If you want to get up close and personal with the biggest attraction in Squamish, this is the trail for you.
The trail runs parallel to and sometimes merges with the Corridor Trail, also known as the Sea to Sky Trail.
The Apron Trail starts in the parking lot at Stawamus Chief Provincial Park and continues north to the Mamquam Forest Service Road (FSR).
It follows the east side of Highway 99 and is intended to keep climbers safely away from the busy highway.
The trail was upgraded in 2007 with the construction costs coming from provincial highway improvement funds.
Our local Squamish Access Society members were diligent in advising on the needs of this trail that is so vital to the safe passage of climbers from campsite to climbing routes.
The Apron is the big sweep of smooth low angle granite that rises like a wedge from the edge of the highway to about a third of the way up the Stawamus Chief, where it meets the Grand Wall.
The Grand Wall is the centre piece of the 702 metre high “plutonic granolith’ dome rising majestically alongside Highway 99.
First climbed in 1961 by Cooper and Baldwin, the Chief continues to draw keen climbers from all parts of the world.
This granite monolith is the busiest urban climbing spot in North America and was the first tourist attraction to our town.
It has fostered a vibrant and progressive local climbing community and there are now three climbing gyms and four retail stores meeting the demands of locals and visitors.
Restaurants, grocery stores, pubs, campgrounds and many retail stores are beneficiaries.
Even Brennan Park pool and hot tub can be crowded when climbers are kept off their walls and boulders by wet weather.
Variety best describes the climbing scene in Squamish.
There is something for every level of skill among the crags and boulders from Murrin Park to Cheakamus Canyon.
The active local Squamish Access Society, www.squamishaccesssociety.ca, is the focal point. Climbers are the ultimate caretakers of their vertical routes.
They do actively care for the crags and boulders to the extent of scrubbing off the white rosin, which eventually builds up each year.
The sorry mess left behind by a few summer squatters often negates these efforts by the majority of climbers.
Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, encompassing 532 hectares, was established in July 1997 to protect the massive granite monolith and provide safety for people visiting the site.
The popular stony path and staircases up to the first peak takes you almost straight up 540 metres over a distance of 1.5 km.
It is not a cakewalk and it does require reasonable fitness and good sturdy footwear.
The peregrine falcons that nest on the southwest ledges from March to August are endangered birds and are protected by law.
Their nesting area is closed to all people, even climbers.
Viewing them is only allowed from a distance, so bring your binoculars and leave the falcons in peace.
