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Komagata Maru is New Splitter 5.12a in Squamish

Jason Green on Komagata Maru Photo Chris Christie

Komagata Maru was recently opened by Colin Moorhead and Jason Green on the New Delhi Cliff above Squamish.

The four-pitch line is named after the Komagata Maru incident in 1914 that involved the Japanese steamship Komagata Maru and citizens of the British Raj who attempted to emigrate to Canada but were denied entry and forced return to Calcutta, India. Once back, they were fired upon by British police resulting in the deaths of 20 Sikhs.

All of the multi-pitch routes on the New Delhi Cliff are named after something in Indian Culture and include La Princess 5.12d, Delhi Belly 5.12b, Road to Amritsar 5.11c and The Ganges 5.11a.

“The route climbs incredible razor cut steep finger cracks and flakes with a short crimp traverse crux,” said Green.

“The route shares the first pitch of Road to Amritsar to “the ledge with no name.” From there follow finger cracks for three new pitches just climber’s left of Road to Amritsar.

The new pitches include the second pitch described as a finger crack to a small ledge where you clip a couple bolts and then follow up finger cracks and hollow flakes (think light) to a bolted belay at 5.11a.

The third pitch continues up the finger cracks to their end where you clip a bolt, crimping left to gain another finger crack to a small ledge at 5.12a.

The final pitch climbs the obvious harder-than-it-looks finger crack to a ledge with a bolted belay at 5.11c. Bring a 60-metre rope ad standard rack to 2” triple sizes in .2–.4.

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