We are very psyched to release this pdf guidebook of Arrow Lakes in Robson, BC put out by Allen Rollin. Here is a little note from Allen in the guidebook to give you a little background.
‘Tomahawk’ V7+. Photo courtesy of Allen Rollin ©
With virtually unlimited potential, lakeside camping, sunshine, 8-9 month seasons, short approaches, high quality rock, tons of problems of all grades, aesthetic lines and no crowds, why would you ever want to Boulder at Arrow Lakes?
Conor Hull on Where the Wild Things Are (v6). Photo courtesy of Allen Rollin ©
Well let me put it this way, it’s been 3 years since the surge of development in the area and it just keeps giving and getting better every day! This guide has been put together to try and share the wealth of climbing that has so far been developed, start documenting the existing problems, hopefully get people excited, climbing and searching for more.
The areas are spread out along the lake and are all accessed off the same road (Broadwater Rd), that starts in the small town of Robson and eventually turns into a dirt Forest Service Road. Generally the longest you will walk is about 5 minutes (with a few exceptions) and the longest you will drive is 10 minutes. The rock is clean for the most part and there is starting to become trails to the most popular areas. The unique part of climbing at Arrow Lakes is that you can climb at one area with a particular style, drive or bike another 5 minutes and you’re climbing something completely different. The rock is an awesome compact version of Gneiss with lots of features and aesthetic lines. As of Spring 2016 there are 130 problems and due to the untapped nature of the area, there is room for A LOT more. The cliffs above also offer tons of good sport and traditional climbing that are definitely worth bringing your rope and harness along for.
Camping is abundant along the shores (especially during low water in spring and fall) and there is Syringa Provincial Park, which offers a little more amenities and a good base camp for climbing here. The slopes on which most of the climbing is located in super South facing making for a long season and generally dry conditions from somewhere in March until November. There are also lots of opportunities for shady climbing and an easy plunge in the lake to cool off.
Nick climbing ‘MOTHER EARTH’ V5. Photo courtesy of Allen Rollin ©
Special thanks to Allen Rollins for putting together such a great guide and making it available to everyone. Be sure to give him a shout out for his efforts and honour them by taking care of his area when visiting. For more information and some fantastic colour topos of each boulder, please visit Allen’s site.
Here is the Topo for Arrow Lakes
