Skaha
Introduction
Skaha is a rock climbing area located near Penticton, BC, in the Okanagan Valley. It is generally pretty dry, making it a common destination for times of the year when Squamish is a little soggy. The VOC usually runs a trip there around Halloween. Skaha has climbs at all levels, in both the traditional and sport styles. There is also a lot of top-roping possibilities for beginners.
The club has some guidebooks for this area, including "Skaha Rockclimbs" by Howie Richardson.
There is only one way to access the bluffs legally, and it involves paying to park on a private farm. This fee is around $4/day per person but could have changed. The access situation is complicated, and constantly in flux, so do your best not to annoy the locals and hopefully things will continue to work. The land owners have graciously donated their land so please respect the area. Please do NOT block private driveways and do NOT park on the roadside.
Directions
From Vancouver take the #1 east to Hope. At Hope, you have two options: 1) Taking the #5 Coquihalla saves 40 minutes but costs a $10 toll. 2) Taking #3 is adviseable because we're all poor students. Take #3 east towards Princeton and keep going past Princeton to Keremeos. At Keremeos take #3A north towards Pentiction, joining the #97 north for the final few kilometers along Skaha Lake into Penticton. Estimated time: 6 hours by the longer but toll-less route.
To reach the bluffs, take Valleyview Road south to the very end at the Braeside Farm parking lot. There is a user fee, $3 per person. Please pay because we may not have access for much longer (parking lot is on private land that is being sold in the near future). (Notice the green arrow on the map below)
Climbing
This is one of the best sport climbing destinations in BC and has lots to offer for trad, sport, and top roping. Here's a short list.
Beginner-friendly walls
- Fern Gully (5.6 to 5.9, don't know about top-rope access),
- Go Anywhere (5.7 to 5.9, with access for top-roping),
- Far Away (5.6 to 5.10b with access for top-roping),
- Red Tail Wall lower tier (large with 5.8 to 5.10a, most have access for top-roping)
- Another Buttress (large with 5.6 to 5.9, access for top-roping)
- Claim It All Wall (Mostly 5.10 sport, with 5.8 and 5.9 also, lots of routes)
- Doctor's Wall (Slighty overhanging wall, with 5.11+ sport)
- The Fortress (lots of climbs in 5.10-5.11 grade)
Fun Routes
- The Dream 5.9 gear (Redtail, The Turret)
- The Raven and the Bear 5.9 sport (Raven's Castle)
- Plum Line 5.9 sport (East Fortress)
- Ready to Strike 5.10a gear (Diamondback)
- Grassy Glades 5.10a gear (Grassy Glades)
- Assholes of August 5.9 gear (Red Tail Upper)
- Brilliant Pebbles 5.10c sport (Grassy Glades)
- Double Exposure 5.8 gear (East Portal)
Note: Sometimes it can rain when you are outside. If it does, there is a cave at Cave Hill to explore, but remember to bring a headlamp and helmet.
Skaha Trip 2006
Oct. 28-29, 2006
- Note: likely with some people coming a day early and some leaving a day late.
Camping
The Stather's place, unfortunately, is unavailable this year.
We've secured a beautiful camping location for an amazing price at the Lost Moose Resort. Fuller will be collecting camping fees from each driver, so make sure you find and pay him on Friday night or at the Potluck Saturday. When checking into campground just tell Phil and Kathy Basil that you're with the VOC (they know that I'm paying them for everyone). The fees will be $10/car for the entire weekend. They have OK'd it if people want to come one night early or stay one night later. If the weather isn't below freezing, there is running water, a bathroom, and even one shower. They're going to update Fuller about the water situation before we leave.
Directions can be found on the Lost Moose website here: Lost Moose Map & Directions. Note that their map has roughly South-East in the up direction. If you want to look for the streets on Google Maps, just look due east of the middle of Penticton.
Food
We typically celebrate Halloween in style and have a potluck dinner on Saturday night. Otherwise take care of your own food or organize something within your car group. Penticton has lots of grocery stores so don't worry if you forget something.
