Eldred Valley and Powell River

After wrapping up teaching a summer intersession course, Teresa, Penny and I packed up the Subaru and headed up to the BC coast for 3 weeks of climbing, hiking, family visiting and general vacationing. We spent 3 days in Squamish, where we did some fun cragging on the Smoke Bluffs, and I met up with an old climbing friend of mine (JP) to climb the Chief via. Rock on and a weirdo adventure hike/via ferrata. 

We then grabbed the ferry up to the Sunshine Coast for a couple of weeks in Powell River

Waiting for the ferry to the Sunshine Coast

In addition to being Teresa's home town, Powell River has a host of excellent climbing, and I was pretty excited to check some of it out!

New guidebook for the area

First up was Higgyland, a steep granite sport crag 5 minutes away from Teresa's family house. Sweet! I ended up spending a fair amount of time there, and eventually working on a 5.11b redpoint in between beer drinking sessions ;)

Teresa cranks some steep granite at Higgyland

Hanging with my niece

In addition to some fine climbing there is excellent hiking and mountaineering in the Powell River area. Most famous is the Sunshine Coast trail, a 180 km hut-to-hut trail that passes not only along the coast but up to the alpine of the coast range. Over the years I have hiked various pieces of it, but had not gone up Tin Hat mountain, a very popular day hike to a nice high point with some fine views. 

 Penny and I headed down the long logging road approach, and after a fair amount of difficulty I found the trail head. The hike was well marked, on an excellent trail, and as promised, the views from the top of Tin Hat were wonderful.

Penny enjoyed the hike up Tin Hat

 

Views from the top of Tin Hat

 

Hut on Tin Hat

On the last few days of (my) stay in Powell River, we finally headed into the famous Eldred Valley, the crown jewel of Powell River climbing. Its a valley accessed by a 2 hour drive down active logging roads, to a place with multiple 2000+ foot granite faces and alpine peaks. 

A small piece of the Eldred Valley

 Teresa and I took the long drive in on a Sunday night to avoid logging traffic, and stayed at the wonderful climber's camp. The camp has been built by the volunteer efforts of local climbers and is a amazing place. The camp is nestled in the temperate rain forest, next to the roaring Eldred river. The camp is maintained as a labor of love, and a tribute to the local climber and Eldred valley pioneer Colin Dionne, who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in 2011.

 

Giant tarp at the Eldred Valley climber's camp

 Teresa and I opted to climb the trade route, Schizophrenia (III, 5.10-), a 12 pitch, 2000 foot route up Psyche slab. The route featured mixed protection, some interesting cracks, tricky friction climbing and a thought provoking crux on P2. I led all the pitches, and we had the entire route to ourselves. Amazing

Psyched to be on Psyche slab!

 

Long pitches of friction climbing

Teresa tops out on Psyche slab

We spent the last few days in Powell River climbing some more at Higgyland, hiking and doing a but of trail running. I packed up and headed to Vancouver to meet up with Kevin, Paul and Susan -- time to head into the Bugaboos for a while...... Trip report on the way!

Big Sleep - Gumby's Adventure

With my summer teaching ending, and my year long sabbatical officially starting, I was eager to get out and celebrate with some rock climbing! Teresa and I both love Big Sleep, a 1000' tall slab up on Shuteye Ridge

Big Sleep!

 I have climbed Big Sleep a bunch of times, usually by the trade routes - Afternoon Nap (II, 5.6) or Moonlight Madness (II, 5.8), this time we decided to try a different route, Gumby's Adventure on the Crystal Highway (II, 5.9 R). The route followed a dike and vein of quartz up the big slab. The route was pretty run-out on the slab, with 50-80 run-outs between bolts, but the climbing was very easy.

Teresa coming up the crystal highway

I'm psyched to be back on Big Sleep

Because the route was so run-out I actually missed a belay station, blow right by it, and ended up having to belay on a single bolt after simul-climbing a bit (oops!)
Teresa had a great time and even took the sharp end on one of the run-out pitches. Go Bunner!

Teresa on the sharp end

The crux pitch went up a flake on the head-wall. It was rated 5.9, but felt a bit easier. The flake was a bit spooky, I placed gear but I'm not sure if the flake would have stayed on if I blow it! After that it was run-outs on a sea of knobs. Fun times!

Crux. Flake is off to the right and merges into the runnel above.

We topped out and rapped down Afternoon Nap. What a great way to start my sabbatical and a god warm up for our 3 week trip to BC

Top out!