On Cold Squamish Granite
Bouldering in Squamish can be diff icult at the best of times. The granite is not the easiest to climb and it can lead to frustration and disappointment, especially in the hot summer. Falling off problems well below your limit is not uncommon and many seasoned pros have struggled with greasy conditions. Are the grades sandbagged or are people just climbing at the wrong time of the year.
Squamish is known for its wet weather and fall 2016 was one of the wettest in recent years. Many of us locals were going stir crazy and longing to get some dry, cool weather so we could get some much needed time on the rock. Social media was f looded with throwback photos from the summer and most of us spent a lot of time training in the gym (time well spent). Good weather windows are kind of like unicorns, things that may or may not exist. We were all losing hope with the never-ending two month of rain. Just when we had almost given up and were ready to move south, conditions changed.
The ridges of high pressure are created when chilly Arctic air blows down from the north leaving cold and clear skies. Winter bouldering might seem like an absurd thing to do but during the Arctic outf low events the conditions become near-perfect and if you’re keen, you can