Avg: 3 from 41
votes
Access Issue: Overnight Parking/Camping
Details
Marble Canyon is a limestone big wall area. Due to this geology, loose rock and rock fall should be expected. Climbers need to be aware of this characteristic when sharing routes with other parties, especially when rappelling. Tread lightly. It is normal for holds to break in the beginning of a new route's lifecycle. Expect loose rock on routes particularly along the edges of routes if you start pawing around looking for better holds. Try to stay within the confines of the bolt line to mitigate your risk of falling when you encounter crumbly rock, and to decrease risk of rockfall to climbers below.
Marble Canyon has a lot of rock debris and scree on ledges that loom over routes. During high winds and heavy rainfall (rain bursts and thunder storms), debris is dislodged and is prone to falling. Water-saturated scree slopes and debris on the large terrace above the Lower Apron routes (and large ledges on all routes) create debris flows over the lower walls. Climbers have been caught on Lower Apron routes during sudden rain bursts and been thankful to have survived after being pummelled by debris torrents and sudden water cascades.
Please also note, these same debris flows can be large and are subject to suddenly closing the highway to traffic when they flow out and block traffic. This is a reality that locals know well. Thankfully, the climate in this region is typically arid and sunny most of the year so rainfall is limited but this does effect the landscapes ability to cope with sudden rain bursts and thunder showers.
Despite being bolted, routes should be treated as alpine climbs, with respect to rock quality, commitment required, and weather events. Rain should be considered a serious threat due to the landscape not having evolved to absorb the water. Runoff leads to landslides, debris flows, and rockfall unlike other climbing areas. ***Rappel off routes at the first signs of grey clouds and rain***
A fundraiser through GoFundMe called Marble Mega Multipitch (Guaranteed Rugged 10d) can be accessed at https://gofund.me/9f59fcde.
Guaranteed Rugged is guaranteed to be an adventure. Climbing from the base of the Lower Apron to the summit of Main Wall, this route covers 1068m of limestone in 33 pitches, making it the longest bolted climb in North America. The route can be characterized by three distinct sections: the slabby lower apron, the steep exposed headwall, and the final ridge to the summit.
With the amount of terrain and distance covered, the climbing stays varied and interesting along the entire length. Smooth, grey, compact, slabby pitches are mixed with stucco-like textured face pitches. Edges, pockets, and stucco flowstone - stippled throughout the route - are highly enjoyable to climb. Climbers will be required to move seamlessly though different styles of climbing in order to climb quickly.
Lower Apron
The first 19 pitches characterize the lower apron and mid-section of climbing. Lower angle pitches are interspersed with steeper walls. Superb quality, grey limestone is interspersed with orange, friable sections. The majority of the pitches in this section are between 5.6-5.8, with a handful of steeper pitches to surmount as you ascend.
Steep Headwall
The steep, exposed headwall always looms overhead, growing more intimidating as you climb nearer. At the top of pitch 19, there is a distinct shift to steeper terrain. The exquisite, grey corner of pitch 20 suddenly feels extremely exposed as the elevation becomes pronounced. Multiple crux pitches will test your arms and your mental fortitude.
Final Ridge
At the top of pitch 25, reprieve is in sight as the angle eases again. Difficulty falls to your legs and your stamina to keep pushing upward. At this point, it is easier and safer to continue to the top versus bailing via rappels. The final 5.9 pitch is one of the finest on route with steep, exposed climbing far above the valley.
Located in Marble Canyon provincial Park, BC Canada. The Main Wall across from Pavilion Lake is impossible to miss. Climbers mostly camp at Marble Canyon Provincial campground located on Crown Lake.
Parking
Find Marble Canyon Provincial campground. From the west entrance it is 2.1km further west to the pullout along Hwy 99 where you can park. Camping and campfires are prohibited at the highway pullouts. These activities will compromise access and parking.
