For those who live in Squamish or are here visiting, please note that there is a Southern BC and District of Squamish fire ban effective today, June 27th, 2015. This included all open campfires in backyards, Provincial Park and private campgrounds, and on Crown or private land within the District of Squamish. All other types of open fires are prohibited including backyard burning or land-clearing burn piles. Burning barrels, fireworks, firecrackers and sky lanterns are also included in this list.

This prohibition does not apply to CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

For all those climbers camping in and around Squamish, including the recreation site of Chekamus Canyon and down Mamquam Service Road in the North Walls, we urge you to be vigilant about the fire ban and sensitivity to open fires in the area. Because of the nature of the forest, fires can burn deep in the ground and can cause incredible damage to our beloved boulders. If you do see someone having an open fire, please have the courage to approach them and ask them to put it out.

Anyone caught violating the open burning prohibition could face a ticket of $345, be required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000. Individuals could also receive a one year jail sentence and be responsible for the firefighting costs if their open fire leads to a wildfire.

Please contact Squamish Fire Rescue at 604.898.9666 for further information. Call 911 to report fire.

It was a tough day for our Canadian athletes today at the IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Haiyang, China.

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Here are the updated changes to the filming schedule. For those interested, here is a link to the production company’s Park Use Permit courtesy of Peter Michaux.

Nice little video featuring Siurana, Spain.

Well, that’s a wrap. The third edition of the Rock the Blocs Boulderfest in Kelowna, BC has come and gone once again. And, there’s no doubt that this years fest was the biggest and best to date. The weather was great, climbers came in droves and the energy in the boulders was infectious.

Photo courtesy of Shane Collins ©

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Great little video from the action last weekend in Kelowna, BC at The Boulderfields.

This article has been changed from its original.

For those of you who have been to the Grand Wall boulders at the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park lately, the forest appears to be in an unnatural state. Ropes, stages, fake boulders and florescent flagging tape line the boulders, as a film crew sets up for a shoot that will take place at the end of the week. When walking through the area, it feels as though the boulders have been invaded without care from BC Parks, who granted access for filming in this location, or the film crew, who has been setting up since last Monday.

To make matters worse, communication between the film crew, BC Parks, and the general public has not been forthcoming about closures to the area and it has lead to a number of altercations between the film crew security and local climbers. BC Parks has not posted any closures in the area yet there has been at least one incident of security for the film telling climbers the area is closed.

Fake cave covering the problem Squaminard. Photo by Squamish Climbing Magazine ©

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Always a treat to read Jeremy Blumel’s bi-monthly column in The Chief Newspaper.

Climbing treads the line between life and death, sport, self-exploration and lifestyle.

After reading Leigh McClurg’s June 4th Squamish Chief story about failure in the mountains, “Turning back: It’s not failure,” I reflected on a recent time when I turned around before the top, failing to reach the summit because of dwindling time on the clock. My bitter-tasting failure soon mellowed into the sweet wine of good judgment and enriching experience.

It was 10:30 a.m. on the day when I came up with the plan to scramble up Mt. Habrich via the West Ridge. In hindsight, this was a bit late, as start times go.

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Here is an update from Andy White on Day 1 of Rock the Blocs Boulderfest in Kelowna, BC

Day one at the Third Annual Rock the Blocs Boulderfest in The Boulderfields is in the books. Once again, the competition day of the event was a resounding success. With over 165 participants, and over 110 competitors, The Fields were abuzz yesterday.

The Rock the Blocs Bouldering Festival was created as a way to showcase the world-class bouldering in The Boulderfields. Yesterday saw participants from Mexico, Austria, Germany, numerous states in the USA, Ontario, and all over Alberta and BC. The vibe in the boulders was electric and the climbing community showed its true cohesiveness. At times, it was easy to forget that a bouldering competition was underway.

Climbers wandering the fields. Photo courtesy of Ava Aslani ©

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