Article featured in Gripped Magazine, August 2004 issue.

Squamish New Long Free Routes
Matt Maddaloni

A brief history
The highway to Squamish opened in 1958 turning the Chief into an accessible playground for people from Vancouver and beyond. Climbers began climbing first ascents - the North Gulley in 1957, the Squamish Buttress in 1959 and then the epic 40-day siege of the Grand Wall in 1961. The ‘60s to the end of the ‘70s long routes on the Chief were climbed where the only goal was reaching the top and little concern was given to style. Pitons and hammers were as essential as rock shoes but by the end of the ‘70s, most of the classic lines had been climbed and a new trend began when Robin Barley cleaned St. Vitus Dance (1974) on rappel. Once accepted, this technique of cleaning new routes started the golden era of free climbing. New areas emerged from the moss like the Smoke Bluffs, Petrifying Wall and popular routes at the base of the Grand. The ‘80s came and climbers surged into Squamish creating the now bustling community that attracts climbers from the world over.

With an ever-increasing number of people putting up new routes, classic moderate routes have become harder and harder to find. Still, there is a huge untapped resource in Squamish on the vast big walls of the Chief but only a handful of experienced climbers explored these opportunities. In 1975 Eric Weinstein freed the Split Pillar on the Grand Wall opening the possibilities of what was possible opening the doors for Peter Croft, Perry Beckham, Hamish Fraser, Dean Hart and Randy Atkinson to begin connecting the dots on past aid routes. They individually finished off freeing all of the Grand Wall, then moved to University Wall, Rock On, Movin’ to Montana, Alaska Highway, Dancing in the Light, Cerberus and finally the most obvious example of a new age long free route - Freeway (1990). By 1995, the climbers of the golden era slowed their activity to one new long route a year, traveling globally to test their skills on the world’s great peaks or settling down with mortgages and families.

Climbing evolved. Sport climbing and then bouldering flourished keeping climbers nearer to the ground. Aid climbing the Big Walls had all but ceased. Eventually a few motivated climbers arrived in Squamish learning the tricks of the trade - Andrew Boyd and myself from Victoria, Bruce Stover, Colin Moorhead, Damien Kelly and the cleaning machine Kris Wild. Not fitting in with the new waves of climbing, we looked up at the isolated walls with an adventurous eye. Quickly repeating most of the long aid and free routes we picked up rigging techniques from fixing ropes and living high off the ground. Most of us started our climbing careers from the new schools of sport climbing, indoor plastic walls and bouldering. Starting as strong and talented free climbers it was only fate that we would use our new skills to establish our own big wall free climbs in Squamish.

The Climbs -
Ultimate Everything 5.11b, 10 pitches (2001)
Gaining instant popularity by cleaning the overgrown Peasants Route and Calculus Crack, Kris Wild moved on to new ground with his Ultimate Everything taking advantage of the vast potential below the second summit. Wild, along with Bruce Stover and Meagan Humphrey climbed the entire route in a day, sans the last three pitches, using an abundance of natural protection and treed belay ledges for speed. A multi pitch designed for everyone, the meandering moderate climbing on Ultimate Everything sees line-ups on any given day during the summer. When I asked Wild about his motivation to take on the daunting task of cleaning Ultimate Everything he replied that spending days alone “gardening” was meditative and rejuvenating and that some of those long days were his most fulfilling as a climber. He described with delight his use of pliers and little bendable saws and his favorite tool - the ice axe - to really work out the hard stuff. Knowing that most people would find the work tedious and that those who thrive on it are “weird freaks” as his girlfriend often suggests, was a challenge particular to those with the dedication and passion only few others can understand. This is especially prevalent after attempting to put up routes and only getting 5 feet before realizing the immense job facing them. Although Wild maintained that it all paid off when climbers lined up for his personally crafted adventure and came back to the pub brimming with excitement and full of stories.

