Northbound
Golden triangle: 3 northern meccas harness rock hounds
On those first amazing clear, dry days in the spring, rock climbers who have spent the winter cross-training on snowboards and skis dust off the climbing gear and head for one of the many crags in the golden triangle of the northwest: Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert. That means venturing out into some of the areas that are among the Northwest’s best kept secrets.
Soaring granite cliffs and climbing crags can be found in virtually every direction from Terrace, making it the ideal home base for a northwestern climbing tour. To the east lies the most popular and most exposed area on the face of Copper Mountain. To the northeast the Kitselas area is a popular spot, particularly for newcomers to the sport. South on Hwy 16 the Chist Creek forest recreation site is known for its short, pumpy sport climbing routes and tricky advanced routes for experienced climbers. And west of Terrace en route to Prince Rupert lies the Tyee climbing area, an easily accessible spot that is well maintained after years of use.
There is something rewarding about climbing in the spring here that’s different than other better known climbing destinations and it has everything to do with the coastal weather. While climbers in Jasper, AB are still contending with snow on the ground in popular climbing areas as late as May, the climbing season here can start as early as March, thanks to a milder climate.
But there’s something else that makes climbing here exceptional: the people.
“That’s what I love about Terrace, and I’ve lived in and been to a lot of other climbing communities, but Terrace is absolutely incredible with how welcoming and non-elitist it is,” says Terrace resident and climber Gary McQuaid. “My experience is people get welcomed with open arms here.”
The local climbing shop in Terrace, Azad Adventures, is the hub of the climbing community. It posts a sign-up sheet where local climbers put their contact information for newcomers or people looking for climbing partners. And if you visit any of the four most popular climbing spots you’ll usually find a super-positive environment for beginners and experienced climbers alike.
“A person can have a really, really hard time on an easy climb and still get patted on the back for it…nobody’s going to get people buying them drinks for doing a big fancy climb,” McQuaid says. “There’s not big fan club, it’s not elitist; that’s what I like about Terrace.”
Shane Spencer, an avid climber and owner of Azad Adventures agrees.
“There are no superstars, so there’s none of that big area arrogance; everyone is just having fun and doing their thing,” he says.
And nowhere is that more true than at the only outdoor climbing competition in the area. Every summer Azad Adventures hosts a top-rope competition at Chist Creek, a popular climbing area located near Onion Lake about half-way between Terrace and Kitimat. The event began in 2002 as part of the Terrace Standard Adventure Challenge—the Northwest’s only outdoor adventure sport series. That first year about 20 people from Terrace, Smithers, Kitimat and Prince Rupert participated in the event. Last year that number grew to nearly 40 participants.
Experienced climbers like Spencer compete alongside people who have never climbed before. The event draws participants as young as nine years old up to masters in their 50s. And at the base of every climb spectators and competitors sit, heads up, calling out support and encouragement to whoever is on the rock.
It’s one of the greatest aspects about the sport—there’s an unspoken code of ethics among climbers to help one another out rather than watch someone flail around trying to figure out a tough move. And it’s an ethic that’s embraced by the climbing community in the Northwest.
Like any mountain community, the local climbing shop is a good place to start to get some beta—or information—about where to climb in the area. Though there’s been talk for many years of a guidebook being made for the area, one has not yet been published, so word of mouth or hooking up with some locals is a newcomer’s best bet.
The climbing scene in the Terrace area is becoming more popular, but remains one of those little secret gems that not everyone knows about.
“It’s getting developed enough that you can usually find a climbing partner, but you’ll never find a crowd,” says Spencer.
Popular places to climb
Kitselas
Named for the historic Kitselas area northeast of Terrace, this climbing spot is a particularly good place to hit for beginners to the sport. Kitselas boasts a number of bolted sport climbs and several mixed sport and traditional routes that may require traditional climbing gear such as cams.
The area is fairly versatile, appealing to beginners and advanced climbers alike.
“It’s mostly slab climbing, but again, there’s quite a bit of variety,” says Shane Spencer, an avid climber and owner of Azad Adventures in Terrace.
Most of the routes at Kitselas can also be top-roped, which means a rope can be set up from above climbing route, so a lead climber isn’t absolutely necessary.
But it’s a great spot for people getting into lead climbing—that’s when a person moves up the rock before the rope and sets quickdraws or gear along the route for protection.
Experienced climbers also peg Kitselas as a good spot for beginners, adding the approach is a quick: less than a five-minute walk from your car.
Getting there:
Head north through Terrace on Kalum St. Go through the stop sign at the top of the hill and carry on until you hit the Kitselas Road. Turn right and follow it for about seven kilometres. Park and walk in to the climbing area.
