Colin Haley - Rock Climbing at the Sea to Sky Gondola

Now in his late 20s, Colin has been climbing since the age of 11 and has been recognized as an alpine climbing ambassador for inspirational outdoor companies such as Patagonia and La Sportiva. We were able to ask Colin some questions about the climbing route development so we can keep you in the loop — and get you excited!

Tell us a little about your climbing experience and what type of climbing you are most passionate about?

I have been climbing for about 17 years, since I was 11 years old. I like to do every type of climbing, from bouldering to glacier slogs, but my main obsession is with technical alpine climbing. In the past five years I've been trying to dedicate more time to pure rock climbing, because I feel it is very beneficial for my alpine climbing skills... and it's also really fun!

Why climb in Squamish?

Squamish is, without a doubt, one of the best places on the continent for rock climbing. Squamish has a huge amount of every type of rock climbing, from bouldering to sport climbing to crack climbing to slab climbing to aid climbing. Also, for the months of July, August, and September, Squamish definitely has the best weather for rock climbing on the continent, as most locations are too hot. The only place that can compete with Squamish is Yosemite Valley, but it involves a huge hassle with National Park restrictions, whereas Squamish is a charming and laid-back paradise!

I'm from Seattle, but have been visiting Squamish for the past decade. For the past three summers I've spent nearly the entire summer here, I'm in love with Squamish more than ever, and now it's time to start looking into residency... hopefully the Canadian government will decide that I'm worthy!

What have you been working on for the Sea to Sky Gondola project? Will you describe some of the climbing areas?

In late June I went up with David Greenfield, Trevor Dunn and Jeremy Frimer to do some hiking on Goat Ridge. They wanted to go and scope potential trail routes, and I came along just because I'd been curious and excited about the gondola project. Afterwards, we were hanging out at what is to become the gondola top-station, and Jeremy and I noticed a very nice cliff of granite only 200 meters away.

It turns out that this cliff had 4 old routes on it, developed in the 1980's when access to the cliff was relatively easy. Since then, the routes had been forgotten, because for the past two decades the cliff has been relatively inaccessible. As soon as the gondola is running, this cliff will have one of the shortest approaches in Squamish, and the climbing is high quality.

We are calling the crag the "Ultraviolet Cliff." So far there are 8 fully-cleaned routes, with bolted anchors, and there will eventually surely be more. The biggest down-side to the Ultraviolet Cliff is that the routes are relatively short (12-16 meters, roughly), but it has many big pluses:

1. A very short approach from the gondola top station
2. It faces southwest and southeast, so it receives a lot of sun. This will help the routes stay clean over the years, and will also make it a very viable crag in the "shoulder seasons" of fall and spring, because the routes will dry very quickly.
3. Steep! Although the routes are short, all but one are at least dead vertical, and most of them are gently overhanging. Overhanging cracks are not especially common in Squamish, especially in moderate grades (5.9-5.10b).

What can climbers look forward to once the gondola space is open to the public?

Climbers can look forward to climbing at the Ultraviolet Cliff, and also there are several other cliffs that will surely soon get developed for cragging once the gondola is running. Perhaps more importantly, climbers should be excited that there will now be very quick access to Mt. Habrich.

However, personally, what I'm REALLY excited about is the skiing! With the top of the Gondola at 880m, I think it will provide by far the best backcountry skiing access anywhere near Squamish. The terrain below Sky Pilot and Goat Ridge is really good ski terrain - a million times better than Red Heather. And personally, I would always prefer to drive 5 minutes and ride a gondola than drive 2 hours to the Duffey Lakes road.