Approach
25mins - easy hiking, minor scramble section
The approach trail is located directly behind a large green highway sign (distances to Lillooet, Pemberton, Whistler, Vancouver). Follow the trail uphill through parkland grasses and trees, twisting and turning here and there. High up on the trail, scramble 3rd class through a distinct red band of rock. From here, angle up rightward to where the trail notably turns right, traversing sidehill to red dirt. Looking up leftward you will see a distinct red wall with an overhanging arch feature. The route starts at the base of the red wall, on the left, after a short scramble up grey boulders.
Late May - late October
Depends on weather and snowpack. The descent gully holds deep snow until into mid-May. Early season ascents bring microspikes for ice on the trail. Also, temperatures in May can be an inferno on the lower apron section - start extra early. Late season ascents are limited by shorter days and cold temperatures. The top of the wall can be very alpine relative to the t-shirts and shorts weather near the highway.
1. 5.6, 30m (4 bolts) Grey slab on the left of a steep red wall. Easy climbing on a featured slab with good holds. Bolted belay/rap station on a small stance beside a dead tree.
2. 5.10a, 33m (11 bolts) Climb the grey limestone wall on the right. Steep climbing traverses up rightward along the lip of the overhanging wall. Great exposure. Continue up rightward. Bolted belay/rap station on the smooth slab.
3. 3rd-4th, 25m (no bolts) Scramble up the gully feature heading left along a steep little wall between a bush, wrapping up around right to the base of the next wall. Loose scree - step careful and mind ropes. No belay/rap station.
4. 5.6, 33m (7 bolts) Follow bolts on the wall above. Solid grey stone leads up to a great belay ledge. Bolted belay/rap station.
5. 5.6, 37m (8 bolts) Move 6ft right to a small tree then up diagonal left into an alcove above the belay. Follow beautiful grey slab up leftward to a great belay ledge. Bolted belay/rap station.
6. 5.5, 35m (5 bolts) Continue climbing up leftward through easier broken slab terrain. Head up to the belay below a steep wall split by a shallow chimney feature. Great belay ledge with bolted belay/rap station.
7. 5.8, 35m (5 bolts) Head straight up the shallow chimney on fun rock to broken 4th class terrain above. Scramble straight up to a tree. Chain belay on tree.
8. 5.7, 32m (7 bolts) Continue straight above with excellent holds. Stucco limestone and protruding black edges make for fun climbing. Arch leftward near the top to a small belay ledge. Bolted belay/rap station.
9. 5.9, 33m (9 bolts) Move left off the belay then straight up on excellent, textured grey stone. Climbing eases higher up at a break. Head up to a big belay ledge. Careful for loose scree - mind your rope. Bolted belay/rap station on a small wall.
10. 5.6, 38m (8 bolts) Easy climbing straight above leads up on good holds to a great belay ledge. Bolted belay/rap station.
11. 5.6, 34m (7 bolts) Continue straight up on similar terrain with great holds and easy climbing. Belay on a great ledge. Careful for scree - mind the rope. Bolted belay/rap station.
12. 5.6, 33m (6 bolts) Move the belay 10m right to a single bolt (good ledge). Climb straight up to the adjacent face, then angle up left on the face following big holds to a great belay ledge. Bolted belay/rap station.
13. 5.7, 31m (8 bolts) Climb straight up into orange rock. Somewhat friable loose rock but good holds and fun climbing. Take caution. Angle up left near the top to a great belay ledge. Bolted belay/rap station.
14. 5.10b, 28m (8 bolts) Head straight up above the belay, stemming an easy orange groove (rotten rock) to a steep grey wall above. Follow excellent stucco rock with pockets and solution holes up the steep section to a huge belay ledge and possible bivi spot. Bolted belay/rap station.
15. 5.10b, 32m (7 bolts) Scramble above the belay to scree ledge. Head up an easy v-slot to another big scree ledge. Scramble back to a steep grey wall with a series of 3 bouldery mantles - super fun. Great belay ledge above. Bolted belay/rap station.
16. 5.7, 33m (7 bolts) Climb the slab on the right upward to a corner then small steep wall. Boulder up the wall to a scree ledge and tree. Straight up slab for a few moves to a 3-bolt left-angled traverse. End on a huge scree terrace. Bolted belay/rap station on a small wall.
