The Zen Garden Main Area Rock Climbing
Elevation: | 545 ft | 166 m |
GPS: |
49.67146, -123.15522 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 1,274 total · 71/month | |
Shared By: | Braden Batsford on Aug 17, 2023 | |
Admins: | Mark Roberts, Kate Lynn, Braden Batsford, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra |
VAN CAMPING / WILD CAMPING
Within District Boundaries
The District of Squamish PROHIBITS camping within the municipal boundary. This includes sleeping in a vehicle anywhere within District boundaries. A bylaw gives the District the power to issue tickets for contraventions.
Camping on urban / residential streets is prohibited under pre-existing bylaws.
The “hot spots” that have been of most concern are below.
· The whole of the Mamquam Forest Service Road under the North Walls of the Chief between the junction with the 99 and junction with the Stawamus/Indian Arm Forest Service Road (as a salmon run and sensitive riparian area, camping close to the Stawamus River is especially inappropriate)
· The Powerhouse Springs Road including the parking area for the Fern Hill cliff
· The dirt road to the kitesurfing “Spit.”
Outside of District Boundaries
If you explore forest roads in crown land outside the municipal boundaries, it may be possible to find discreet roadside sites suitable for tents or van camping. However, the provincial authorities do have some restrictions ;
· Stays are limited to 14 days.
· Campers should follow Leave No Trace principles. HUMAN WASTE is a major issue.
· Strictly observe any current fire bans.
DESIGNATED CAMPGROUNDS
Please see the District of Squamish website for a comprehensive list of designated campgrounds.
Recommended affordable camping:
- At the Chief: Stawamus Chief Provincial Park Campground BC parks site, spots start at $10.00 CAD/person. No reservations.
- 7 minutes north: Mamquam River Campground A non-profit site, spots start at $15.00cad/night for a drive-in site. Reservations recommended, not required.
- 20 minutes north: Chek Canyon Recreation Site A public site; no fees, no reservations and world class sport-climbing. No running water. The road is steep and rough but 4x4 not required
Description
The main, upper area, hosting a majority of the routes and all bouldering.
Like much of Squamish, this area primarily faces west and the best bet for shade will be before mid-afternoon. That said, some of the single pitch routes in the woods are well shaded (including Zen Garden) and if the sun is on the main wall there will still be places to escape it. The majority of the routes dry quite quickly after rain, but during especially wet periods one could assume some areas around Soul Shakedown and Mettle Detector as well as parts of the base routes may suffer from seepage.
Getting There
Option 1 - Climb a base route. Find the black handline in a gully directly above the Shannon Falls viewpoint which leads to the base of both routes. A nice way to get warmed up.
Option 2 (direct and fastest) - Pick up the trail between the viewpoint and the Shannon Springs crag which trends steeply up and left along the base of the cliff. After a few minutes, watch for a gully system with a fixed hand line cutting back to the right. This direct trail is steep and can be wet. Tops out directly above "Open Sesame" and below "Half Lotus". 10-15 min.
Option 3 (longer, but less steep) - Continue along the base of the wall for 10-15 minutes and watch for 3 enormous Douglas Fir trees (hard to miss). slightly past these trees, a ledge system cuts back right under a roof feature. Continuing up from here leads towards the gondola, instead head back down along the top of the cliff you hiked next to and reach the crag in 1-2 minutes. Easiest to go this way with bouldering pads. 20-30 min.
Classic Climbing Routes at The Zen Garden Main Area
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