Millennium Falcon 5.11a, 14 pitches (2003)
Since a basic element of art is line it is understandable that new routing can be described as artistic expression. Climbers have used every technique to define it ranging from run-outs above dicey trad placements to a bolt strategically placed at the crux so a leader could pull through. This becomes apparent on the 5.11a foot rail dyke section of Gold Medal Ribbon where Colin Moorhead opted for a bolt after the crux. Kris Wild’s newest route, Millennium Falcon, reaches Gold Medal Ribbon after 13 pitches of climbing. He describes the route as being designed to be user friendly in hopes to make it more popular so that each ascent becomes preventative cleaning maintenance on all of his hard work. A climber reaching Gold Medal Ribbon after an exhausting 500-meters will immediately feel the change in style and need to dig deep to send the move to reach the top or rappel down two pitches to an escape ledge. Wild feels that if he had discovered the final pitch first he would have approached it differently but commends Moorhead’s bold style. In the end, Millennium Falcon, is Kris Wild’s pride and joy -incorporating the perfect grade of high 5.10, low 5.11 traditional climbing to the top of the Chief matching the popular Grand Wall route in style and difficulty.

Warriors of the Wasteland 5.12c, 8 pitches (2000)
The most adventurous approach to first ascents is climbing from the ground up, a style that promotes long run outs, makes the most of natural protection and generally keeps a first ascensionist honest. Routes put up in this fashion are a bold legacy to climbing history leaving behind an ethic to uphold and aspire to. In 1998, British climber Alain Gordon-Seymour envisioned an entirely new 8-pitch free route in the Western Dihedrals. The classic route, Freeway, had been the last addition here for the past 10 years partly due to overgrown corners on the lower 100-meters of the sweeping 350-meter wall presenting a major obstacle to new routing. Over three years, Alain slowly excavated his way up three pitches before his visa expired and he headed home. Inspired by Alan’s bold style, I continued the route to the summit with the help of Ben DeMenech and friends. We had many adventurous outings during the summer of 2000 the first of which was discovering “the jackpot” with a 45-meter straight in, 5.12a finger crack. Climbers repeat the route for this one pitch alone. Unfortunately the crack abruptly ends and I was faced an 8-hour epic of drilling on lead before I could climb the 5.12c face. DeMenech thought the unlikely sequence of holds appeared invisible from below and came up with the name, “The Invisible Jet” after Wonder Woman’s personal aircraft. The final challenge of the climb lay on the headwall 300-meters up. Ben almost pitched off backwards, several times, while trying to get a bolt in the delicate 5.11 face. Running out the crux with ledge fall potential, he made it to a stance and fired in a bolt. Above, lay a fearsome overhanging dihedral requiring as much endurance a climber could muster and every move in the book. 40-meters later an extremely pumped DeMenech was smearing in a stem position and was about to make the anchor when a lose hold blew him off into space and he lost the on-sight. This pitch quickly received the nickname "The Benduro" after his colossal fight. On summit day, we were happy that we spent the time to climb ground up; knowing the adventures we had would be with us forever.

Planet Caravan 5.12 A0 (2002)
Bruce Stover's, Planet Caravan is the second new route in the western dihedrals that explores the old aid line illusion and finishes up the rarely climbed Clean Corner off width. An incredibly fun adventure, the route plays with the abundance of face holds among corner cracks on an exposed wall. Its big brother Supernaut, a 2 pitch variation - also put up by Stover, sports a "Shadow" like stemming corner to a long straight in finger crack with a powerful tips crux. On scoping the route via binoculars Stover discovered a huge flake that seemed to be floating on a ledge. With flagging tap marking off every possible trail and radio communication with climbers watching for people below, Stover pulled off the column with only a finger. Exhilarated by the blast and awe of the moment, he could be heard yelling all the way to the parking lot below.

The Black Dyke 5.13b, 11 pitches (2002)
A fearsome aid climb in its day, the Black Dyke still offers steep, loose and runout climbing but as a sport route. Now free, it has everything from horizontal starfish chimneying, campus power moves to endurance jugs. For 10 years the Black Dyke was scarred by a failed free attempt, left neither as an aid climb nor a free climb. Working every pitch out on top rope during the summer of 2002, I was able to ensure that every pitch went free before bolting them and changing the route forever. In the end the route needed only 25 quick draws to climb its 11 pitches, a first of its kind on the Chief. It is also good to note that the cruxes can be pulled through and a 5.11+ climber should be able to survive the route to the top.