17. 3rd, 60m (no bolts) Head straight left from the belay along the small rock wall. Wrap around up right on scree, scrambling straight up toward left-side of a big tree at the base of a steep wall. No belay bolts. Flat rock to flake your rope.
18. 5.10b, 35m (9 bolts) Go straight up a left-arching crack/layback feature. Fun climbing. Easy traverse 15ft left on shrubby ledge to line of solution pockets and ledges straight up. Boulder up small steep walls to a nice belay ledge above. Bolted belay/rap station (base of slab).
19. 5.1, 30m (2 bolts) Head up the grey slab on excellent rock toward the headwall. Angle rightward near the top - up a small step to a great belay ledge at the base of a grey corner. Bolted belay/rap station.
20. 5.10b, 33m (11 bolts) The immaculate grey corner above is one of the best pitches. Suddenly the exposure feels real as you climb steeply onto the headwall. Fun jug-hauling in yellowish rock above the corner. Angle right across a rotten orange rock streak, then up to a nice belay ledge hard left. Bolted belay/rap station.
21. 5.10a, 25m (7 bolts) Step back right, then straight up into a slabby corner. Angle hard right near the top of the slab then straight up steep, but loose, yellowish jugs. Angle up and leftward to the alcove belay. Bolted belay/rap station.
22. 5.10d, 30m (9 bolts) Step left then straight up slab to the steep, foreboding wall. A crack feature splits the wall. Powerful pulling on solution pockets and mini tufa lips lead upward. Climbing eases higher, following broken terrain up to a small belay stance on the left. Bolted belay/rap station.
23. 5.10d, 33m (11 bolts) "Wrap Around Pitch" Climb straight up the slot/crack to fun face, jug hauling on lower angle terrain. Near the top of the triangular face, climb good holds directly on the corner of the west and south faces with insane exposure as you "wrap around" onto the west face. Stay high on slab feet to find an excellent secret handhold through the crux. Angle up left to a hanging stance. Bolted belay/rap station.
24. 5.10d, 28m (12 bolts) Climb up 2-bolts, then traverse right back toward the insanely exposed south face. Head up a shallow, grey corner feature on the apex of the west and south faces. A cruxy sequence leads around up into the shallow corner. Fun, exposed climbing leads straight above to belay at a small stance. Bolted belay/rap station.
25. 5.9, 12m (3 bolts) Climb up on grey slab. The wall steepens as you enter a finger crack. Traverse left into an orange scree trough above to a good belay stance. Bolted belay/rap station.
26. 5.4, 28m (4 bolts) You are now on the final ridge section. Room to bivi here. Scramble straight up the ridge surmounting a small step to belay beside a dead tree. Bolted belay/rap station.
27. 5.7, 33m (7 bolts) "Edge Of Time" Fun climbing leads up excellent grey flowstone in a very exposed position near the edge of the south face. Near the top, scramble leftward up a scree slope to belay on a small ledge near the "blow hole". The blowhole is a wild natural rock hole dropping all the way down Main Wall. Bolted belay/rap station.
28. 5.9, 31m (9 bolts) The "Blow Hole pitch" Angle up leftward to the middle of the steep face. Straight up, surmounting a small overlap near the top. Scramble easy broken slab to belay right of small trees. Bolted belay/rap station.
29. 3rd, 50m (no bolts) Scramble up the ridge, wrapping right above a tree to a small belay ledge. Bolted belay/rap station.
30. 5.6, 33m (6 bolts) Slab climb up rightward on excellent, grey stone to a steep, small step. Climb this, traversing right to a tree, then hard left straight up to a nice alcove belay above. Bolted belay/rap station.
31. 5.3, 33m (6 bolts) Head straight up the ridge on easy, juggy rock to a nice alcove belay. Bolted belay/rap station.
32. 5.3, 33m (4 bolts) Continue straight up the ridge on juggy stone. The angle eases as you reach the base of the final steep pitch. Belay at a great ledge beside a tree. Bolted belay/rap station.
