Neat and Cool // Climbing Trip

Yesterday we went on a day trip to Squamish, BC for some good ol' climbing. It's been a long time since I've climbed outdoors and it felt amazing! 

Climbing at the Crest

Master of my domain 5.9

A trip to Cheakamus a fortnight ago had me both on toprope and lead.  I had lead the first pitch, and my friend Richard lead the second pitch.

Having only learned to lead climb this summer, I was excited and nervous but confident in my ability. It's easy to be confident when you are climbing a 5.7 slab. As a friend of mine likes to put it, it's practically like walking up a ladder! Well there goes my ego.

Like a plane in the distance.

You don't have to look far to find beauty. However, it is up to us to find the beauty in others, to look past imperfections, and to go beyond our shallow perceptions. There is true beauty in people, and it's not difficult to spot, we just have to try.
There's also another type of beauty. It's everywhere, it's all around us, and it's telling us to pay attention. With all the events occurring around us today, one might wonder where the future of the Earth is heading. When I first heard the news of Fukushima, I was very nervous. I later did a bit of investigating and found reports stating that radiation from Fukushima has been detected in BC. That's when it hit me; things could be taking a for the worse. Maybe, because "it is up to us to find the beauty", that we must apply it in this context. It's up to us to to find the beauty in our planet and to learn how to respect it. Changes have already begun all across the globe, so I know I'm a bit behind on the "green" agenda, but it's not too late to start; not for you, and not for me.

A solitary bike ride and a nice surprise

The west dyke trail that surrounds Richmond, BC is a beautiful trail for joggers, dog owners, and cyclists alike. I was biking back home on this trail when I was pleasantly surprised.

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.

Squamish, B.C.

I am not a fan of slab for various reasons; namely because I don't trust my feet on dime-sized footholds, especially knowing that falling would mean scraping my knees, hard.

Squamish, B.C.
Home to one of the top rock climbing areas in Canada.

Smoke Bluffs

My first time outdoors, climbing the Smoke bluffs in Squamish, BC. Extraordinary views and a wonderfully challenging slab wall climb. Definitely opened my eyes to a new world.