The Dark Pool: Fun in the fleeting sun

Deep water soloing is the 'cool' thing to do. Even if it's in the frigid, dark river waters of coastal B.C.

Eric playing around on the roof

The Dark Pool is a swimming area on Louis River, more commonly known as Eagle River. The area is known by many different names - when I grew up, my friends and I called it 'the caves', due to a little cave you can swim through that puts you behind the waterfall.

Climbers call it 'The Dark Pool' - due it often being covered by shade. Its in a canyon, which can make for some cold waters if you go too early or too late in the day - but that also makes for a few cool lines of deep water soloing.

 While climbing the traverse "The Dry Circuit" that goes along this well featured roof, I noticed a few holds that seemed like they would link up to the top of the wall.

Matt eyeing up the crux on Big Splash.

  Turns out, after turning the roof, there is a fun bouldery section that links up with easy climbing straight to the forest above. You could walk down, but I named the route Big Splash (5.10+?) for a reason - the jump down is the reward.

 I can barely guess at the grade since I only climbed it once, and I have a very bouldery style. It felt pretty easy to me, already knowing the beta for the roof and only having one hard move after. It will need a few other sends to get a consensus.

  No photos were taken of the upper part of the route, but from where Matt is staring in this photo, it goes right through the slightly lighter coloured section on his right, then straight up.

There's a rad boulder at the dark pool too. I've played around in the cave of it, and I know it will go. The trouble is the landing, or more like lack there of. You'd pretty much fall down a slippery canyon. If I can figure out a way to build a landing pad across it and make it safer, this will definitely be worth cleaning. 

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