33. 5.9, 25m (8 bolts) The crowning pitch is one of the best. Steep climbing on good rock, interspersed with jugs and incredible exposure along the way, leads to the top. Enjoy the fantastic views (or stars). Bolted belay/rap station.
12 draws, 2 alpine draws. Bolts with bolted belay/rap anchors. 70m rope allows rappelling at any point.
Rappel at any belay/rap station with a single 70m rope. On pitch 15 you need to come off rappel on a big ledge and step down to the anchor on top of pitch 14. On the 3rd class pitches you will need to carefully down scramble to the rap anchors.
There is no cell service in this area so you will require a satellite communication device to signal for help. As a minimum, on a serious route like this, leave a note on your car dashboard with your objective and leave a plan with someone responsible at home.
There are several locations along the route that are large enough to sleep 2-4 people if caught out. The following pitches have areas that could suffice: pitch 14, pitch 17, pitch 19, pitch 25.
There is a great bivi spot at the top of the route in the forest. After the descent trail initially ascends, it bends sharp left crossing through a perfect flat bivi site. Within the rocks on the ground is located an orange bag with emergency supplies (emergency blanket, whisky).
6km, descending 967m (3172ft)
From the top of the route, scramble up to the trees and head left on the old climber's descent trail. The trail initially ascends uphill 80m before continuing left, wrapping around the rim of the Great Gully (on the left). The trail traverses in and out of several small ravines along route before beginning a steady descent downhill. Initially, the trail skirts downward along the rocky rim of the Great Gully (massive chasm on your left), veering right into the forest (marked by a cairn) about halfway around. Watch for the right-hand turn into the forest. This leads you down through the forest to the North Gully which will then take you most of the way down to the highway.
Once in the North Gully, you essentially follow the gully downhill to the dry, grassy, treed slopes above the highway. A reasonably good old trail continues all the way down North Gully out to Hwy 99. You will pass several landmarks in the gully. The first of which is a large talus field - continue straight down across this. Second, you will encounter a beautiful waterfall spraying the right side of the wall. Fill bottles here if you're on empty. Third, you will encounter "Horse Thief" camp (an ancient fire ring and tin cans).
The last obstacle on your guaranteed rugged adventure are the fixed ropes. Carefully hand-line down several fixed ropes, descending two 5th class steps and lots of steep, loose terrain. Be careful of loose rocks and others below you. Once off the fixed ropes, hug the left gully wall and descend into "The Junction" where Dreamweaver gully joins on the left.
From here, the ever-changing scree trail becomes more trail-like and distinct as you descend onto the dry forested grassland slopes. The trail continues left, traversing dusty grass slopes and descending to Hwy 99. At this point, you are approximately 600m west of your car and will need to turn left (east), walking the highway shoulder for 10mins back to where you parked.
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Squamish, B.C.
Vancouver, BC
Thanks to the FA team for all the time and money dedicated to this route! May 26, 2022
North Vancouver, BC
Toronto, ON
Toronto, ON
(Currently on hiatus, new b…
Vancouver, BC
VANCOUVER
An awful route. Endless choss, endless 4th class wandering, very little interesting climbing, etc. If you are in the area, The Goat is much better, as is Sneaky Pete, and as are the single-pitch sport routes at the base of the mountain.
All pitches (except cruxes) can be linked with a 70. We brought 17 draws and 6 longer slings.
Car to car 11 hrs. We climbed it like this:
P1&2: individually
P3-8 simul
P10-14 simul
P15-20 combined into 70m pitches
Cruxes: individually
Post cruxes: combined into 70m pitches
Note: your style (simul, combining pitches etc) will depend on your comfort level & energy, the weather etc.
Cruxes are all short and well-bolted. IMO the route is easier than 5.10d: the hardest move is probably 10b.
Beware of choss: there is a STUPENDOUS amount of loose rock here. Do NOT climb under another party. This route will want a bunch of ascents to get rid of the choss. May 29, 2022
A competent 5.10 leader will likely find the pitches above and below the crux pitches to be relatively trivial and worth linking/simuling for the sake of time.
