20
MOUNTAINLIFE
SUMMER2016
Mountain Life:
Teams have been looking at this route for 20 years or so,
what did it involve to be able to ‘free’ the climbwithout hanging on fixed
ropes and ladders?
SonnieTrotter:
Well,“The ProwWall” free climb is a lot different thanThe
Prow itself.The original teamwho first visualized a free ascent did a fantastic
job of finding theweakness throughwhat is otherwise a fairly blankwall.The
line goes straight up themiddle of thewall and it wanders around back and
forth following the path of least resistance for free climbing. Basically, it’s like
a giant game of connect the dots.The climb requiredmany new stainless steel
protection bolts to protect the leader from any serious harm.
ML:
Multi-pitches are a lot of work.What did you have to do beforehand to
be able to prepare the route in order to send it?
Sonnie:
Some of the boltswere in thewrong places, or difficult to reach, so I
went back andmade sure that the climb flowedwell, andwas safe. I also did
about four days of cleaning and prepping thewall before actually climbing
it from the ground.The holds are pretty small at times, and any dirt ormoss
growing on the gripsmake them harder to see and to hold. It’s a labour of
love really, but I hope otherswill go up there to enjoy it now that it’s been
buffed out a bit.
ML:
What was going on in yourmind at themoment this photowasmade?
Sonnie:
I really think I was in a sort of flow state,where I just allowedmy
mind and body towork together to get the job done.There’s about five or six
moveswhere I felt like I could fall off any of them, and this shot was taken
aroundmove number three. Just before embarking on this sequence, I do
remember thinking that thismight bemy last chance to succeed sincewe had
plans to leave the following day, and the temperatureswere already climbing
upwards. It was important to climb this pitch before the sun hit thewall—
good frictionwas absolutelymandatory forme to stick the holds.
ML:
This is a historical wall and Squamish climbing is decades old, but it has
never quite gained the household name recognition of a place like California’s
YosemiteValley.Whowould you consider to be the StoneMasters, and Stone
Monkeys, of Squamish’s storied climbing history?
Sonnie:
Oh, that’s a super tough question to answer because there are so
many climbers and somany stories that a simple paragraphwould never do.
I will say that Squamish has always had a solidmix of everything from hard
aid, to hard sport, bouldering, bigwalls, shady bars and shady characters. I
think the story of Squamish climbingmight need its own coffee table book
one day, because amovie could never be long enough.
ML:
What’s your all-time favouritemulti-pitch in Squamish?
Sonnie:
Hmmm, I think I keep coming back to Freeway 5.11. It’s just pure joy
all theway to the top.
ML:
If you could pick a crew of three others climbers, from any era, to go
climb Freewaywith tomorrow,whowould you pick andwhy?
Sonnie:
I think the first person I’d pickwould beWill Stanhope because
he’s just such a solid guy. He lives nearby, so that’s convenient, and he
doesn’t take anything too seriously.Will knowswhen to crack a joke,which
is basically always, and isn’t afraid to stash a few cold beers in his pack.The
second personwould be the lateWolfgangGullich,who sadly passed away in
1992 from a car accident. He seemed like a very interesting person. Someone
whowas deeply passionate and committed to the simple act of climbing,
someonewho knewwhat it took to progress the game (and did so onmany
occasions) and someonewho could inspire you to try a little harder.The third
person I’d pick ismy sonTatum. I know he’s only two now, but if I can pick
someone from the past, I should be able to pick someone from the future,
right? It would be neat to be up therewithmy son in 20 years, just to be up
there and seewho he’s become, hanging out, looking down on the forest and
maybe having a couple of good laughs.
UP
FRONT
ONTHEPROWWITH
SONNIETROTTER
Photo by RichWheater
‘The Prow’ is one of themost visually and technically impressive pieces of
sustainedgraniteon theStawamusChief. First climbed40years ago, before
bolts and sport-climbing arrived on the scene, the wall has seen rekindled
interest and routedevelopment lately and inMay2016,Canadian climbing
legend and ex-Squamish local, SonnieTrotter spent six days free climbing
a 200-metre route straight up themiddle of the face. Sonnie christened the
route “The ProwWall” and
Mountain Life
sat down with him to get the
story behind the ascent of Squamish’s first possible 5.14multi-pitch.
