Tielma Productions: July 2010

Supervalue

Accessible to all, The Car Park Crags at the Smoke Bluffs provide some exciting climbing with a reasonable approach, if say, you were to give trad a chance... Toby Foord-Kelcey on Supervalue 5.10c, Smoke Bluffs, Squamish.

Power Windows

I have never climbed anything so slabby. The crack is good, the start of the traverse interesting and then you get to the arête... where there's not a single crystal. It's palms backwards friction climbing, absolutely dreadful. Rob Wall gliding up Power Windows 5.11b/c, Smoke Bluffs, Squamish.

To say or not to say...

"Next time, don't clip the daisy chain into the lower piece when trying to clean your pro mid route. No sense breaking your back if you fall." Penny Lane is a trade route and sees a lot of traffic and probably some it shouldn't. So what do you do when you see someone climbing do something really stupid? Like risking a factor two fall on a daisy chain? Climbing recently published an article on just this topic; I figure it's better to say something than just observe. Maybe, something is learned or at least you can walk away with a clear conscience.

A bit of perspective on what Kevin McLane describes as "The classic Smoke Bluff crack"; an unknown climber cruising the 35 meter Penny Lane 5.9, Smoke Bluffs, Squamish.

Decision time.

"So, what should we climb next?"

Penny Lane

Sometimes you've got to adapt, I'm not especially adept at jamming, but at this angle you do what you have to do, even if that involves getting your knee above your shoulder. It's not an angle you'd want to fall on... I had no idea I was that flexible. Shawn Boye cruising Penny Lane 5.9, Smoke Bluffs, Squamish.

Neat and Cool

Some years back a climber died on this route, protecting it, according to the Kevin McLane's guide "requires a level of savvy"; it is considered a Squamish classic, probably because it's one of the few steep cracks at the Smoke Bluffs. I took a moment to shake out and consider just how things could go so wrong... A contemplative Shawn Boye on Neat and Cool 5.10a, Smoke Bluffs, Squamish.

Burning Down The Couch

Bolting is one of those things that always leads to plenty of discussions. Over the years I've heard several a Swedish climber weigh in on sparsely bolted routes; all I can suggest is that they check out "The Pet". It's a big, water polished wall, traditionally bolted providing the possibility for solid airtime and here, no time is lost in removing any modifications that might alter the character of a climb. An unknown climber on the classic Burning Down The Couch 5.11d, Petrifying Wall, Murin Park, Squamish.

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