I think the route is 10b/c for all of the crux pitches, with 22 and 24 being more consistent at the grade, and 23 having a distinct crux. Pitch 25 felt closer to 5.7 or 5.8. Pitch 26 felt more like 4th class with a short rock-step, and similar for pitch 27. Pitch 29 to 32 also felt closer to 4th class, interspersed with a few moves of low-5th. The last pitch is quality, with fun movement and a great position above the lake. May 30, 2022
Inglewood, ca
Sulaimania, As Sulaymaniyah…
After climbing for 30 years, I did my first big "first accent" on a 300+m wall. Seven 50m pitches on 5b (5.9). Since doing such a project, I appreciate other peoples routes much more! Well, it seems not very special unless the fact that we did it in Iraq and in June 2020 with temperature going up to +40°C (105°F)... It is still the highest sport climb in Iraq! Jun 1, 2022
EUREKA, CA
Washington
WA
- did not link pitches but simuled a sizeable portion of the route. I could see linking the low angle pitches to be quite a rope drag unless you bring a few more extendable slings (we brought something like 12 quickdraws and 4 alpine slings).
- climbed in the shade until the final ridge pitches, but no wind and 50 deg weather made it enjoyable.
If you come here looking for a sustained rock climb after seeing the high pitch count and grade, you may not enjoy it. BUT if you come here wanting an alpine-ish adventure with sections of great limestone and a pretty setting then I think you will have a ball. In a lot of ways the climb is extremely accessible (almost no approach, nothing but bolts, quick and protectable cruxes, no route finding and fully-apparent descent route) but you could still get yourself into a little trouble if you aren't paying attention to the loose rock, especially if below another party or simul-ing. Loose rock may go away on the steeper terrain, but there will always be opportunity to send small rocks and kitty litter down on your partner or another party. I thought that pitch 24 in particular had some large hollow-sounding features that would find their way down onto the apron section below if yarded on too hard, but I could be wrong.
I expect car-to-car in a day will be the norm for most parties unless you want the pleasure of enjoying one of the cozy bivy sites on-route or at the summit. The parking pullout has a small trail that leads to a great spot for a post-climb dip in the lake. Much gratitude to the developers for a memorable climb – something like over 250 bolts and hangers is wild to even think about. This route will be enjoyed by many for years to come! Jun 5, 2022
Vancouver, BC
Like Lillooet itself, this climb is rough around the edges, but with all the amenities you'd want (bolts!)
The anchors are all vertical-style with a rap ring. You don't even need to bring anchor equipment, just a large locking carabiner for the ring.
As someone mentioned above, the climbing isn't sustained, but the adventure is. You will likely want to link or simul a lot of the easier sections (if simuling, I recommend doing so on half the rope and kiwi coil the rest)
Lots of dirt, loose rock, etc. So just be careful and mindful and get into a habit of tapping suspect rock.
Do NOT underestimate the descent. I would not want to do that in the dark. Plus after such a long day, my legs were tired, and it is STEEP.
This is what we did:
Linked 1-2
Simuled 3-6, 7-9, 10-13
Pitched 14 and 15
Linked 16-17, and 18-19
Pitched 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24
Simul/Linked 25-27
Linked 28-29
Simul/Linked 30-32
Pitched 33
We brought 20ish draws but didn't need them all as many bolts can be skipped. Alpine draws are crucial to reduce rope drag. We also had walkie-talkies and found them incredibly useful (and fun!).
Car to car was 10.5 hours
Vancouver to Vancouver was 21 hours including a stop for dinner and a stop in Squamish to recoup. Jun 5, 2022
Squamish, BC
Is it probably only 10b? Yeah.
Is it very obviously trying to claim the longest bolted climb title? Yes.
Is it loads of fun up a huge face in a beautiful unique setting with a minimal approach? You betcha.
We did bottom to top in 2.5 hours. We simuled 1 - 7, 8 - 17. Hiked 18. Simuled 19 to 21. Pitched the 3 (10d's) which felt like 10- for sure. Simuled the rest of the summit ridge after surmounting the headwall.
Protection is ample. It will clean up quickly with more traffic. You'll climb it quicker than you think if you either link or simul the easy pitches.
