Skaha Provincial Park.
Rolf Ryback, a regional Director for the Climbers Access Society of BC, has started a fundraising to purchase security camera’s for the parking lot in Skaha Provincial Park. For those not aware of the theft issue at the park, please see the following links:
Arco, Italy.
The town of Arco in Italy will play host to the 2015 IFSC World Youth Championships starting on the 28th and lasting throughout the week, with finals taking place on Sept. 6th, 2015. For those who have never been to Arco, the town itself is dedicated to climbing, with a ‘Rock Masters’ countdown clock in the center of town. The streets are lined with flagship shops of all the major climbing brands and climbing gear is as cheap as it gets in Europe. And the coffee, did I mention the coffee?!
We are pleased to announce that Jamie Finlayson sent Silent Menace aka Smell the Glove (5.14c) yesterday. Jamie had been working the route along with Dreamcatcher throughout the summer despite some very hot weather. Here is Jamie’s instagram post after the send.
According to a post on squamishclimbing.com, there has been recent increase in theft at parking lots near the highway. Tami Knight, of long-time Squamish fame, reported that her adult son was climbing at Starchek and finished the route to find his truck stolen along with its contents, including a full set of cams and their travel documents. They have since recovered the truck but not the contents. For those using parking lots close to the highway, make sure none of your stuff can be seen and take your important belongings with you. If you do happen to see a set of cams being sold on the internet, be sure to contact the appropriate authorities, as buying such items perpetuates the cycle.
If you have missed the last few installments of Jeremy Blumel’s bi-monthly column in The Squamish Chief, then here is your chance to redeem yourself.
Squamish Chief up in smoke. Photo by Tim Schaufele ©
A branch cracked and I whirled around, causing a moment of dizziness. My eyes focused on a putrid hand extending toward me, clutching. My training ingrained as instinct, I made short work of him, my adversary. But not for long; he is part of the undead brigade, swelling in ranks and threatening to unseat us, the living.
My bag packed and nourishment consumed, I quietly slipped out of the silent house into the eerie light of a bottle brown and green pre-dawn and onto my steed. Gliding through the silent streets, I scanned for movement in the shadows of the tell-tale scraping, rasping and rusted hinge-like pantomime which signal The Brigade. You just can’t relax now, in this new time where the living fight for their right just to live. I pulled into the gravel lot off the highway switching my lights off quickly to leave me in darkness. I gazed up at the Stawamus Chief in the warm sickening gloom, land marking the Apron, Pan Wall, Prow Wall and Sheriff’s Badge. My phone said 4:57 a.m. as a truck rolled to a stop beside me. I hitched my steed, threw my pack into the truck bed and climbed in.
The IFSC Lead World Cup is currently taking place in Stavanger, Norway. It is the first time that Norway has hosted an IFSC event and it will surely be one not to miss. The qualification round for the event has already been completed. Although not as many Canadian athletes as other stops on the tour, Nathan Smith, Elan Jonas-McRae, and Sean McColl have made the trek on the Men’s side and Julia Massulo on the Women’s side. Out of this group, Sean McColl has made it to the next round but a valiant effort from our other athletes.
Here are the results from the qualification round.
Here are few words from Will Stanhope on his free ascent of the Tom Egan Memorial Route via The Bird @ Arc’teryx
I first visited the Bugaboos in 2008 with under-the-radar alpine climbing legend Chris Brazeau. Upon arriving at Applebee Dome Campground, I was awestruck by the place: a cirque of mint granite spires poking out of the glacier. The next day, we hiked up to attempt a route called ‘The Power of Lard’, on the right side of the East Face of Snowpatch Spire. On the way over, I spied a singular crack line splitting the most gorgeous diamond shaped chunk of granite I’d ever seen. “What’s THAT???” I remember asking Chris.
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Will Stanhope pitch 2 of the headwall ‘Blood on the Crack’. Photo by Tim Kemple ©
We are pleased to announce that Will Stanhope completed a four year project yesterday in the Bugaboos. A close source indicated that the thin faced headwall finally went free yesterday at solid 5.14. Will had been working the route with his good friend Matt Segal for the last four summer seasons. According to Will, the pair has spent well over 100 days on the wall trying to free it.
Snowpatch Spire, Bugaboos. Photo by Sam Jones ©
We are super psyched to have another training article by Tyler Thompson. Tyler is an ACE certified personal trainer, climbing bum and movement enthusiast based out of Vancouver, Canada. He recently launched his own website and can be found at thompsonfitness.ca
What’s the deal with climbers and their fear of developing giant legs? Anytime I bring up the idea of specifically training the legs, climbers get all uppity and say things like, “I don’t want big heavy legs” or “I’d rather spend my time getting better at climbing.” My personal favorite has to be using running and/or cycling as an excuse not to develop their lower body any further. In this article, I am hoping to answer a few questions regarding a progressive lower body strengthening program and highlighting a few points on the positive effect this will have on your climbing performance.
Peter Winter / Leavenworth WA / Grand Wall Boulders / 25 V4 Circuit / Home Campus Board
Hope BC / Jeremy Smith / Scrub your Face / Godman Creek / Ring Workouts / Wiretap