End of Squamish Season

 

Unfortunately the weather window I was hoping for never came. After waiting out the rain for a week and looking at a bleak forecast, I knew my time in Squamish had come to an end.  Squamish is one of the wettest climbing destinations in the world and after the summer ends dry days become scarce and the forest needs several days to dry out. I know all the moves on World of Hurt now and I’m pretty confident I could climb the boulder which makes leaving all the more frustrating. But that’s how life goes sometimes. Opportunities can slip through the cracks and leave you wishing circumstances had been kinder to you or wishing you had made things happen sooner.

I do have something to come back for which isn’t such a bad thing and I also have some motivation to find some big lines in other areas to push myself on.

I spent just under four months in Squamish which is the longest time I’ve spent anywhere in the last year and a half, and with good reason, in my opinion Squamish is the best bouldering destination in North America.

The rock is some of the best granite I’ve ever touched, the climbing involves very interesting and intricate movement, there is something for everyone here from classic moderates, challenging slabs, and hard highballs. The sheer amount of bouldering here is immense and constantly growing with new areas and blocks being found each year. If you factor in the amenities the town of Squamish has to offer within walking distance to the boulders, as well as world class trad climbing, it’s hard to compare Squamish with anywhere else in North America.  The only major problem Squamish has is the weather, which is to say it rains A LOT. Generally the driest months are July and August. This year was pretty wet in June/July, and dry for August and the first week of September.

Squamish is one of four spectacular areas in my film Western Gold and I can’t wait to share that.  Until then, check out Mike Chapman’s flickr page to see some amazing photos of Squamish.