Copper Mountain
Located on the wide-open face of Copper Mountain in Thornhill (right across the Skeena River from Terrace), this climbing area is perhaps the most visible spot where people in the Terrace area climb. Overlooking the Skeena Valley Golf and Country Club’s 18-hole golf course, the Copper Mountain climbing area offers a small spot for beginners and a cross-section of multi-pitch mixed sport and gear routes for more advanced climbers. A popular spot, but very exposed, Copper is one of those areas with a substantial amount of rock fall—while it’s always a good idea to where a helmet while climbing, it’s especially important at this particular spot, where loose rock does pose a danger.
Copper Mountain is one of the few developed areas, and it extends for almost a kilometre. While there are roughly a dozen climbs, many reach up to 300 metres in length. It’s also one of the first places you’ll spot people on the rock in the spring. Its southwest face means the wide-open climbing area gets a good portion of the day’s sunlight without falling into shadow.
“The approach is a little longer but there’s more time in the sun,” says Spencer. “And there’s usually a good wind so the rocks dry off nicely.”
The area has a number of multi-pitch routes graded 5.10 plus. Climbers should be knowledgeable in lead climbing and using traditional gear for protection.
“One of the downfalls of Copper is you pretty much have to lead everything to climb it,” says Spencer. “There is Candy Box, which is kind of a nice starter spot especially for kids. That area itself is probably the most versatile for people just learning.”
Candy Box is a small portion of Copper Mountain with a face filled with features and big “jugs” that are easily climbable even for very young people and newcomers to the sport. It’s a great spot for people learning to lead climb to do laps until they start to feel comfortable.
Getting there:
Head east of Terrace on Hwy 16 and turn right onto Crescent Street just before SKB Auto wreckers. Turn left onto Haugland a couple hundred metres further. After the road swings left, turn right onto Parmenter, and then right onto the gravel pullout. A four-wheel-drive Hydro access road leads up to the cliffs. Park out of the way if you have a car.
The cliffs can also be accessed via the golf course. Head east on Hwy 16, turn right onto Old Lakelse Lake Drive. Follow it through lower Thornhill and up the hill. Turn left onto Thornhill Street across from the Thornhill Pub. Take a right on Golf Course Road. Park at the opposite end from the clubhouse and follow the dirt road which heads north towards the second hole, then turns east and heads towards the cliff. A road behind the gravel pit past the third hole leads to the power lines. Turn right and go about 100 metres through the alders to a talus slope. Climb this slope past a large boulder and go north along the base of the cliff. Pull yourself up an old rope to a ledge that accesses the climbs.
Chist Creek
Located about a 20 minute drive south of Terrace on Hwy 16, you’ll find Chist Creek in a forest service camping site which is primarily user-maintained. It has three campsites and an outhouse located right at the foot of a popular little crag with more than a dozen or so bolted sport routes. While there are a few routes such as Swimming Pool that appeal to newcomers, the routes here tend to be fairly challenging right off the ground. Even some of the more moderate routes such as Cadillac Soup feature tough crux moves right off the ground which can be frustrating for beginners, but fun for the more experienced climbers. Look for short, pumpy routes with lots of big jugs, heel hooks and little flakes for holds.
Getting there:
Take Hwy 37 south until you get to the intersection of the Onion Lake cross-country ski trails. Turn east across from the ski trail entrance onto the North Kitimat Forest Service Road. Follow the road for two kilometres and turn left. Keep left for another kilometre, then turn right at the next intersection. Follow the road for about 600 metres, and the forest recreation site will be to your left. Parking is available, and the base of the crag is mere metres from the parking area.
Tyee
The Tyee climbing area is one of the most developed and longest used areas to climb in the area. It is characterized by long, bolted sport routes with loads of tough overhanging features. Nestled at the base of a crag and shielded from the highway by tall cedar trees, Tyee has a nice picnic site and fire pit and has been well maintained by users for many years.
“It is all steep vertical to overhanging bolted sport routes,” says Spencer. “The one cool thing about Tyee is the top ropes are pre-rigged with poly rope so you can just pull your rope through and not worry about hiking up and setting anchors. And it has probably the best developed camping area at the base…it’s my favourite for aesthetics.”
With just a couple 5.9 graded routes, this area is best for advanced climbers as most routes are graded 5.10 plus and up.
“It’s nice, clean, sharp granite, and more gymnastic than even Chist Creek and more powerful, with longer routes too,” Spencer says.
Getting there:
Head west of Terrace on Hwy 16 toward Prince Rupert. Drive for about 105 kilometres. A few hundred metres east of the Tyee overpass over the CN rail tracks pull off onto a section of the old highway beside the railway tracks, just before a swamp. Follow the arrow spray-painted on the rock along with TRC (Tyee Rock Climbing) to a trail across the tracks and up to the cliffs. This is a swampy area and bug dope is critical.
What you need to climb
- helmet
- grippy climbing shoes
- chalk and a chalk bag
- harness
- a strong 60-metre rope with a heavy sheath to protect it from jagged rock
- a set of about a dozen quickdraws
- a set of small to medium sized cams and nuts will serve you well
Your Comments on Northbound
No one has commented yet on this article.
comments are not open for this article