Over the last month, I organized two BCMC Kids Climbing trips, and on both trips, we ended up climbing in the Free and Easy Area (Blind Channel Crags). In this post, I will share our experience climbing here over two different sessions.
I posted the first trip for Kids Climbing this season on May 22 (Victoria Day). Michael, Garima and their eight-year-old son Arun joined me and Kavya on this trip. Our initial plan was to climb at Playground Crag. So we met at the Apron Parking Lot and drove to the Playground Crag.
It took some time to find the crag, but it was too wet to climb once we found it. This area apparently had received more rain than other crags in Squamish. So, we decided to drive back and go to the Free and Easy Area.
Free and Easy Area – Approach
The closest parking is at the Park and Ride parking area in front of Squamish Adventure Centre.
From here, it is a short hike along Loggers Lane, and then you will see a trail to the right that takes you to the crags in this area.
Squamish Select (4th Edition) calls it a Free and Easy Area, whereas the TheCrag website labels it Blind Channel Crags.
Sidecar
Once you get on the trail, you will soon walk past Jug Slab and The Zip. The Sidecar is just past The Zip and has about ten climbs, plus a couple more to the left as you walk up to Islands in the Sky.
I first set up the rope for route #3 in the picture above – Trad is Rad (5.6 Trad), a good crack climb. We used the same anchor for other climbs to the left.
Later, Michael belayed me on route #4 – Sidecar (5.10b Sport). On my first lead, I used some of the features to my left, making the climb easier. So I climbed the route again on the top rope and then led it again, sticking to the face, which was harder and closer to the 10b rating. In the afternoon, Raphael joined us, and he did Sidecar as well. Then, we both led route #7 – Hormonely Challenged (5.10b Mixed)
To wrap up the session, we did some rappelling. Michael rappelled down first while I stayed at the anchor. Then the kids took turns rappelling down while Michael gave them a fireman’s belay.
The kids wanted to do more, so after Garima rappelled down, the kids hiked up to the top and rappelled again. I think the kids enjoyed rappelling more than climbing.
Free and Easy
On June 14, I organized another BCMC Kids Climbing trip, and Holly signed up. She would join with her two kids, Lylani (11) and Elodie (10). Kavya first met Leilani and Elodie at Singing Creek and had a great time building a “master city” with sticks and stones. Later we made a climbing trip at Smoke Bluffs, and the kids were excited to meet again.
We met at St. David’s Church and carpooled from there. We parked at the Park and Ride parking in front of the Squamish Adventure Centre and walked to the Free and Easy crag. Once at the crag, we made our way up to the climbs on the left.
Holly led the first route #5 – Marjorie Mae (5.5 Trad). Anders was climbing with his brother in the area, and he joined us just as Holly was done with the first climb. Anders generously offered to belay the kids. He talked about his family trips with BCMC in the 60s and encouraged us to make more trips like these.
Anders was recognized for his work with a BC Achievement Foundation Community Award last year (2022), and you can read more about it here. Checkout this great talk from Anders –
While Anders belayed the kids, Holly belayed me on route # 9 – Elsinore (5.8 Trad), and we set up another route for the kids to climb. With two ropes set up, the kids could climb routes #5, 7, 8 and 9.
Later in the afternoon, the kids took a break, and Holly and I had a chance to do more climbing. I led route # 6 – Tenacious (5.10b sport), which was true to the guidebook description “harder than it looks.” I took a couple of falls before I made it to the top. Holly and I then climbed routes #7 and 8 – both 5.8s.
We wrapped up the day with some rappelling, which, as expected, the kids enjoyed and wanted to do multiple times.
Finally, around 9 pm, we packed up and returned to the parking lot. It was another great kids climbing session at Free and Easy, and I would highly recommend Sidecar and Free and Easy crag for family-friendly climbing sessions.
Territory Acknowledgement
I would like to acknowledge that this trip took place on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I commit to learning about Indigenous peoples and issues and making reconciliation an ongoing effort.
Source: Native-Land Pronunciation Guide: First Nations.info
Resources:
First Nation Sites: Musqueam | Squamish | Tsleil-Waututh
Squamish Rock Climbing Guide: Squamish Select | TheCrag
BCMC: Trips
Disclosure: The links I have shared in the post and under the Resources section are not Affiliate Links.
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