Powell River Bouldering Guide - 2020 Update free download

 An older version of this guide was made available in the Powell River Rocks guidebook. I also made an updated version available for download for a small fee.

Since that time, the amount of bouldering in the Eldred Valley has more than doubled. Many new areas have been opened. I no longer live in Powell River, and am unable to fully update the guide at this time. A new developer and I are working on a website that will include all the new lines, areas, and projects that are openly being reported. It will be a user updated interactive interface for all things bouldering in the Powell River area.  Eventually, I do plan on collecting everything and making a proper update. 

Now that the shoulder season is approaching, I'd like to release this slightly updated version with a few corrections and sent projects. It does not include the huge amount of new stuff in the Buttress boulders, the Psyche slab area, or the Sanctuary. 

An important note - Stillwater bluffs is a highly sensitive ecosystem, and an area that the Friends of Stillwater Bluffs are working hard to conserve.  Abide by all ethical guidelines in this guide. If word spreads of any climbers leaving garbage, parking incorrectly, damaging the area in anyway, or annoying residents of the neighbourhood, this guide will come down.

Please re-scrub problems if you are in the valley - if everyone retro-scrubbed just one problem per trip things would stay clean! Be very bear aware as there are occasional grizzly sightings in the area.

Enjoy!

Notice of rights - all rights reserved. No part of this PDF, including photographs, maps or text may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without consent of the author.


Some beta can be found by following my Instagram 'Krizob', or searching Eldred Valley or Powell River bouldering on Youtube. 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDE HERE

Bouldering Guide Available Now!!

I'm proud to finally release a bouldering guidebook for the Powell River area!!
*Note, a few minor updates added in 2019.

---  Scroll Down for Buy Now option --

Blurry jpeg export of the cover

   Though this guide was completed quite some time ago, an alternate and slightly less complete version is being included within the new published guide book by Christie Dionne "Powell River Rocks" (see previous post). I didn't want to release the guide on its own until the full project was completed. Like any guide, by the time it is published, new problems will have been established already. This version includes several harder problems that are listed in the print guide as projects, as well as more detailed information.

This is the the most recent information available on bouldering in the Powell River area, and can stand alone as a guide for those just interested in bouldering as it provides all the beta you need to get to the areas, how to plan a trip, and what to expect.

It will only be offered as a download, unless there is either enough demand or enough development to warrant publishing physical copies - maybe for the next update. For that reason, I'm offering this download at an extremely low price considering the amount of work that has gone into it.

 I respectfully ask that you do not share this guide for free after downloading. While it isn't perfect, this project took an immense amount of time. All of the information was started from scratch. If you can't afford $10, use less chalk or try drinking one less six pack a year and hopefully you'll be able to check out the guide. Enjoy, and happy sending!

Blurry jpeg export of the inside cover

DOWNLOAD POWELL RIVER BOULDERING 2018

Select Buy Now, pay securely with PayPal, and I will email you link to download a copy within a 24 - 48 hr period.

Eldred Valley Bouldering Guide Download

 Here's a treat for the new year. I'm very psyched to bring you A PDF excerpt of the Eldred section from the upcoming guide book. I'll release the Stillwater section when I can- and now that I've been able to connect with local stone master Rob Richards, who is pretty much a walking guide book when his memory is jogged, many of the original names and history of the area can finally be included.

 It may not look like much, but this took far more time and effort than you might think. Starting a guide from scratch means a lot of things. It means hiking around and drawing maps (which are refined over and over), taking photos, lots and lots of editing, learning to use an open-source publishing soft-ware because I can't afford to pay for one, taking the time to seek out the history of the area and not rushing things (more will be included in the full guide), and of course, scrubbing and climbing everything. I have scrubbed and or climbed every single problem in this guide, and that of course was the best part of all.

 It would mean a lot if you could donate any amount to the cause - it will either go towards bolts for routes, gear for trail work, or publishing costs for a completed guide.

The except can be downloaded here - Eldred Valley Bouldering - Excerpt 

Donations can be made with the donation tab on the right side-bar.  In person beers are welcomed, especially if I see you in the valley.

Low quality sneak peaks at the cover and back-cover:
                     

A mini online version can be seen here (not as updated as the full link)
Mini Online Version by Christie Dionne

Enjoy!!

