Carl belaying Keith on the Sword of Damacles

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All Locations > International > North America > Canada > British Columbia > Squamish > The Chief > Grand Wall Area > The Grand Wall (5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c A0)

Carl belaying Keith on the Sword of Damacles

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Adam on the vescalator (velcro escalator).

The Sail Flake, the final pitch of the Grand Wall (unless you're continuing up The Roman Chimneys). Photo of Alisdair Buchanan by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

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Carl Pelletier

Sep 16, 2009

“Carl belaying Keith on the Sword of Damacles”

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Nearby Photos

The second crux of the Sword pitch. Photo of Mike Hengeveld by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

As the Split Pillar goes from hands to fists... Photo of Alisdair Buchanan by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

I belly-flopped onto Sail flake! Couldn't mantle, or pull up on anything else ... and had to rest before the next moves.

split pillar

Adam on the vescalator (velcro escalator).

Carl belaying Keith on the Sword of Damacles

The Sail Flake, the final pitch of the Grand Wall (unless you're continuing up The Roman Chimneys). Photo of Alisdair Buchanan by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

Right in the middle of the crux of the Sword pitch. Photo of Mike Hengeveld by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

Your pro is below your feet as you pull the crux of the Sword pitch. I like to place a nut and a cam before launching into it. Photo of Kelly Franz by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

The Grand Wall. The first pitch shown is the Split Pillar, and the last belay station is on the Bellygood Ledge.<br>
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Bolts on the individual pitches are not shown. All belay stations are 2 bolts + chains and a big fat steel rap ring.

Climber leading the Sword pitch. He's looking pretty comfortable for this being a crux section!

Tony leading Perry's Layback. Skipping every other bolt saves a lot of effort.

Top of Perry's layback - glad it hasn't rained yet, but still cold!

Bracksieck leads the first 5.10 pitch.

The Sword pitch.

Starting up the Sword pitch from the fantastic belay at the top of the Split Pillar. Photo of Kelly Franz by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

Ty Johnson on the Split Pillar

View of Howe sound from top of Perry's layback - on a chilly day, with rain threatening. I was climbing with a Canadian, who's better adapted to cold!<br>

the exposure of the Grand Wall

Split Pillar, Sword, and Perry's Layback as seen from the base of The Grand Wall.

Where are we, Indian Creek?

Contemplating the "Flats"

Keith leading up the Sword of Damacles

Once the sustained part of the Split Pillar is done, you still have some climbing to do. Saving a #1 Camalot for this section is nice.

Looking for the dry foothold to finish P2.

From the base of the Sword, looking down on Mercy Me (tiny red dots).

George Bracksieck leads pitch one of the wonderful Mercy Me dike.

Tristan and Gerhard on the Split Pillar, Grand Wall

Bellygood ledge

Looking up Perry's Layback.

Nice exposure on The Flats pitch.

Looking down the Split Pillar from the belay at the top of the pitch.

Looking down from the anchors at the top of the beautiful Split Pillar pitch.

Reachy bolt ladder leading to the bottom of the Split Pillar

Pitch 2 of Merci Me.

Corroded anchor at second belay of Mercy Me, June 5, 2005. All the anchors have this little problem to some degree. Easy to replace, if you know ahead of time. Bring some quick links and a wrench, if your interested.

Bellygood Ledge, which traverses from the top of the Grand Wall route to the trees on the right (climbers') side of the wall. This ledge traverse is exposed enough that I wouldn't want to do this without a rope.

Crippling toe pain usually ends the fun for me on long routes. My new super-sized Acopa JB's fixed that, making the cracks, faces, and trees fun.

A picture from a traverse on the Grand Wall Lite

Perfect hands in the Split Pillar

Super-cool tree belay at the base of the Split Pillar

Looking back across Bellygood

John climbing the tree at the beginning of the final pitch (the Seal Flake pitch).

Split Pillar - middle of the layback

The final bit of climbing across the top of the Seal Flake. After this, a few feet to Bellygood Ledge!

Arm bars provide a much-needed rest!

The Sword

The aid pitch above the Sword, on a very cold day.

Perry's layback

Aid pitch, standing on the dental-floss slings hurts the feet!

John starting up the Split Pillar. Amazing pitch!

Not a great shot, but you can see what the traverse is like in this shot, taken at perhaps 11am, befor the sun hit. Peter Spindloe is at the end of this traverse. Photo by Tony Bubb 7/08.

Starting the Sword. Butt shot.

Merriam checking out the reachy crux on the Flats pitch of the grand wall.

The bolt ladder after The Sword.

Tony almost done on The Flats pitch above Perry's Layback.

Midway up Perry's Layback.

Approaching the Split Pillar (fun with angles)

The Flats.

Tough girl style on the Split Pillar (liebacking w/ a pack)