The Chief from the Squamish river estuary. The wall right of center is the fantastic Grand Wall, 500 metres of impeccable Squamish Granite. Click on an area for more details

For over 4 decades, the Chief has been both the physical and spiritual center of Squamish rock climbing. Since the epic first ascent of the Grand Wall in 1960 by Jim Baldwin and Ed Cooper, the Chief has drawn climbers from around the world, and made Squamish into Canada’s premiere rock climbing mecca. From easy slabs to 18 pitch trad routes, hundreds of boulder problems in the massive boulder field at it’s base, and all manner of aid routes, the Chief has enough to satisfy any climber’s sense of adventure.

History

The first recorded rock climbs on The Chief were done in the late 50’s, but it was not until 1961 that the Grand Wall (in the center of the picture above) was finally climbed by Jim Baldwin and Ed Cooper in an epic 40 day siege. Since then, many of the classic aid routes have gone free and there are now over 200 routes on The Chief. In 1995 the Chief was declared a provincial park, acknowledging its signifigance both to climbers and local Natives.

Peregrine Falcons

Each spring a pair of peregrine falcons nest in the area around Tichrome ledge in the western dihedrals, usually from March until July. After the birds establish a nest for the year, BC Parks will post route specific closures. Closures will usually be posted near the Grand Wall parking area or contact the BC Parks at (604) 898-3678. Until route specific closures are announced, please avoid all the long routes from Freeway to the Black Dyke.

Squamish area cliffs. click on an area for more information.

Climbing Areas of the Chief The Chief is naturally divided into a number of different areas, each with it’s own character. A breif description of each and links to more detailed pages is below Bulletheads The southernmost cliffs of the Chief are an adventurous maze of gullies and chimneys among the cillindrical granite towers.  Despite many quality climbs, this area has never been popular. Tantalus Wall and Western Dihedrals The fantastic sheer sweep of the Tantalus Wal dominates the southern end of the Chief, and is the location of many fine exposed climbs.  Slightly north the overgrown corners of the Western Dihedrals host a number of climbs, most of which do not stray onto the upper part of the wall. The Grand Wall The centrepiece of Squamish climbing, and the most impressive wall of the Chief. Over 500 metres tall, the Grand Wall is home to some of the best long free climbs anywhere, as well as aid lines ascending the seemingly blank wall.

The Malamute The lowest level of the Chief massif, this cliff is accross the highway from the rest of the Chief, right beside the waters of Howe Sound. The Apron The apron is the long sweeping slab which reaches from halfway up te Chief between the Grand and North walls down to the highway. Its fine multi-pitch slab routes are some of the most popular in the area. North Walls and the Squaw The North Walls, though never as popular some of the other areas at Squamish, provide some exceptional climbing as well as an excape from the crowds at many of the other cliffs. In addition, the North Walls are often shaded and cool during hot dry spells in the summer months.

The classic rattly finger crack of Seasoned in the Sun.