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Bella Coola is Freed at 5.12 on Klootch in Squamish

Bella Coola 5.12c on Klootch Buttress (line is approximate)

The Klootch Buttress is an obvious wall that stands next to Slhanay, it was mostly developed about 10 years ago.

The direct line is a five-pitch test-piece that sat as an aid route for the past decade called Bella Coola.

Colin Moorhead, owner of Squamish Rock Guides, has written an excellent account of the history of the crag and of Bella Coola.

The crag was mostly opened by Robin Barley and Harry Young, whose efforts revealed a number of now-popular climbs such as The Feather.

Another long route they developed was the Dean Channel, named after the upper end of one of the longest inlets of the British Columbia Coast. And of course Bella Coola is named after the sleepy coastal town.

Moorhead made the first free ascent of Bella Coola with Tom Wright in 2017. The pitch breakdown goes at 5.11a, 5.11d, 5.10b, 5.12c and 5.12b.

Visit Moorhead’s site SquamishClimbingSource.com here to read about the climb and for a topo.

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