Go get rugged (and some sore legs while you're at it).
Oh and watch out for the snake on the fixed lines on the descent. Jun 6, 2022
New Westminister
Checkout my youtube video of our climb:
youtu.be/A9mTEJ_SzWY Jun 14, 2022
Squamish, BC
We simuled almost every pitch below 5.10 (in 2-4 pitch segments). Both of us thought the hardest 5.10 pitches were mid 5.10. This is an incredible route, props to all the developers for their hard work!
As a 5.10 sport climber I found the crux pitches to not be very sustained, challenging but still very comfortable. The exposure and loose rock definitely ramp up to the mental aspect. The greatest crux I thought was maneuvering through the precarious rock on pitch 24.
Last comment is water, it was cloudy all day and the temps stayed at 10 degrees from the bottom to the top (was 21c back at the car when we got back at 1pm)....we only needed 2 liters of water each since it was cooler (bring a buffer)... but I have done the shorter route the goat in the sun with little wind and needed 3liters but this is certainly very subjective for folks.
For folks unfamiliar with the area the best temps to climb here are usually in spring or fall. Jun 24, 2022
Squamish, B.C.
- Having been forewarned that it's (occasionally) a loose chossy adventure, I was ready for it and had a blast. The rock seems worse nearer the top. This is not the Goat.
- The bolting is close which is great. The anchors (vertical connected chain) are excellent. Just need a couple of lockers to get safe and belay (from above). No anchor media required
- As others have said, simuling makes this fast. Practice elsewhere if you've not done it before.
- None of the pitches seemed harder than 10B.
- I linked pitches 23 and 24 (both 10D in topo, but seemed 10B). Anyway, don't do that. WAY too much drag.
- I'm short (5.6") and some of the bolt placements seemed a bit reachy.
- Walk off actually seemed pretty chill with the exception of the fixed lines, several of which were to short and added risk of injury.
- The top section of the Walk off has beautiful views. Take your time.
- C2C a bit over 8 hours
- Thanks to all those who put in the hard work to put this route up! Jun 24, 2022
Any danger of the campsite filling up? Any other campgrounds relatively close if that is the case?
Beginning of September - Puffy weather or tank tops?
Are afternoon thunderstorms (a la the Colorado Rockies) a common occurrence?
What is the aspect of the wall (East / West / North / South)?
Can you see weather systems approaching?
Descent route-finding straightforward if it is dark? Jun 30, 2022
With an early start at 4:15am on the first pitch (to beat the heat wave) and lots of simuling, it took about 6 hours to climb the route from top to bottom (topped ouit 10:20am). This let us stay in the shade the entire time we were climbing. We relaxed at the top and then the descent took about 2 very hot hours. The waterfall on the descent is very nice to cool off in or refill water.
The route is set up extremely efficiently to let parties climb with the maximum speed they are capable of... most of the belay stances are very comfortable, anchors feature a ring connected to both bolts with a chain, flagging tape to guide you along on rambly pitches / scramble sections, and generous bolting density.
At the base of pitch 17, we found someone's completely destroyed blue iphone they must have dropped from above. Jun 30, 2022
My wife and I did it on July 1, 2020. We camped at the Marble Canyon campground, alarm went off at 4:10, and we started climbing at 5:05 am to avoid the sun. We arrived at El Cumbre just before noon and enjoyed the magnificent view!
We pitched out and linked pitches 1&2
We simul-climbed pitches 3 – 19 in tranches of 3/4 pitches carrying 30 quickdraws
We pitched out and linked pitches 20&21 – 22&23 – 24&25&26
We then simul-climbed 27 – 33
The route is exceptionally well-bolted and marked. It is virtually impossible to get lost. I didn’t find the rock quality that bad, and nothing (significant) broke. Knowing the route a bit now, I wouldn’t mind being behind another party, especially since the first 19 pitches are slabby and meandering.
I found the rock quality on pitch 24 (5.10d) the sketchiest. Great, exposed moves, but also quite delicate. I can see something coming down here, and if you’re still on the first 16 (or so) pitches, this could be scary.
