us. Ryan leads the second pitch of Apron Strings.
The bolted dyke pitches were really fun. It was nice to get in the flow and feel like just maybe I knew something about climbing.
Ryan follows some very fun runout dyke.
There was a pitch of runout dyke for Ryan's leading pleasure, too.
I really enjoyed the traverse toward the base of the Split Pillar. Ryan follows.
Ryan led the three bolts to the base of the Split Pillar from the traversey belay, for his first aid experience. This left me with the Split Pillar. This pitch is so beautiful. For me, it was a wee bit of layback to start and finish, but sheer sustained jamming ecstasy in between.
Ryan climbs the first bit of the Split.
Ryan jams dynamically?
Ryan climbs to the top of the Split Pillar on another layback.
Next, Ryan would go a-fencing with the Sword of Damocles. He was still feeling pumped from the Split Pillar.
Ryan, en garde!
You're almost there, buddy.
The exposure was so amazing.
Ryan follows the bolt ladder above the Sword.
Above Perry's Layback, it was getting a bit late. The Howe Sound sure is beautiful.
Ryan follows the next-to-last pitch.
There is a prettier way to start the Sail Flake. But it was late and getting dark and the tree looked quicker and easier. Climb that tree, bro!
Bellygood Ledge is an amazing feature. You can (more or less) nonchalantly walk off this amazing cliff above several hundreds of meters of exposure on a ledge that's narrower than my shoulders in several places.
Huzzah! That was awesome! I can't wait to return to try the Sword and Perry's LB in better style, or to link the route with the Roman Chimneys or the Upper Black Dyke.
Ryan and I hiked to the bottom of the Chief without difficulty. Incredibly, we'd both learned the lesson and had headlamps. From the Chief camprground, we called Fern and got a ride from Fern and Kellie. But before we met them at the roundabout, we had to retrieve our gear from the base of the Grand Wall. That was pretty easy, until we got lost in the land of the Pad People. Somehow, we found ourselves bushwhacking at the base of the Chief!
Eventually, we got a ride, met some nice Squamish residents, and feasted on leftovers.
After a few hours of sleep, we had some coffee and made the 45 minute walk to the train station (which is also the bus station). I had made an error. I looked at the wrong bus schedule. We arrived in time to catch a 5:50 am bus to Squamish that actually departed at 5:15 am. Maybe it was just the euphony that confused me? Regardless, we had to wait for the 8 am bus.
We tried to relax in the park with the outdoorsy drug-using types that are prevalent in this part of Vancouver.
I had a near-emergency on the bus based on too much fibre and caffeine in my diet, but we persevered to the Squamish Save-On Foods where we found fortifications for the day and a long queue for the single-occupancy washroom designated to satisfy the needs of every person who ever enters this massive store.
Then we had a nice walk to the Chief and finally the base of the Grand Wall. Our alpine start had me getting ready to lead Apron Strings after 10 am. First pitch of the Grand Wall, already feeling tired from all this walking and bus riding, I got mega-pumped by the first pitch of Apron Strings. I was seriously questioning the validity of my presence on the route, but I made it up the pitch and we were on our way.
The next pitch felt like a bit of a sandbag to both of us. Ryan leads the second pitch of Apron Strings.
The bolted dyke pitches were really fun. It was nice to get in the flow and feel like just maybe I knew something about climbing.
Ryan follows some very fun runout dyke.
There was a pitch of runout dyke for Ryan's leading pleasure, too.
I really enjoyed the traverse toward the base of the Split Pillar. Ryan follows.
Ryan led the three bolts to the base of the Split Pillar from the traversey belay, for his first aid experience. This left me with the Split Pillar. This pitch is so beautiful. For me, it was a wee bit of layback to start and finish, but sheer sustained jamming ecstasy in between.
Ryan climbs the first bit of the Split.
Ryan jams dynamically?
Ryan climbs to the top of the Split Pillar on another layback.
Next, Ryan would go a-fencing with the Sword of Damocles. He was still feeling pumped from the Split Pillar.
Ryan, en garde!
You're almost there, buddy.
The exposure was so amazing.
Ryan follows the bolt ladder above the Sword.
Above Perry's Layback, it was getting a bit late. The Howe Sound sure is beautiful.
Ryan follows the next-to-last pitch.
There is a prettier way to start the Sail Flake. But it was late and getting dark and the tree looked quicker and easier. Climb that tree, bro!
Bellygood Ledge is an amazing feature. You can (more or less) nonchalantly walk off this amazing cliff above several hundreds of meters of exposure on a ledge that's narrower than my shoulders in several places.
Huzzah! That was awesome! I can't wait to return to try the Sword and Perry's LB in better style, or to link the route with the Roman Chimneys or the Upper Black Dyke.
Ryan and I hiked to the bottom of the Chief without difficulty. Incredibly, we'd both learned the lesson and had headlamps. From the Chief camprground, we called Fern and got a ride from Fern and Kellie. But before we met them at the roundabout, we had to retrieve our gear from the base of the Grand Wall. That was pretty easy, until we got lost in the land of the Pad People. Somehow, we found ourselves bushwhacking at the base of the Chief!
Eventually, we got a ride, met some nice Squamish residents, and feasted on leftovers.
