Home - Destinations - iPhone/Android - Gyms - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New
 ADVANCED
The Chief
Offset Master Cam - #12

$59.95 20% off

$47.96

at CampSaver

3    more...
Mammut Zephir

$99.95 35% off

$63.99

at Moosejaw

149    more...
Patagonia Men's Mixed Guide Hoody

$299.00 29% off

$209.30

at Patagonia

162    more...
Tracer Helmet

$89.95 33% off

$59.95

at WildernessX

228    more...
Force

$129.00 30% off

$89.95

at WildernessX

96    more...
Metolius Belay Glove

$39.95 25% off

$29.94

at E-OMC

12    more...
Patagonia Men's Interlodge Down Jacket

$599.00 30% off

$419.30

at Patagonia

26    more...
CAMP USA - Cassin Turbo Stream Ice Screw

$99.95 49% off

$49.98

at DeptOfGoods

161    more...
Red Chili - Sausalito Lace Impact

$98.95 24% off

$74.99

at GearX

24    more...
Giro Rift Bike Helmet

$54.99 30% off

$38.49

at AlsSports

54    more...
 more Dirtbag Deals

Select Area...
Apron Boulders 
Apron, The 
Bulletheads, The 
Cirque of the Uncrackables 
Deputy Wall 
Dihedrals, The 
Echelon Wall 
Grand Wall Area 
Grand Wall Base Area 
Grand Wall Boulders 
High Line Wall 
North Walls, The 
Penthouse, The 
Prow Wall, The 
Raven's Castle, The 
Sheriff's Badge, The 
Solarium, The 
South Gully 
Squamish Buttress 
Tantalus Wall 


Browse this area on a map

The Chief 


Photos: Recent | Best | Popular
Elevation: 2,303'
Lat, Long: 49.6867, -123.135 Map
Page Views: 535,334. Good page?   
Administrators: Kristine Hoffman, Peter Spindloe, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Jesse James on Mar 13, 2006

Make this area a Favorite
What's New
 Printer View

Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event 

Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Rain
64° | 54°
Rain
57° | 52°
Chance of Rain
64° | 55°
Mostly Cloudy
73° | 54°
Chance of Rain
72° | 54°

BETA PHOTO: Panoramic shot of the Chief from the top of the Ma...

Description 

The chief is the giant dome that can be seen from just about anywhere in Squamish. Routes can be incredibly varied from runout slabs to spliter cracks to bolted face climbs.


Getting There 

Take the sea to sky highway north from vancouver to the parking lot on the right side just before the town of squamish.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Chief:
Diedre   5.8     Trad, 6 pitches, Grade II   The Apron
St. Vitus' Dance   5.9     Trad, 5 pitches, 600 feet   The Apron
Snake   5.9     Trad, 5 pitches, Grade II   The Apron
Rock On   5.10a     Trad, 5 pitches, 400 feet, Grade II   The Apron
Seasoned in the Sun   5.10b     Trad, 1 pitch, 95 feet   Grand Wall Base Area
Apron Strings   5.10b     Trad, 2 pitches, 300 feet   Grand Wall Base Area
Angel's Crest   5.10b     Trad, 13 pitches, Grade IV   The Sheriff's Badge
Sunblessed   5.10c PG13     Trad, 3 pitches, 300 feet   The Solarium
Exasperator   5.10c     Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet   Grand Wall Base Area
Cruel Shoes   5.10d     Trad, 6 pitches, 600 feet   Grand Wall Area
The Grand Wall   5.11a A0     Trad, Aid, 9 pitches, 1000 feet, Grade III   Grand Wall Area
High Plains Drifter   5.11c     Trad, 2 pitches, 200 feet   The Sheriff's Badge
High Plains Drifter   5.11c     Trad, 3 pitches, 250 feet, Grade IV   The North Walls
Freeway   5.11c     Trad, 11 pitches   The Dihedrals
Alaska Highway   5.11c/d     Trad, 5 pitches, 550 feet, Grade III   The North Walls
University Wall   5.12-     Trad, 8 pitches, 900 feet, Grade IV   Grand Wall Area
Men Holding Hands   5.12c PG13     Trad, 9 pitches, 1000 feet, Grade IV   The Dihedrals
Gravity Bong   5.13a     Trad, 600 feet, Grade IV   The Prow Wall
North Star   5.13b     Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet   The North Walls
Cobra Crack   5.14     Trad, 120 feet   Cirque of the Uncrackables
Browse More Classics in The Chief

Featured Route For The Chief
pitch 2

Mercy Street 5.10b  International : Canada : ... : South Gully
A two pitch crack that unfortunately seeps water except for after extended dry weather. The second pitch is a classic lieback dihedral comparable to the Split Pillar on the Grand Wall. This route is in the Kevin Mclane book but not in the Squamish Select book....[more]   Browse More Classics in International


Photos of The Chief Slideshow Add Photo
This picture, taken from the side of Hwy. 99, a few hundred feet south of the main parking lot, shows most of the Chief's east facing walls. This picture doesn't do the size of the formation justice. <br /> <br />From left to right: <br /> <br />At the far left of the photo you can just see the top of the Apron (six pitches up, to give you a sense of scale). <br /> <br />Then there's the University Wall and Grand Wall areas. The Black Dyke is visible going through the big roofs. <br /> <br />The Dihedrals area is the darker section in the middle. Up and right from the Dihedrals you can see the Tantalus wall. <br /> <br />Finally, the Bulletheads are on the far right.

BETA PHOTO: This picture, taken from the side of Hwy. 99, a fe...

Looking southwest from the Center Summit of the Chief you can see the South Summit, Howe Sound and Hwy 99.

Looking southwest from the Center Summit of the Ch...

the Chief as seen from Smoke Bluffs

the Chief as seen from Smoke Bluffs

Climbers on the Chief. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Climbers on the Chief.
Photo by Blitzo.

The Chief from the North (taken from hospital parking lot)

The Chief from the North (taken from hospital park...

Also from the north gully, I think. This may be where the BASE jumpers launch from, but I'm not sure.

Also from the north gully, I think. This may be w...

Looking north from the top of the North Gully. Garibaldi Peak dominates the skyline. The slabs on the right side are the "northern flanks" of the Sqaw. They are up and left of the main climbing found on the Sqaw. Word has it that there has been some exploration and development there lately...

BETA PHOTO: Looking north from the top of the North Gully. Ga...

One of the sections of ladder and chains leading to the South Summit. As a climber you aren't likely to need these, or even encounter them on a climbing day unless you climb on the Raven's Castle. Even the routes that take you high up on the Grand Wall like The Roman Chimneys allow you to traverse off below the summit where these are encountered. For taking non-climbers for a fun hike, however, these features give them a feel of adventure not found on most hikes.

BETA PHOTO: One of the sections of ladder and chains leading t...

A stitched together panoramic of the north walls of the Chief taken from the loop trail in the Smoke Bluffs just above the far right side of Ronin's Corner. <br /> <br />Angel's Crest runs up the edge visible in the middle of the image, just left of the Sheriff's Badge.

A stitched together panoramic of the north walls o...

The Chief from the windsurfing area

The Chief from the windsurfing area