The Chief - Climbing the Apron

My day started at 8:30 when I woke up. After having a small breakfast, I met up with my climbing partner and we drove to all the way to Squamish, B.C. I had no idea where we were going to climb that day so when he told me we would be climbing the Chief, I could not have been happier. Though not too difficult, it's one of the most famous crags to climb.

We started climbing the Banana Peel (grade 5.7) on the Apron at approximately 11am. The hikes in between the climbs were harder than the actual climbs. The views were spectacular though, it was exactly like the hike, but 10x more rewarding.

After climbing the Banana Peel, we headed for the Butt/Face (grade 5.9), which is also on the Apron. All of the climbs I did that day were relatively easy and were perfect for beginners to step out of their comfort zone. In other words, perfect for me.


As we were heading to the buttface, we bumped into a couple of climbers that we had met earlier in the morning. They weren't sure how to get to next climb, and my climbing partner knew the area well, so they decided to join us to climb the rest of the crag together.


By the time I hit the crux, my nerves were shot. I was close to losing my cool but managed to keep it together and finish the last few pitches. Keeping calm can sometimes be the hardest part of climbing.




No day is complete without a battle scar to take home. Throughout the whole climb (which took all day), the actual rock had only given me a small scratch on my knee. Ironically, it was a tree that gave me this pretty cut. Yes, a tree sliced me open. I walked by carelessly, (because I felt like a hero after climbing all day), and pulled my leg past a stout and stubborn branch. I suspect it's revenge for using paper. :-P

So, at the end of the day, I may not be Chris Sharma or Sonnie Trotter, but climbing the Chief was a huge accomplishment none-the-less. The sheer joy of accomplishing a tough route; that is why I climb. :-)