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New Bouldering Area Near Squamish is the Constellations

Peter Michaux wanted to find a bouldering area near Squamish that would offer a hot-day option to the valley boulders close to town. He searched Google Earth for a solution and eventually discovered a cluster of blocks below Mount Habrich. After some a few trips to find an approach, Michaux reached the boulders.

“The rock is pink granite. It is good quality without many fractures,” Michaux wrote on his new blog SquamishBoulders.ca. “The surface crystals are well attached to the rock. Not many crumbly bits. Even some flakes looked trustworthy that would be suspect in other areas.”

Michaux and Scot Ellis explored the area for quality lines. Michaux noted there are lots of easy aretes and slabs, but they wanted more for their three-hour approach. They found a few dozen quality lines on big boulders, some with sketchy landings. “It looked like old-school technical granite climbing,” wrote Michaux. “Not the gymnastic style we like most.” On the next trip up, he made the first first-ascent and called it Butterfly Cluster.

“I took a 10-inch folding saw. With a bit of cutting at the most branchy parts of the trail, I managed to wear a small crash pad the entire way up the trail with less difficulty than I thought. The trail is still rugged but it is improving at least a little bit with each trip.” For access info and more photos, visit here.

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