Climbing
From the first leg of our trip, this was Terence’s favorite climbing area. Every type of climbing is available in one location – Bouldering, Trad, Sport, Multi-pitch, etc. Who could argue with that?! In addition, the scenery was beautiful.
The Squamish Access Society (SAS) has done an excellent job working to protect public access to the climbing areas in Squamish.
We climbed here during the month of August. It was one of the worst wildfire seasons in British Columbia, but we got relatively lucky with weather. It was still extremely hot, but we did not experience bad air quality from the smoke until the day we left.
Camping
We spent most of our time camping at the Chek Canyon Recreational Area. There are no fees for overnight camping, a series of drive-in campsites (each equipped with a picnic table and fire ring), and a good number of pit toilets. The camping area is right next to the Chek sport climbing area and about 20min away from the Chief. There is also the Chief Campground ($10/pp) or Mamquam Campground ($10/per site).
We stayed two nights at the Mamquam Campground. As of August 2017, some of the camp area was still under construction so only portable toilets were available with no running water. In the future (according to their website), they will have a camping area for vans at a lower cost.
There is no longer overnight parking available in the Stawamus Chief, Apron, Murrin, and Shannon Falls parking lots. You can also sleep overnight on Mamquam Road (FSR), but beware that you cannot park near any residential areas which will require you to drive the van up the 2.5km graveled road. We decided not to drive up the graveled road in the van and found the convenient camping at the Chek Canyon Recreational Area. Thank you SAS!
Water Fill: At the Chief’s campground there are water spigots, however this water is not filtered and taken directly from the mountain stream. I saw most climbers and hikers filling up their water bottles without boiling, but just be aware. We went to the “MTN Fun Basecamp” camp area and asked if we could use their water fill. They let us fill our water tank at no cost. If you do go here, be sure to ask before using.
Showers: The Brennan Park Recreation Centre has a swimming pool with a hot tub and showers. There is a discounted rate “$2Toonie Swims” for $2. In August 2017, $2Toonie Swims were during the early morning (6-6:30am) or late at night (9-9:30pm) – Monday to Friday. In June 2018, the $2Toonie Swims were 1130-1300 (Monday to Friday). There are also many small lakes near Squamish such as Browning Lake (Murrin Provincial Park), Brohm Lake, or Alice Lake. NOTE: The parking lot at some of these locations are limited!
Food and Drinks
(1) Backcountry Brewing: I loved their “Pump Up the Jam!” DIPA. In addition to their selection of craft brews, they also have a nice selection of craft pizzas and small snacks. We went through multiple growler fills from this place. Highly recommended is their Forager Pizza with mushrooms and truffled cream!
(2) Essence of India Restaurant: If you go to Squamish, you must make at least one stop here and it may not be your last.
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- Garlic Naan – I can’t remember what we exactly ordered, but everything was GOOD!
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- Mango Lassi
(3) The Ledge Community Coffee House: If you are looking for coffee, small pastries, and WIFI!
Rest Day Activities
(1) Stawamus Chief Hike: We only hiked to the first peak, but if you are feeling ambitious there are three different peaks you can summit on this hike. Bring your headlamp(s) and hike right before sunset so you can watch the sunset at the top!
(2) Vancouver: We spent a day in Vancouver biking around the seawall and touring Granville Market.
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- Biking around the Sea Wall in Vancouver
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- Fresh Fruit at Granville Market
(3) Whistler: We spent a day in Whistler watching the Red Bull Joyride (Crankworx). There are also lots of places to eat, but a little more on the pricier end.
