MCM: Banana Peel, 5.8, Squamish BC

Author: Anastasia Pantelias
Photos: Nate Riensche

"...Put your head down and just pad, pad, pad up the slab.
No need to look for placements."

After an alpine start to make it over to the Starbucks before there is a line for the bathroom, Team MCM sipped their coffee, looked out over the Chief and discussed the day’s plans. We were in Squamish, BC, home of the grand granite monolith called the Stawamus Chief. Many, many routes exist up the walls of the Chief with a large portion of them being way too extreme for Team Moderate Climber. Luckily, jutting out from one corner of the monolith is the Apron, a wonderfully moderate slab of rock, home to many classic routes of a less intense grade. It is a perfect play-land for Team MCM.
So the crux of the morning was upon us: deciding on a route to do we all agree on. ‘The only thing I don’t want to do is run-out slab’ stated one member of Team MCM. There were a couple nods in agreement. Well, since that was our only requirement, it seemed as if the classic 5.8 Banana Peel would be just ideal for today’s adventure!
Wait, did you say you DIDN’T want run-out slab? Oh...

Racking Up 31 Cams

As Team MCM racked up in the parking lot of the Apron, there was much discussion about what type of gear to bring. Cams were strewn about the ground, draws lying willy-nilly in the back of the van, runners, cord and biners stacked up to our eyeballs. A couple of us had some beta on the route that allowed us to believe that we would encounter actual cracks on it providing us with a plethora of gear placements. Our conclusion being, that we should definitely take as much gear as we can carry. Team MCM is of the opinion that it is better to have too many cams, than want one and not have one. Since we have been known to place 9 pieces in 30 feet of climbing, well then, in six long pitches, who knows how many we can place! Basically, Team MCM is a firm backer of George W. Bush’s No Cam Left Behind program. We set off into the woods, two teams of two, carrying a total of 31 cams and 3 sets of nuts.
After a few minutes, we found ourselves at the base of the great moderate climb Banana Peel. I squinted a bit as I looked up to our first belay stance. The route ahead of us starts up a completely blank slab for about 20 feet until it reaches a large horizontal break big enough that large pine trees are growing out of them. Unfortunately, between those trees and me are about 25 feet of utterly blank slab. I shiver. I hate unprotectable slab. Yes, even if it is 5.6. I hand over the sharp end to my partner as Team MCM member Kirsten mumbles something about saying that she didn’t want to do run-out slab and what the hell is this... or some such comments. Anyway, we all eventually pad up the slab to the break and hug each tree as we gingerly walk by. Total number of pieces placed so far: Zero.

Marcus Stemming Across to The Apron

The next pitch went side-ways more than up. It was the definition of a traverse. In fact, I think we lost a couple of feet of elevation. We followed the break to a patch of trees a rope length to the right. Total number of pieces placed so far: One.
Team MCM took a collective sigh of relief when we saw the next pitch. This pitch actually gained elevation! However, it was also the crux pitch going at 5.8. The guidebook said something about delightful pockets, but all I could see, again, was a sea of granite slab. Mounting the slab was the first interesting endeavor, as we had to stem across the rock and a large tree in order to get high enough to transfer onto the slab. Team MCM, however, lives for moments like these. After mounting the slab, it was time, again, to put your head down and just pad, pad, pad up the slab. No need to look for placements. With 31 cams between us, if there was a fault or scar anywhere in sight, we would have been able to shove something in there. Instead, after about 25 feet, we came across a lovely, shining bolt; an object that Team MCM rejoices upon happening across, even on 5.8s.

The Author relishes the first crack

After clipping the bolt came the delightful pockets, or, I would say, the delightful indentations. However, a few moves and you are done and subsequently rewarded with an actual corner crack. I relished the few moves I had with the crack. I felt like I really grew to know and love that crack. And parting was such sweet sorrow. Anyway, some more traversing and we were at the next belay. Total number of pieces placed so far: 5.
The fourth pitch was a nice break. Going at 5.4 and quite short, it went up a small gully with holds and roots and a great big tree to grab on to. That is just the way these moderate climbers like their pitches! Still not much gear, however. Total number of pieces placed so far: 6.
Now the fifth pitch was upon us. And although it goes at 5.6, significantly easier than the crux 5.8 pitch, most of Team MCM felt that the hardest move was found here. A few easy moves up a gully led you to a small chest high slab that you had to mount with one small handhold and a lot of faith. And when it comes to slab climbing, Team MCM was getting short on faith. Much to all our amazement, however, there was a nice place to nestle a cam into right below the slab. A protectable move? We were astounded. Anyway, once I mounted the slab, I raised up my eyes and beheld a frightening swath of granite flawlessly undulating before me. Team MCM member Marcus led this pitch and I saw that he zigzagged up the 30-foot slab in order to be able to place one more piece. I shuddered to think how I would have felt on the sharp end. I envisioned myself still in the middle of the slab to this day being coaxed to move up or down by my poor beleaguered belayer. Total number of pieces places so far: 8.

'frightening swath of granite flawlessly undulating'

As Team MCM gathered at a cluster of trees below the final two pitches, we all breathed a sigh of relief thinking that our challenges on this climb were now over. All that was left was two fun-filled 5.4 romps up a gully. We scoped it out thinking that, at long last, we would have a use for the 31 cams and 3 sets of nuts we lugged up here. Alas, we were sorely mistaken. The ‘gully’ that we saw was basically a trough worn into the granite from water running down the Apron. So, not only was there no gear, the trough was water polished. For ľ of the full rope length pitch, I tentatively and slowly worked my way up cursing the fact that the one thing that I love most about granite, the texture, had been washed away during decades of rainy weather. At long last, however, I came upon a flake. And what a wonderful flake it was. In that instant, the pitch changed from a frightening polished slab to a joyous flake-fest. Ah… That’s how I like my 5.4s! I reached a large block perching on the slab and sat there, set up a crappy anchor and brought my partner up. Total number of pieces placed: 11.

"She looked up at me and proclaimed her distaste once again for run-out slab and asked if there was any gear on this pitch at all."

The final pitch followed these immensely fun 5.4 flakes to Memorial Ledge. It was quite short as we could see the Ledge well from our last belay. As I brought my partner up, he just climbed on by and ran up the last few feet to finish the climb. We’ve placed virtually no pieces so far, why start now? However, before I left to join him at the ledge, I looked down the 6th pitch to see Team MCM member Kirsten paralyzed in the water trough and looking desperate. She looked up at me and proclaimed her distaste once again for run-out slab and asked if there was any gear on this pitch at all. Having been in the exact same position she was in now, I understood what she was going through. No gear in sight if you go up; but too damn dicey to go back down! I yelled down and assured her she was only a few moves away from the Fun Flake of Happiness and there she will find gear. She looked up, then bowed her head down, slapped her palms on the slab and scurried as fast as I have seen anyone ever scurry across rock up to the flake. It was apparent that she did not want to prolong her agony for one second longer. If she was going to climb up, she was going to climb up with gusto!
Soon, all four Team MCM members were safely on Memorial Ledge. We had done it! We had successfully climbed the Squamish moderate classic Banana Peel. The run-out nature of the climb did not intimidate us or lead us to back down. We persevered. This is what moderate climbing is all about. Quaking on a 5.4, racking 5 times as much gear as you need, running up a slab as if your life depends on it but enjoying every moment.
Total number of pieces placed on Banana Peel: 11.

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