Showing posts with label squamish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squamish. Show all posts

Friday, June 24, 2016

All time in the Tantalus Range

Tantalized.
Photo: Vince Shuley
When things line up and become all time…

It was Tuesday night on March 22 at 8pm when the other partners cancelled. Anna Segal hesitated on our heli booking. I was at the Whistler Museum giving a presentation on 'Group Dynamics.' My text to Anna read, "I'm still in." Within ten minutes two women, Julie Cossette and Catherine Henry, were recruited from the audience and our group into the Tantalus Range was back on track.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Squamish Mountain Life

A hot, hazy summer transitioned into a glorious fall in Western B.C., and this past season provided ample opportunity to complete my research into Squamish's best hiking and scrambling destinations. I logged many kilometres in hiking boots this summer, gave my suite of Mammut backpacks a full workout, and found myself in some new and beautiful locations, once again proving that Squamish is much more than simply a world-class rock climbing destination.

I hope you enjoy the pictures, all of which were taken within a 30-km radius of town.

Howe Sound from the west ridge of Deeks Peak

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Mixed Bag: Alpine Climbing in the Tantalus Range

Ross Berg and client climb in the Tantalus Range. Photo by Ross Berg.
It was 10:37pm on a Thursday, August 21st and I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth when I received a text from Bram. "Hey, rather last minute but a friend is flying a client to Tantalus on Saturday. One more spot in heli - $215." I responded, "YES" and scrambled to find someone to cover my weekend shifts at work. I couldn't say 'no' to the Tantalus Range…

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Mountain Lake Alpine - Squamish, BC

With the opening of the new Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, alpine adventures have suddenly become far more accessible. However, with improved access comes increased traffic and Sky Pilot, the prominent alpine peak just south of town, has likely seen more ascents this year than in the last 10 combined. Looking to escape the crowds and the summer heat in the valley, we decided to check out Mountain Lake, a beautiful yet tough-to-access zone on the south side of Sky Pilot, far from the burger-eating crowds at the top of the gondola.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Flannery invades Squamish.

An inspiring friend on an inspiring thing
I like Squamish, BC a lot. This isn't the first time I've said it, and it won't be the last. I've spent 3+ months there in 3 years, and though I wasn't climbing every minute of every day, that's a lot of bouldering. But all that time doesn't stop me from feeling like I never want to climb there again at least once per trip. Squamish has the steepest learning curve of any area I've ever been to. Every time I return to the forest, I need at least a week (sometimes more) to get reacquainted with the style. Last year it was so bad I (and others)[1] refused to take rest days, lest we lose the knack. It seems that even the locals need a couple days to remember how to do it right.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Squamish Hiking

In between climbing projects this spring, I started researching a new hiking guide to Squamish. This has turned out to be a fantastic opportunity to explore the wilderness around Squamish, which is vast. I've lived here for over 20 years, but am seeing places I've never eyed before. I've got many hikes left to do, but hope to have the book ready for 2014.

Boardwalk in Crumpit Woods