Christine has graciously donated her house for the Saturday potluck. (No, that doesn't mean we're eating her house for dinner). The potluck will begin at 6 at her home, located at 3608 Forsyth Dr, high in the hills of the northwest part of the city. See map with link below, but also note the directions from Christine:
Christine's Directions: The house is way up on the west side of the valley so, you'll need to drive to the north end on the city (The Okanagan Lake end), and get onto the highway as if you were going to drive out to Kelowna. (In the city, Eckhart Street, when followed, turns into the highway. If driving along the "Channel Parkway", turn left on Eckhart.) You'll be heading west, facing that side of the valley. Drive past the Visitors Center, and golf course, and you'll cross a bridge over the river channel. directly after this bridge, there is a hill on the left hand side (at the bottom there is a big driving range, I think it's called "Doc's Driving Range"). Turn left up that road. If you start driving alongside the lake, you've gone the wrong way. Continue along that road, and you'll come to another bridge, and a T intersection; turn right. Continue up and you'll come to another T intersection, where you'll turn right again, and directly afterwards take a left up the hill (this road is called Bartlett). Stay on this road, it will eventually magically turn into Forsyth Drive (the name changes randomly at a curve in the road, to reasons unknown by everyone). So just simply continue up and up, always staying on the same curvy road. You will cross a cattleguard, drive by a hideous subdivision, and gravel pit, and just keep going up. Eventually you'll come to the top, where there is a fantastic view of Penticton, and will see on the right hand side a blue sign that says Husula Highlands. Keep going (don't worry, you're almost there), you'll go up a little hill, and my house is just past the top of it, after a culdesac (how do you spell that anyway?) at 3608 Forsyth Dr.
It sounds confusing, but it's actually fairly straightforward once you're on the road. If anyone has any problems whatsoever, my home number is (250) 493-6082... and my name is Christine (so you don't feel silly calling and not knowing who I am, or who to ask for). If anyone has any questions beforehand, my number here is 604-619-7996, and I'll have my cell in Penticton too, incase for any reason you can't reach me on the home number.
What to bring
As with most trips you should have an adequate sleeping bag, tent, means to cook (i.e. stove or someone to share with), food, and appropriate clothing. If you don't have a tent try to find one within your car group to share. If you don't have a stove, bring something delicious to bribe someone and they'll let you share. You should all own sleeping bags by now - c'mon this is an outdoor club.
Don't forget to have something for the Saturday night potluck dinner. Mmmm I can't wait.
At this time of the year, Penticton is pretty chilly with daytime temperatures averaging in the low-teens and night-time often dropping below 273 Kelvin (also known as 0˚C, for all the non-nerds out there). Keep this in mind when packing clothing.
A guidebook would be very useful, so try and scrounge one before coming. If not, a photographic memory will suffice.
Also don't forget your Halloween costume for our potluck Halloween party! (Note: "Rock Climber" is not a very original costume)
Instruction
There will be a short course, called Rock 2.5, on Sunday morning. This is designed for people who are comfortable top-roping and interested in learning the principles of sport-lead climbing. We'll teach lead belaying, clipping techniques, ideas regarding catching falls, etc. Students should be very comfortable climbing 5.8, just so we're all on the same level.
The set up will be as follows: the instructors will give a demonstration for the students and explain things. After the demo the instructors will each take a pair of students off to give them a chance to try one lead climb. This means that the course has a limit of 2 students per instructor. Additional students are welcome to watch the demo and hear the explanation but likely won't get to lead climb. After the course, students can go back to their top-roping (unless they already own quickdraws and a rope) and instructors can go back to whatever climbing they had intended for the day. The entire course should only last 2 hours.
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Rock 2.5 Instructor Sign Up
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Rock 2.5 Student Sign Up
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Trip Sign Up
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Cars
If you have space in your car, please post the spots. Passengers pay for gas. If you have a rope and/or rack, please indicate so that we can try and even out people with gear into cars with less gear.
