A little Patagonia flick featuring Mayan Smith-Gobat and Ines Papert summitting Torres Central, in Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia/Chile, via the east face. Part 2 came out yesterday so it is first followed by part 1.

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We may have missed this one a while back but any footage of Yuji climbing and Verdon is a must watch if you are not a frequent visitor of Epic TV!

Nice little video edit featuring Matt Johnson and Kaleb Thomas at Climb Base5 doing what they do best. This film was shot and edited by Nina Laflamme.

We are pleased to announce that Vancouver local Matt Johnson made a quick ascent of Frontside (v12) this weekend. Matt fell on his flash attempt of the problem and then sent second go from the bottom after reworking his posture on the crux move. Always psyched to climb outside, Matt has suffered from a number of finger injuries which have plagued him in the past which has held him back from giving it his all in the boulders. Congratulations Matt!

Matt Johnson on Frontside. Photo courtesy of Catherine Brent ©

We are very psyched to announce that the video of Ben Harnden on Family Man (5.14b) in Skaha, BC is hot off the press! The video was filmed and cut by Local Photographer Thomas Burden. Stay tuned for more action at Squamish Climbing Magazine.

The Stawamus Chief Provincial Park announced today that they will be moving to a reservation and guided tour system for the upcoming 2016 climbing season in Squamish, BC. Park officials have adopted the ‘Hueco Tanks’ system in order to reduce boulderers in the forest due to increased numbers. When asked about the changes, park rangers reported that there has been ‘an increased amount of users who seem to treat the boulders like a first year college dormitory.’

BC Parks officials flew down to El Paso, Texas earlier this year to meet some of the rangers at Hueco Tanks State Park to learn about the system. ‘We had a blast learning how to greet climbers at the gate and making them wait for very long periods of time’ noted one BC Park Liaison ‘The rangers seemed to really understand where climbers were coming from.’

The new system will be implemented this year, limiting boulderers in the park to 50 users a day. The reservation system had not been completely worked out at the time of writing, but one official indicated that there will be a website dedicated to reservations that will be ‘extremely frustrating’ and may ‘incite rage and negative feelings’ towards BC Parks.

Although the announcement came out today, it is not too late to petition the pending system. ‘All we have to do is pick up after ourselves, break up into smaller groups, realise that the we are using a public space, and treat the forest like a finite resource that needs to last for generations’ said one climber who would not give his name because he didn’t want to upset anyone.

For those climbers who want to make a difference and stop the proposed system in the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, please find an older climber to teach you how to act in nature, who is preferably British, and doesn’t care about your feelings.

Ohh….and Happy April Fools everyone!

Local climber, teacher and guide Jeremy Blumel asking the big questions about transit and our city via The Squamish Chief.

In Greek mythology, Cerberus is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld. He was often portrayed as being monstrous in size, having three heads, a serpent for a tail and snakes protruding from all over his body. Cerberus’s job is to ensure that the dead cannot leave.

I’m not sure it’s a kind analogy, but the Cerberus traits work as a great critical statement of BC Transit’s business model concerning its use of climbing in their new ad campaign. The Cerberus owned by BC Transit hides behind the guise of a climber, appearing strong, independent, resourceful, bold and self-sufficient. Behind the disguise crouches the Cerberus, its three snarling canine heads making sure that B.C. residents have no other public transit options, a new fare system following its bungled introduction and ever-rising prices. The snakes covering its body and slowly uncoiling as its tail represent Transit’s double-faced nature to give us accessible public transit but only on its own terms. Perhaps I’m reaching a bit – maybe I’m speaking too critically.

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Jamie Finlayson has sent Drive (V12) at Cat Lake. This thin technical problem was originally established by Tim Clifford and climbs the tall face right of the area classic Amazing Direct (V7).

Check out this great video by Jamie featuring this ascent as well as other Cat Lake problems:

We would also like to note that Joseph Wong, a Vancouver-based climber and the director of Climb and Conquor made an ascent of Zombie Roof (5.12d) in the Smoke Bluffs yesterday despite relatively wet conditions. Congratulations Joseph!

Joseph on Zombie Roof (5.12d). Photo courtesy of Darrell Houle ©

Here is an update from Vince Hempsall, one of the directors of the Climber’s Access Society of British Columbia (CASBC), regarding the situation to save the Kinnaird Bluffs in Castlegar, BC.

Kinnaird Bluffs in Castlegar, British Columbia, have been located on private property for the past half century and, although the various owners allowed rock climbing there, access was always tentative. Last November the 17-acre piece of property where the bluffs are located were put on the market and The Association of West Kootenay Rock Climbers, a chapter of CASBC, immediately jumped in with an offer to save the Bluffs from development. The asking price of the property was $57,000.

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Very inspiring video about Black Diamond athletes Joe Kinder, Dan Mirsky and Sam Elias making the commitment to a three month training program. Each of these athletes are inspiring in their own way and each have a story to tell. Definitely worth a watch to get psyched as the good weather moves our way! More video’s below!

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