Day 15

(adapted from Climbing log)
We’ve booked time with Squamish Rock Guides for the a.m. and meet Colin Moorhead at 0800 at the Starbucks. Colin was the guide that Tom recommended as a friend and mentor so we lucked out. I got lost trying to find the Starbucks because there were two and I hadn’t noticed the one right across the street from the hostel. Found it eventually…

After a short drive to Murin Park we walked a short approach to the Sugar Loaf. Colin set up a rope so he could jumar along side while Zak and I simulated a multipitch trad climb. We set up at the base of Magnet, a 5.4 trad and Zak belayed me to the 1/2 way point. I built a trad anchor and then belayed Zak up using an atc guide.

Then Zak lead the 2nd half and built his anchor at the top. He belayed me up and I cleaned and then we rapped down–successfully completing our first ever trad climb–and a multipitch at that!

We called it a day and headed to Shannon Falls for a bit and then ran into Colin again at the gear shop where I picked up a few cams, runners and biners.

Hanging and hiking at Shannon falls

After that we headed out to explore some more and eventually found the spit that all the kiteboarders worked off of. It’s a pretty cool place and Squamish is supposed to have some of the best windsurfing adn kiteboarding in the world.

That night Zak and I opted for some more male bonding and watched the 40 year old Virgin. Funny, often inappropriate, but funny…