The North Walls of the Chief - the Zodiac at the left, and the Sherrif’s Badge in the centre.

Although the walls at the north end of the Chief are not as well travelled as the Grand Wall and the Apron, there is some great climbing to be had. The North Walls are divided into two main areas, the Sherrif’s Badge and the Zodiac Wall, seperated by the huge North Gully. The Sherrif’s Badge, so named because of it enormous star shaped scar, features some large roofs and steep climbs. The Zodiac Wall is a complex maze of long dihedral systems, offering some fantastic long, strenous climbs.

The magnificent dihedrals of the Squaw

In addition, a bit further north of the main massif of the Chief is another prominent outcropping, the Squaw. The Squaw is featured by a number of huge dihedrals between it’s steep slabs, and offers many excellen 5 to 6 pitch routes, mostly in the 5.10 range

Rare 'dry' conditions on the Angel's Crest during a long spell of cold dry weather during the winter 2002

Access

Park in the gravel parking lot as for the Apron (off the logging road at the bottom of the hill below the Apron). Walk up the logging road for about 0.7 km, then follow a trail through the woods towards the North Gully. For the Sherrif’s Badge, take the right fork, and for the Zodiac Wall, take the trail east towards the base of the wall. For the Squaw, drive about 1.5 km past the parking area to a pullout accross from an old gravel pit. A steep trail heads through the forest to the rock.

The Climbing

The cimbing on the North Walls is a bit more adventurous than those on the Apron or the Grand Wall.  The routes are generally long, often require some routefinding, and should not be underestimated.  For the most part the climbs are 5.10 and harder, and include some of the best multipitch routes in Squamish. In addition to the free routes, many of the best aid climbs of Squamish are found on the North Walls.

Aside from the Angel's crest and the more moderate routes of the Squaw, most climbs on the North Walls offer a good probability of solitude. On the flip side the routes receive little sun except in mid summer, and are often wet during the early part of the season.