Cheakamus Canyon Rock Climbing

Halfway between Squamish and Whistler, the Cheakamus Canyon area is a highly concentrated, predominately sport climbing area.

The rock is granite, though it tends to be less grainy and more compact than areas around Squamish, leading to an increase of hard and smooth face climbing and a general lack of splitters. There is a fair amount of overhanging and protected terrain that can allow for rainy day climbing at specific crags.

The area is confusingly named, as the Cheakamus River canyon is west of nearly all of the climbing, though The Gorge is in the canyon proper. For climbers, the name has generally come to refer to all of the areas along a stretch of 99 paralleling the river canyon from the dam down to the Paradise Valley area.

The primary area is Chek, which is encompassed by the Chek Canyon Climbing Site surrounding Mount Chek, a rocky hill just east of highway 99. Rogues Gallery is another cluster just a few minutes drive to the north. The rest of the areas tend to be smaller offshoots, though there is a ton of rock with potential for development and it is possible that there will be new major sectors in the future.