The climbing in the steeper pitches is tremendous; once the exposure (pitch 23!) kicks in, it doesn’t get much better!
The descent is equally well marked, but don’t take it too lightly! I was jokingly telling my wife that going down felt harder than going up, which, I guess, is often the case, but still.
It took us a solid 2.5 hours and a few times had to warn each other about rolling stones. Almost at the end, there are three rope-secured sections through steep fifth-class terrain. Don’t underestimate these unforgiving sections.
Once back at the car, you can treat yourself to a jump in the lake!
Thank you, Brent Nixon, Lisa Newhook, Sean Draper, and Kate Naus, for your vision and dedication! Jul 3, 2022
Squamish
The descent trail is in good shape compared to a couple of years ago when we climbed “The Donkey.” 1:40 hr from top of the climb to highway this time around.
This is not a sport climb. Rock fall will happen. Be first on the route. Jul 9, 2022
Squamish BC
This route needs to be taken seriously. It is technically soft for the grade, but the amount of loose terrain that must be navigated carefully is what makes it challenging. I would recommend NOT considering this a sport climb. It is a bolted, multi pitch alpine limestone adventure. There are places on almost every pitch where you could break holds, dislodge blocks with your rope, or otherwise endanger yourself and your partner. This will never change, since it's the nature of all of Marble Canyon: mediocre quality, alpine limestone. The temptation is to climb quickly because of how easy it is to deal with the protection, but keep your guard up.
Climbing below other parties on any Marble Canyon routes is playing Russian roulette, and this one is no exception. I'd recommend starting very early, and having a plan-B if you find that you're not the first ones there. Jul 10, 2022
Bellevue, WA
PARKING/TRAILHEAD: goo.gl/maps/2Edho7BuRxpQZM8o7 / 50.849241, -121.711531
P1 COORDS: 50.85162, -121.70771
Tons of photos and simul/linking recommendations here: hiking.andrewleader.net/rou…
This route is SUPER FUN! 33 pitches of easy/moderate, WELL BOLTED climbing without any moving the belay nonsense and basically no traversing, and just a 15-25 minute approach! The only thing we really disliked was the descent gully, it took us 2:50 hours to descend because the steep section after the waterfall is pretty dang steep and loose, I'm not a fan of steep loose dirt slopes. But aside from that, this climb is incredible! The climbing isn't difficult, the cruxes are usually 3 bolts long, but the overall journey and fun simul-ing makes this awesome! The rock quality wasn't terrible either, definitely some to be cautious about, but not bad!
CAMPSITE seems to fill up by around 8pm on Fri/Sat, but you can probably pay for a camping spot to just sleep in your car.
START TIMES seem to be around 4:30 AM arriving at trailhead, that's when the other group we saw arrived. We arrived at 4:15 AM.
SUNLIGHT/SHADE: On July 16th, route stayed in the shade till finally some sun started hitting the base pitches at 9:50 AM, middle pitches seemed to stay shady till who knows when. Upper pitches 26-onwards started to get sun at 10:25 AM. Jul 17, 2022
...it made the routes I've done in the dolomites seem solid!
Quite straightforward route finding and plenty bolts to keep you going the right way. We moved together for the first 20 pitches, pitched the 3 harder ones and then resumed moving together. 3hrs46 en route. Descent was tiring and also kind of sketchy in places. Aug 11, 2022
The descent however, has scarred my soul. Please install ziplines instead.
Incredible effort by the developers. Well done. Sep 6, 2022
Clyde Hill, WA
The route is a great adventure and a lot of work went into it, very good bolting and signage. Both of us have climbed a fair bit in Marble Canyon and felt the rock quality was below average for the area, as the climb ascends more orange hued stone which tends to be more brittle, but also tends to be steeper than your average marble canyon climb on grey slab. Standout pitches were 20, 24, 33, the rest of it felt pretty mediocre.
The lower pitches were quite brittle which was expected, but there was a lot of big loose blocks on the top/harder pitches as well. I broke a foothold of the 10a pitch and the rock quality on the harder pitches got to us a bit. I have added a picture. We don't sport climb that much these days, so I will not comment on grade, but would definitely not climb this underneath anyone.
