First Aid - Squamish's Big Walls

Squamish's Big Walls by Matt Telfer

Over the past few years, big-walling has seen a resurgence of interest, with a new generation inspired by cover shots of Yosemite's golden granite. Many realise that this is just a façade for aching hands and dehydration, but a few will get as far as driving into the Valley for the first time, necks craning to see El Cap's top. But Yosemite is just not a good place to learn how to bag that first grade VI - the 'beginner's walls' all have a permanent stream of wall-virgins, often of such frightening incompetence that they start to make you feel better. Joining in this fray, it is hard not to become irritated - waiting days to get on a route, and then frequently waiting hours at each belay. Or worse, it's you that's hanging everyone else up, and the party behind you is cursing and snapping at your belayer. If only there was somewhere like Yosemite; but laid-back, free of Ranger-hassles and Valley egos…

Squamish lies 45 minutes North of Vancouver on Canada's West Coast, a town built on logging and now waking to its potential for adventurous tourism. The town lies at the head of Howe Sound, a broad tree-lined and windsurfer-filled fjord; and presiding over all is Squamish Chief, a monolithic 650m granite whaleback. Surrounded by a skirt of slabs, the Chief offers free routes from single-pitch to the monstrous 'Grand Wall', a 17-pitch, 3-star 5.11a (E4 6a). But the varied walls also offer 30 or more aid routes, from suitable first outings to expanding horror shows. Now throw in hundreds of quality cragging routes; bouldering so good that some visitors never tie in; a friendly street of coffee shops, bars, and everything else you might need; easy cheap, camping options… and you have a great warm-up for Yosemite.

The Walls.
Cannabis Wall (IV, A2, 5 pitches).
Described in the guide as 'a great first wall', you may well disagree as you stand below the long slabby first pitch. When I realised that the first placement off the ground was a hook, it dawned on me that we would still have to work to get our tick. Now if you weren't warned, the next section could well send you fleeing back to the doughnut-shop - yep, those arching flakes above your head are expanding. Plug in a nice, solid-looking Friend 3, sit on it, and the world starts to creak like a sarcophagus door. The Friend flexes, skitters and reseats. Move steadily now, equalise two pieces if need be, and a shiny bolt above as a reward. Clip, relax, and feel gnarly at having survived your first 'expando' flake. Skip up the easy angled rivets and bolts above to a final hook move, and then lean back on the anchors and worry that the next pitch is the crux. And that first pitch wasn't even graded! But don't fret, it's much more straightforward, just a few awkward wires, some easy hook moves.
The route goes on for a total of 5 pitches, though the fifth is of noticeably poorer quality and many people don't bother. Descent is usually via abseil, though if you are driven to top out and claim a Grade V, the very worrying 4-pitch Breakfast Run (A4) or rarely-travelled Crescent Ramp (5.9 A1) offer possibilities. And the route's name? Well, rumour has it that, on topping out, the first ascent team found a large bag of grass stashed on the ledge. Whether this forced another bivouac or not is left unrecorded.