Fortress of Solitude 5.12b, 6 pitches (2001)
The Daily Planet, first freed by Perry Beckham in 1982 as an attempt to free the most intimidating wall on the Chief, The Sheriff’s Badge, stretches for four pitches and abruptly ends just below the impenetrable roofs midway at 300-meters. Peter Croft, Hamish Fraser and Greg Foweraker climbed the first free ascent of University Wall the same year that Perry worked out Daily Planet. 20 years later the U-Wall crew hooked up for the second time to lay revenge on the intimidating rock scar. From the top of the second pitch of Daily Planet they pushed a new line far out left, reaching easier ground and bypassing the first blank roof system. They then traversed back over the same roof climbing runout rock with colossal air under their feet and a 30-foot ceiling blocking the way above. Only 3 pitches remained to Sasquatch ledge but Hamish had injured his leg and Greg was called away on other business. Peter called on the services of Dave Humphreys and together they headed back up for a final push. Jugging to their high point they climbed quickly through the last roof via a spectacular 5.11b flake straight out the ceiling. A fine day with amazing climbing they yelled out for joy to the ancient rainforest below. Three hours before dark, Peter asked Dave what he’d like to do, Dave replied “Go on of course!” Drilling while on lead Peter finished the last 150-meters before dark, climbing some of the routes most technical and difficult pitches as the sun was setting over the Sound.

Yukon Gold 5.12c A0, 6 pitches (2003)
Astro Ledge on the Zodiac Wall is quoted by the late Ben DeMenech as “being the home of the climbing gods of radness” and that anyone worthy enough to climb there needs to pass the test of The Alaska Highway with it’s five pitches of gut wrenching overhanging flaring corners. Most parties who reach Astro Ledge for their first time will gladly take the easy rappel line down and crawl into bed. But for those with enough energy and drive will be rewarded with some of Squamish's most stunning crack lines which await repeats and first ascents. Staring over from the well-traveled Angel’s Crest, Mateo Antonelli and myself dreamed of a new line to connect into a spectacular white pillar near the upper ramparts of the Zodiac. Six days of climbing ground up while living solely on Astro Ledge brought us to the top. Along the way I on-sighted our “White Pillar of Splendor” a 5.11a off-width needing two #4 Camalots and one #5 for it's first free ascent. Probably the most miraculous and esthetic pitch I’ve ever climbed in Squamish feeling like first tracks on a pristine mountain slope, the ancient edges of the sharp pillar crumbled under my laybacking palms. Yukon Gold can be climbed at 5.11a with 5 points of aid off fixed pins on the second pitch. Overall an easier climb then The Calling. So if you find yourself on Astro Ledge after passing the test on Alaska Highway, give Yukon Gold a shot and climb some of the most stunning granite in Squamish.

The Midnight Run 5.12a, 6 pitches (2003)
Andrew Boyd, known for his ascent of “69” Canada’s hardest crack at 5.13c has added several new long routes to the Chief with Tall Skinny People, War of the Raptors and The Opal. Recently he teamed up with Squamish local Damien Kelly for a new line on Tantalus Wall. The Midnight Run starts off with the newly popular Rock Loggers to Milk Run link up and then finishes up parts of the aid line Breakfast Run with 5 entirely new pitches. The climb, completed during the summer of 2003, gave Damien Kelly a close call when on a lead attempt of the sixth pitch he fell 15-meters from the thin finger-jamming crux. A d-carabiner had broken from jamming wrong in a piton at his feet, sending him tumbling through space. Colin Moorhead and myself climbed the second ascent on-sight later that summer. Starring at the crux piton that caused Damien’s flight I tied a sling directly through it and apprehensively climbed on above, all too aware of its history. Colin led the next pitch and discovered a move we’ve both never seen before on rock. After the forearm smearing undercling traverse he reached up to the next horizontal overlap and buried both fists directly overhead. Hanging from his fists he pulled his legs over the lip and switched to an undercling in one swift and terror filled move. Again on the second to last pitch I found myself in an odd spot. My knees had connected with my elbows creating a kind of body rest. We gave our new move a name, “The Rodin Rest” After Auguste Rodin’s Thinking Man statue. In a spectacular effort Colin on-sighted the last pitch - a fearsome thin crack that had never before been nailed. Colin and I had spent enough energy putting up our own new routes in Squamish that it was a gift to walk up to a route we’ve never seen and attempt an on-sight without having to spend the usual weeks necessary to clean and prepare it. Great work guys!