Family Adventure in Squamish
The Sullivan Family Sends and Soaks Up Canada’s West Coast.
Standing in the post office line, I realized the extent to which climbing has transformed our lives. Five years ago, we built a small homewall to entertain the boys. That decision led to gym memberships, team dues, crash pads, tents, a library of guidebooks, and now – passports. Lured by beautiful pictures of the bouldered rainforest, we prepared to visit Squamish, B.C.My wife, Heidi, and I work as teachers and are fortunate to have summers off with our three boys: Keegan (9), Killian (7), and Lochlann (6). The 4,000 -kilometre journey promised cool weather, granite boulders, spectacular hikes and stunning vistas. We left Ohio with high expectations and returned with even higher appreciation for the destination and community. It would be a month of boulders, scrambles, lakes, and people that we will never forget.
Driving across the U.S., the family was excited to use our passports for the
first time. Entry through Vancouver soon placed us on the Sea-to-Sky Highway. The calm views of Howe Sound were perfectly complemented by the boldness of Stewamus Chief. Under this giant monolith, we began our trip at Grand Wall’s Titanic Boulder.
The Titanic Boulder is beautiful yet short in stature. Our oldest son, Keegan, gravitated towards Depth Charge V6 –a slopey, but straightforward lip traverse. This problem served a quick lesson in humility and style. Prior to Squamish, Keegan had sent several V10s including Dead Serious in Hueco Tanks, and was no stranger to onsighting grades as high as V7. After studying the Squamish guidebook for weeks, he was anxious to add another V10 to his resume. After an hour of failed attempts on Depth Charge, we feared that goal needed serious calibration.
At nine years old, Keegan has climbed for more than half his life. He reads beta, brushes holds, and works moves like a veteran climber. Projecting is a calculated and thoughtful process for Keegan. We often see him work problems with focus and persistence that sometimes lasts hours or through multiple sessions. It is this dedication that has led him to the top of a number of difficult projects.
On day one he was shut down by Depth Charge, but happily topped a dozen lines including Titanic V3 and Timeless V5 – both stamped “Top-100” by the guidebook author. Over the next week, Keegan focused on the forest’s classics, climbed everything we encountered, and adapted to the Squamish style. When we returned to Depth Charge a week later, it went quickly. Depth Charge was Keegan’s Squamish test-piece and that momentum would unlock a rampage of climbs off the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
On our trip, Keegan would send 207 problems including 28 Top-100s, two V10s, and several V7 onsights (Airtight Garage
and Close Shave). His favourite send was Panda Milk V2 in Furry Creek. The book describes the Top-100 boulder as technical and “a tad spooky.” It is an absolute stunner – a highball dome with a pin-scar, sketchy feet, and not much else. The V2 grade is deceiving as the climb is very beta intensive. Keegan required several attempts to wire the details, including a couple 20-foot falls to the pads. I wonder if Keegan’s feelings for this climb are a combination of the aesthetics and classic moves, but also overcoming some scary falls.
His younger brothers fell in love with problems, too. For Killian, it was three Top-100s: Winding Down V0 at Smoke Bluffs, and Crackhead V3 and Swank Stretch V5 at Grand Wall. Lochlann shared Killian’s enthusiasm for Winding Down, and enjoyed all the lines on the Hollow Man Boulder at Green River Bastion.
Swank Stretch is a fun V5 that gets a lot of traffic partly because it is surrounded by similar classics including Minor Threat V6 and Lounge Act V6. Killian worked this problem early in the trip, but struggled to
“On our trip, Keegan would send 207 problems including 28 Top-100s, two V10s, and several V7 onsights (Airtight Garage and Close Shave).”
find successful beta. On our last day, we had an opportunity to revisit the line with new inspiration. One of Killian’s coaches was visiting Vancouver with his girlfriend, Ashley. The two drove up to Squamish to join us for a day of bouldering in the forest. Psyched to have the company, Killian, Coach Quinn, and Ashley traded burns on Swank Stretch. With crux beta now discovered, Killian needed to link the problem from the start holds. After a few attempts, he found himself on the opposite side of the crux but still struggling to top out. He tried a left heel, a right heel, and a left heel again. Spectators were cheering, spraying beta, and encouraging him. At one point he was dangling from the lip with no feet and a single hand. We all thought he was whooped and dropping to the pads. Instead, he was calmly shaking out and refocusing. To the cheers of two dozen people, he topped the boulder beaming with pride. Killian says endurance is his favourite skill to train and it paid off more than once on this trip. He finished the month with
“These excursions were the perfect rest days to repair skin and get psyched for projects – like Zero-Zero V10, Jim Carrey V10, and Z Goobenstubar V9.”
103 tops, a strong list of Top-100s, and three more V5s. Most importantly, he learned how to project and enjoy the process.
Lochlann is the youngest of the family at just six years old. He recently joined our youth climbing team, but has been exploring hikes and boulders his entire life. The shortest of the three meant we had to pick his problems carefully. Winding Down V0 is incredibly esthetic – a tall, leaning hand crack that defines the term “splitter.” As we approached the boulder, we saw Lochlann’s eyes light up. He relied more on laybacks than hand jams, but he worked his feet beautifully. About three-quarters up his nerves flexed, but mom was able to talk him through the crux. With his heart racing and overflowing with satisfaction, he quickly asked if he could repeat the climb. The trip was exceptional for Lochlann, because we could see him getting stronger and more confident each day on the wall.
