A Euro-Style Route on the West Coast! Tim Emmett Opens Dr. Hypoxia 5.13+
The mega line on Anvil Island links three routes together across 29 bolts
Photo by: Jimmy Martinello
Tim Emmett has established another hard route at the beautiful Anvil Island crag between Vancouver and Squamish. After making first ascents of Apnea 5.13d/14a in 2020 and Archimedes Principle 5.14b last month, the Squamish local recently put up Dr. Hypoxia 5.13+, a massive line linking three pre-existing climbs at the cliff. Emmett spent 50 minutes on the wall during his send, working his way up the 40-metre monster pitch that overhangs by at least 50 feet.
Dr. Hypoxia starts on Dr. Funkenstein 5.13a before breaking out onto Road to Eleausis 5.12b. It then joins Apnea after that route’s crux. The epic link-up contains no moves harder than V5/6 but it’s incredibly pumpy, a classic European-style sport route rarely found in Squamish, B.C., or Canada. To deal with rope drag, Emmett started the route tied in to both ends of a rope. He clipped the first end for 15 bolts and then clipped the next couple of bolts with the other end. He then untied the first rope, relieving himself of the rope drag of the previous 15 bolts.
“It’s a true voyage and complete body and arm destroyer!” said Emmett on Instagram. To learn more about this wild new route, I reached out to Emmett. You can read our short interview below.
How did you get the idea to link the three routes together to form Dr. Hypoxia?
Trevor McDonald came up with the idea to link the routes together. It’s a way of getting into the top part of Apnea without having to do the V8/9 crux at the bottom. Also, it’s the super line of the crag. It goes from the high-tide mark up to the highest part of the cliff that we’ve climbed to yet.
Why the name ‘Dr. Hypoxia’?
Dr. Hypoxia seemed like a brilliant name for the route for several reasons. First, it starts up Dr. Funkenstein. Second, it goes into Apnea [which is the temporal cessation of breathing], and hypoxia is a state that you can get in while you’re free diving if you push it too far.
Also, when you’re hypoxic, you have very high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, which often leads to dizziness and potential discomfort. It’s also associated with not having as much oxygen available to you as you might want – especially at altitude. Apnea was named because of the excellent free diving underneath the crag and it’s association with water.
What was the most difficult part of the route?
The hardest part of the route is without doubt controlling the pump. It’s like a series of power endurance climbs with good rests between them, but it keeps coming at you!
How many attempts did it take to send?
I got it on my first go – just! I nearly fell off pulling through the roof of Apnea. I was bummed out my mind! I probably should’ve rested  longer before setting off on Apnea!
What’s next for you at Anvil Island?
I’ve been trying the link-up between Apnea and Archimedes Principle. I’ve spent four separate sessions working the crux but haven’t managed to do one of the moves yet. Still looking for the key to that. It’s hard!
Originally from the U.K., Emmett now lives in Squamish. You’d be hard pressed to find a climber with as diverse a set of climbing accomplishments as Emmett’s. Sport, trad, mixed, ice, big wall, alpine, mountaineering, deep-water soloing – he’s done it all.
Emmett is considered one of the pioneers of deep-water soloing, opening many lines in Spain and other locations around the world two decades ago. Along with his climbing partners, he was the first in the world to send waterfall ice climbs at grades WI 10, WI 11, WI 12, and WI 13 – all at Helmcken Falls in British Columbia. He was also part of a group to first ascend the east face of the Kedar Dome in the Himalayas.
He’s made many hard ascents in trad and sport. In 2010, he made the first ascent of Muy Caliente E9 6c in Pembroke, Wales. He’s also repeated the gritstone test piece Meshuga E9 6c and the intimidating The Path 5.14a R at Lake Louise. One of his hardest sport climbs to date was a repeat of Sonnie Trotter’s Superman 5.14c.
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