Photo Spread

Lots has been going on in the Eldred Valley lately. My season has wrapped up, but here's some photos by Matt Hodgson of some projects being worked on.

Brent Goodman on a project near the swimming spot

Matt Hodgson on his Blessings in Disguise project

Big Balls Lazarski jugging on the Mad Mardigan project

Kevan Robitaille being lowered into space to jug out from a new project

Kevan starting up the short bolt ladder on the new project

Buttress Boulders and B-Branch Photos - Eldred Valley

Just a few snap shots I snagged from Matt Hodgson. Hope everyone is staying warm and dry this winter. The first two photos are of the awesome new boulder discovered in the 'other' side of the road in the Buttress cluster. Eldred Valley bouldering at it's finest. This thing looks like it's right out of Ferngully. It's tall, and the rock quality is stellar. The line moves into a few crimps before hitting the crack to top out.

Anna's Green Fables - (Ungraded) 

Low Card - V1 (The shortest problem in the valley, it's an odd one)

Bulge Project - B Branch

This boulder in the Buttress area needs a bit of scrub down to get shiney, but after the carpet moss was pulled back some rad problems revealed themselves. Not a bad view of the Mainer in the background either.

Blessings in Disguise - Ungraded. West Main Wall in background.

Unknown problem, right side of Blessings

The classic block hold on the Open Canvas Boulder

Happy New Year....?

Eldred Valley - B Branch Boulders - Inverted Area. Just Another Project.

Matt H  - Just another project

This beauty was uncovered by Matt in what has become a cluster of problems I'm dubbing the 'Inverted Area', right near the beginning of the B Branch trail. This problem is a stone's throw passed the awesome Inverted Academics, which I fired the second ascent of before we started sessioning this project.

See the FA of Inverted Academics here.  This is a tough problem to grade...especially since I've never done anything similar to it with such a full on leg hook before. I agree with Matt's idea of it either being a softer V6 or a sandbagged V5. Matt and I are pretty different height wise, so our styles are very different, and my lack of reach made me have to be fully extended and move dynamically. Looks like it'll need a 3'rd opinion.

The new project feels like a V6 or even a V7, but it's so hard to say until it's actually sent. Our fingers were fairly destroyed, so maybe it's even easier. Matt came super close to cranking it during the session, and whichever of us gets back on it next will likely nab the FA.

Also in B Branch, to the left of the main boulder right by the parking spot, I put up a new easy problem called Communication Eater. Basically, the problem ate my phone when I was cleaning it. I love it when a problem name's itself.

On the same boulder, there's 3 cool dyno problems starting from the same hold. It's like a mirror sequence of the seaside boulder - all starting on the same good hold, one going straight up, one going left, and one going right. This is why our fingers were so shredded.

I (mostly) sent the very fun leftward campus problem, which will be called Doobie Sloth (V5/6?) though I kind of cheated and had some momentum from leaving the ground so need to go back and send it properly before I truly claim a first ascent.


We also did some exploring in the Buttress Boulders, and found what I think might be the best problem in the entire Valley so far. It was too dark to take a photo, and we only tried the first move. It's hard, starting with what may be either a campus or very difficult heel hook on a rail (exactly like the super classic 5 star Sunshine and Lollipops in Squamish). It's steep, and though the top out was quite mossy, it looks like it will involve a very difficult, fairly high mantle.

 I can't wait to get stronger and put in some work on it to see how it'll turn out!

Oh, I also found out the possible grade of the new route 'Against the Current' on the Buttress. I think I heard somewhere in the 11+ range. I hope I have time to get on it before the season is over...so much to do so little time.

Project in the Buttress Boulders - Eldred Valley

Matt styling it

I'm happy to report that last season I realized I actually had established more problems than I had projects, which isn't to say there still aren't a ton of projects yet to be sent - in fact every time I go exploring I find new potential lines. Here is a beauty line that Matt showed me right next to the V4 he established and FA'd that day: "Smokin beers". 

There is literally a pit of death underneath this project, which we partially covered with small fallen trees, but you better make sure you have a pad covering them and have some one spot you on the first move.  

We originally thought this would be super hard, but after sessioning it together, moss and all, we figured out the lower moves. Though it's still definitely stiff (heart-breaking top out crux), I feel that it will go down for sure after some work.  

Learning the sequence

First full attempt - shut down on the top out