Sasha Di Giulian: Cutting-Edge Climber

Quadra Island is located about 200 km northwest of Vancouver at the north end of the Salish Sea, part of the Inside Passage waterway to Alaska. To reach Quadra travelling by car from Vancouver take the BC Ferries service from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo (2 hours).

Drive north on Highway 19 to Campbell River (1.5 hours) and l ocate the ferry terminal downtown. The ferry to Quadra leaves hourly on the half-hour mark (check bcferries.com for exact departure times, exceptions and weekend schedules) and takes just 10 minutes to cross Discovery Passage to Quathiaski Cove.

Once on Quadra drive north on West Road to Heriot Bay, five minutes. Turn left and drive north on Cramer Road which joins Hyacinthe Bay Road. Five minutes out of Heriot Bay the main road passes a junction with Walcan Road, just 300 metres up the hill is a small road and a signpost for the Chinese Mountains trailhead.

For camping, a range of accommodation and recreation options and lots more information check online at quadraisland.ca.

A guidebook, Quadra Island Rock Climbs, is available from Wild Isle Publications ( wildisle.ca).