Five Squamish Crags Perfect for Building Confidence on Slabs

The Apron of the Stawamus Chief is packed with amazing multi-pitch climbs where friction slab climbing skills are essential. Banana Peel 5.7, Slab Alley 5.8, Diedre 5.8, Over the Rainbow 5.9, Born Again 5.10b, One Scoop with Delicious Dimples 5.10c, Unfinished Symphony 5.11b – the list goes on. Although many of these climbs are of a modest grade, they should not be taken lightly as they often contain runouts on slabby terrain. Friction slab skills are a must if you want to lead these low-angle routes with confidence.

If you’re new to friction slab climbing and want to gain some experience in Squamish before heading up a more committing Apron classic, here are five crags with some amazing granite slabs. These spots are great for working your way up in the grades, building technique and a good slab lead head in a less committing environment than the Apron.

It should be noted that north of Squamish, there are some great slabby sport climbs in Chek. Conroy’s Castle and Electric Avenue are two crags that come to mind, as do the popular multi-pitches Frontside 180 and Ursa Minor. While the skills you develop on these Chek slabs will help you become a better slab climber overall, they don’t exactly mimic the style of low-angle climbing you’ll find on the Chief. On the Apron, it’s most often pure friction smearing, looking for the biggest and most textured crystals to plant under feet. The rock at Chek is a different type of granite, with way more crimps and edges to stand upon.

1. Shannon Springs Wall

Found near Shannon Falls, the relatively new Shannon Springs Wall is a high-quality crag of slabby crack and face climbs. The wall was developed by local route developer and skiing pro Nick McNutt in 2019 and 2020. While the stone is quite featured, you’ll still have to trust some smears. The crag gets morning shade and sports a very easy approach.

2. The Corner Unit

The Corner Unit is another great slab wall addition by McNutt. It’s found on the backside of the Papoose, just to the left of the popular Condo Crack 5.6 two-pitch climb. Unlike Shannon Springs, the crag gets afternoon shade. Blown Budget 5.8, Bidding War 5.9, and Stress Test 5.10a are great fully-bolted friction slab climbs. The gear lines at the crag often feature bolted slab sections as well.

3. Stooge’s Slab

At the top of the southern portion of the Malamute you’ll find Stooge’s Slab, a small slab section of wall with great stone and an even better view. The routes Larry 5.9, Curly 5.9, and Moe 5.8 are excellent choices for top-roping or leading. Larry and Curly are better bolted than Moe. To TR these routes, it’s best to set an anchor and rap in to the small ledge at the start of the climbs.

4. Burgers and Fries

The Smoke Bluffs is packed with high quality slab climbs, many of which can be easily top-roped. Burgers and Fries is one crag containing lots of slab climbs of varying grades. Many of these slab lines contain serious run outs and thus top-roping is common – a great way to practice your slab skills. Other good Bluffs crags for working your smears include Free and Easy, Parking Lot Wall, Funarama, and Second Avenue (when clean).

5. AMO Wall

Once you’re starting to feel comfy, a great multi-pitch area to check out before jumping on a bigger Apron route is the AMO Wall in Shannon Falls. It contains a bunch of very slabby routes up to four pitches long, most in the lower grades. The friction smearing you do here translates very well to easier Apron slab climbs. Some pitches at AMO have run-outs but most have decent bolt spacing.

Where to Find Topos

Detailed topos of Stooge’s Slab, Burgers and Fries, and AMO Wall can be found in the guidebooks Squamish Select or Squamish Rockclimbing. Shannon Springs and The Corner Unit are newer crags and aren’t currently found in any published guide. You can find free topos of the two walls on Quickdraw Publications or Sea to Sky Climbing.