Squamish Chief (Goose Rock)
Submitted by admin on Wednesday, 23 December 2009No Comment
Fred Beckey
From the 1960 Canadian Alpine Journal
To anyone who has driven to Squamish, Goose Rock is a landmark of "Yosemite" granite – it rises 1,900 feet in a sheer sweep from the cool waters of Howe Sound, in a fjord wall over two miles wide. Two deep clefts divide it – but even these are not easy climbs. The first direct route to the summit was made in the spring of 1959 by Hank Mather, Fred Beckey and Don Claunch, by way of the central-west buttress beginning at the highway bridge. On the first attempt the party climbed approximately 1200 feet of difficult granite and brushy chimneys.
On a later weekend the party reached the high point by an exit from the central gully, and worked up the steep slabs to the final 200 foot vertical wall. The highlight of this section was the eruption of a luncheon fire to a major blaze that nearly cleared the only clump of trees on the face. After containing the fire, the climb was completed in a long direct-aid section. The rather sensational route was finished just at darkness; the game trail down the south side was found in the darkness. About 40 pitons and four bolts were used on the ascent. The rock is quite sound, but because of moss in many of the cracks one should avoid climbing in this area until rain moisture has had a chance to dry.
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