New B.C. 5.10 Multi-pitch is Rob Richards Memorial Route

Evan Guilbault and Zoe Manson have established a new 600-metre 5.10 in remembrance of Rob Richards, a climber and mentor on the West Coast.

Guilbault said that Richards once spoke about a tall and splitter crack system that would likely be around 5.8 that climbed this wall known as The Gem.

“Well, about that hand crack,” wrote Guilbault. “It turns out it is actually only 260 metres long, and has a couple 5.10 moves, but other than that, it’s all there. Hard to understand how far vision can take us.”

The mountainous hunk of granodiorite was named The Gem over 30 years ago by Richards and had never been climbed by a technical route.

“Ya don’t got to go too far in these parts to find the good stuff,” said Guilbault.

The Gem is located near Powell River in the South Powell Divide of the Coast Mountains.

Earlier this season, Guilbault and Manson established Rogue Tower, a 300-metre 5.10c in the Coast Mountains. See here for more.

Richards passed away suddenly by a heart attack in June. He pioneered a number of routes around Powell River.

In 1992, Richards and Colin Dionne made the first explorations onto the enormous West Main Wall at Powell River. For more on Richards see here.