If you're not familiar with the climbing in Marble Canyon, I would suggest warming up on the goat which is a lot more solid rock and has cleaned up quite a bit with traffic as well. Also the wall is south-facing in a desert environment - climbing this in July/August could be unbearable. Sep 23, 2022
Squamish
A slow crescendo to the crux pitches culminates with the exposed belay on top of the wrap-around pitch. A perfect spot to reflect on reality, meaning, the physical world and the human condition.
Suggested pairing: Vienna Lager at Lillouet Brewing for a complete full-sensory experience.
Gratitude and respect to Brent, Lisa, Sean + Kate for the monumental effort setting this up.
Kudos to Matt Evans for beta on the first 10d pitch in his excellent video. Apr 24, 2023
Squamish
As written elsewhere -- gray rock is solid; yellow, orange or red: chossy.
The grade for the crux pitches is probably 10b if you use the most obvious holds on bad rock.
If you make the effort to only stay on good quality holds, the moves get more technical (10+), but safer.
Don't let your guard down on the easy pitches, that's where big chunks of rock are waiting to come off.
A number of pitches are protected from side belay stations -- smart setting: avoids rockfall on the belayer.
Overall, it's what you would expect from an alpine route on limestone.
Waist-deep snow on top of the route with no tracks -- we were likely the first party in 2023. Apr 24, 2023
Vancouver, BC
Tierra Oscura
finally got around to making a video journey about the whole affair:
youtube.com/watch?v=vVCuiVq…
also wrote up a journal entry for those interested in a baroque short story about this climb:
arduouspaths.com/2023/07/gu… Sep 22, 2023
Vancouver, BC
We climbed it on August 1st with a 70m single rope and 24 QDs. Started at 04:45 to beat the sun. Took us 6:40 hours (sun only on last hour) and 2:15 hrs for the descend.
Linked 1-2, simuled 3-6, linked 7-8, pitched 9, linked 10-11, linked 12-13, pitched 14, linked 15-16, pitched 16, linked 17-18, linked 19-20, pitched 21 22 and 23, linked 24-25, simuled all the way to R31 (skipped some bolts on the easiest sections to manage QDs) and linked 32 and 33.
I believe when commenting one should write their level in all honesty so that readers should know who is speaking. So:
We live and climb in Greece so we are very familiar with limestone. Sport Redpoint max is 8a+ and sport onsight max is 7a+. The crux pitches felt easier than the given grade. Pitch 23 needs a lot of caution when climbing, there are loose parts and we dropped a chunk that was ready to go. Climb like a cat. Other than that choss was present where mentioned in the info and scetch but not something problematic. Aug 5, 2024
Portland, OR
That said, we simul-climbed the majority of the route at a casual pace, doing most of the pitches in approach shoes. Yes, my feet thanked me, and our time to the top was about 7hrs. We started at 6AM on a cloudy early Sept day with temps in the 18-21C range. We made sure we were well hydrated and took 1.5L of water per climber. We used 15 alpine draws and 9 quickdraws and found that was plenty for some of the longer link-ups of simul-climbing as the terrain is generally easy and I was comfy skipping many bolts. I only changed into climbing shoes for P18 thru 24. My favorite pitch on the route was p24.
Simul-climbed these blocks: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-14, 15-17, 26-32
Belayed: 18+19 (linked), 20+21 (linked), 22, 23, 24, 25, 33
If anyone cares, my partner's and my rating for the following pitches looks like this:
PITCH # / ORIGINAL GRADE / OUR EXPERIENCE
2/ 5.10a / 5.8
9/ 5.9 / 5.8
14/ 5.10b / 5.8
15/ 5.10b / 5.9
18/ 5.10b / 5.9
19 / 5.10b / 5.10a
22/ 5.10d / 5.10b
23/ 5.10d / 5.10b
24/ 5.10d / 5.10b
25 / 5.9 / 5.8
33 / 5.9 / 5.8 Sep 12, 2024
Vancouver