Lochlann may be the greenest climber of his brothers, but he makes a strong case for the being the bravest. Lochlann tackled many highballs during our trip and displayed superhero courage at North Wall Boulders. Keegan was working Japanese Cowboy when the family was ambushed by yellow jackets. Lochlann dealing with his own stings, noticed a yellow jacket ready to sting his older brother, Killian. While dad and mom looked for a stick or something to knock the insect off his leg, Lochlann proclaimed, “What are you waiting for?!” He ran to Killian, his bare hand grabbed
the yellow jacket, and threw it away from the family. It was a humbling day when I realized my own courage is dwarfed by my six-year-old.
Our favourite hike was Joffre Lakes and Matier Glacier. The family trekked to Upper Joffre Lake and sat just below the blue glacier. We decided to ascend the scree ridgeline of Mount Matier to see the glacier. When we reached the top of Matier we were gifted an outstanding panoramic view of all three Joffre Lakes. I knew the experience was amazing when it made me to change my favourite color from orange to the teal of the glacial lakes.
These excursions were the perfect rest days to repair skin and get psyched for projects – like Zero-Zero V10, Jim Carrey V10, and Z Goobenstubar V9. Jake had earlier suggested that Keegan pull on the start holds of Zero-Zero. This line sits under perhaps the best V0 in the world – Summer Vacation. Tough crimps and a difficult
deadpoint earn a highball finish on the brilliant Black Dyke Boulder. Keegan spent the first five minutes learning the correct body position to establish the thin start holds of Zero-Zero. He was able to make the next two moves consistently, but struggled to hit the long throw to a decent edge. After a handful of tries, he was confident in the beta and knew it would eventual go once he hit the low percentage move. On his seventh try from the start holds, Keegan hit the victory edge and topped his fourth V10. Z Goobenstubar V9 was one of the few climbs we visited more than once. The first visit, Keegan identified the multiple cruxes and dialed the moves. Intricate foot beta and cryptic sequences lead to a powerful deadpoint to a sloper. Keegan fell on this move six times before retreating in exhaustion. A few days later and fresher, we returned to North Wall and Z
Goobenstubar. We were all convinced the problem would go quickly. He knew the beta, he had completed the moves, and he was rested. Instead, he continued to fall on the final move – even after hitting it multiple times in isolation. I am not sure what put him over the edge, but I remember watching him climb from behind the camera. Every previous attempt, he set up low, bumped off a poor hold and fired to the sloper. This final time, he set up low, loaded his legs, and fired straight to the sloper. It landed and he flipped to the top of the boulder. As a pad carrier, spotter, and spectator, this was one of my favourite climbs to watch. The slopey, egg-shaped boulder sits on a beautiful pedestal. The climb strikes a balance between power and technical. It was loads of fun to watch Keegan work hard and be rewarded with a send.
While projecting these difficult climbs, Keegan often needed moments to relax, rest, and recharge. So what does a five-year veteran, V10 climber do between burns? He plays with his brothers. Nights in the cabin were spend binging Merlin on Netflix. Every day in the rainforest, the boys would find sticks, run like hooligans, and role play King Arthur and his knights. It was comical to see the boys rotate in and out of climbing and Camelot. One such moment occurred at North Wall when Keegan politely asked a party if he could attempt the Top-100 classic, Space Monkey V5. He laid down his sword, fastened his shoes, and onsighted the problem. A moment later he sent Space Robber V6 on his third go. When he was done he brushed all the holds, thanked the group, equipped himself with his sword, and charged off into the forest. The boys are crushers, but they are absolutely, kids first.
Squamish may be the perfect playground for adults and kids. The Portable Boulder perfectly exemplifies this sentiment. The large pebble lives near the Superfly Boulder at Grand Wall. Its weighs roughly 20 kg and is about the size of a soccer ball. A sit start with no dabs goes V4, it’s been labelled as a top-three lowball in the world. Pinch the boulder and lift it off the ground is said to be V6. Carry the boulder up the nearby Superfly Slab goes at V10 and has only seen one ascent. Each day we passed the stone we saw people flailing, laughing, and capturing the moments on film. It defined fun and all three boys enjoyed the absurd challenge of standing on the tiny stool.
Our family’s trip to Squamish was nothing shy of amazing. The five of us scurried to the top of 415 boulder problems, hiked peaks, waded in glacial lakes, and felt the mist from half a dozen waterfalls. We also spent each day meeting new people, and reconnecting with friends met at previous crags. How do I know it was a great trip? Three weeks into the stay with 10 more days to follow, we were in a car accident and totaled our vehicle. Thankfully, no one was hurt but it was scary and certainly inconvenient. Heidi and I turned to each other and said, “This will not define our trip.” We spent one day resolving logistics and hiked and climbed the very next day. Now that we are home in Ohio, we only remember Squamish’s granite, lakes, cedars, sends, and people: the things we will never forget.