Note: Passengers, contact your drivers a few days in advance to determine meeting locations/times. Contact info can be found on Member List. The onus is not on drivers to track down all their passengers.
- Jordan Tam (4 spots) [rope,rack,tent]{Thursday afternoon/eve - Sunday early evening] Hey!! Who put my car on here??
- Boris [2 ropes, draws, tent&camping gear]
- Kristen B
- Afton
- Mike Simons
- Matthew Breakey (# 4) [rope,rack]{friday 4pm on campus - sunday @ 9pm]
Going to Skaha - weather looks reasonable.
- Angela Markwart
- Charlie Caunt [small tent]
- Ben Singleton-Polster[1/4 rack,rope, tent]
- Now open =>
- Bob Lai (# 4) (leaving Fri afternoon)
- Evan Morris (hopefully will have a rope, but no draws:( )
- Greta Raymant
- Robert Fischer-Summers [rope, draws]
- Jeff McCord
- Julie (3 extra but not much gear (Jeep)) (anytime after friday 5pm)
- Christian Champagne (1 & 2-person tents, stove + camping gear)
- Ben Webber
- Irena Kuca
- Lara Thompson (3 extra but not much gear -- tiny Escort)[rope,tiny rack,tent,camp stove](leave friday late afternoon)
- Alice Leppitt
- Brian Condon (maybe rope, 2 person tent, one stove)
- Christian Veenstra (rope, rack + bivy sack)
- Katie Mollema (3 spots)
- Cynthia Thomson
- Charissa Pinnell (rope, tent)
- Claire Heintzman
- Michael Blicker (3 spots) [trad rack, tent, stove, stylishly good looks]
- Marcin Mirski (rope, some biners and slings)
- Piotr Forysinski (ropes (halves), trad rack (limited camming power), bivi bag, small stove...)
- Mahdi Eynian (two person tent, stove)
- Scott Webster (3 extra spots) (have everything) (leave UBC (early?) Fri. afternoon, return Sun. night, hopefully not too late)
- Leah Nurmi
- Nasir Zulkafly - Two/Three person tent
- Fiona Campbell (3 spots in a small car) (leave from UBC friday 2:00pm, return sunday night)
- Mike Young (rope, rack, draws, guide, 2 person tent, stove etc.)
- Greg Dennis(2 person tent, stove, Brand New Draws!)
- Fuller! [rope, quickdraws]
- Eva Wingren (4 spots) [nada - please pack light!] [leaving Friday at 4, return Sunday night]
- Jowen Yeo (2 person tent, draws, rope)
- Eric von Lieres (2 person tent, camping gear, rope, quickdraws)
- Richard So (2 person tent, some gear)
- Nadine Harris (4 person tent)
- Sandra Nicol (4 spots, pick up near UBC) [rack, rope, tent, stove, pots] (leave Friday 5pm, return Sunday night)
- Krystil Koethler
- Chris Michalak
- Christine McLaren
- Alex Ross
- Seth Adams (5 spots) [rope,rack, tent, stove, shoes, clean underwear] to get 5 in my car YOU must pack light!! {friday afternoon on campus - sunday evening]
- Seth
- Matthew Cole (3 person tent, Rope, draws)
- Andre Malan (2-3 person tent,rope, ROOIBOS TEA!
- Stephanie Schmitt (rope, draws)
- Erin Sours (goldfish!)
Carless People
- For those whom need a ride.
- James Painter - (Rope, draws etc) 604-616-3710
- Pawel Mirski (tent, beiners, slings, smiles^_^) 604-936-6973
- Ian Garber (2 person tent, stove, rope, and rack) 604 732 3805
- Matthew Baker (rope, sport rack, 2 person tent, stove) mattobaker@yahoo.ca 604-293-2951
- Olivia Freeman (rope, harnesses, 2 person tent (possible 2 two person tents), stove, camping gear, extra sleeping bag and mat) I know this is bit of a late notice but would love to go if there is any extra room. olivierocks@yahoo.com 778 838 0847