A group of Squamish’s climbers objects to a proposal for a new via ferrata on Mount Habrich.
A via ferrata, which means “iron way” in Italian, is a metal ladder system attached to rock that adventurers climb while attached to a rope or cable.
Usually, no special skill is required for this activity.
The Squamish Access Society opposes the plan for the one on Crown land on Mount Habrich.
The society is primarily an advocacy group for “front country” rock climbing, the group’s spokesperson, Toby Foord-Kelcey, noted, but its members take an interest in backcountry mountaineering issues, especially those close to Squamish.
“Mount Habrich is one of the most striking peaks visible from Squamish… the peak is unusual in our area as it requires technical rock climbing to make an ascent. Reaching most other summits in our area only requires glacier travel and/or scrambling. As climbers, we like to preserve those kind of challenges, not see them dumbed-down,” Foord–Kelcey told The Chief.
Mount Habrich is north of Sky Pilot on the Shannon Creek-Stawamus River divide.
“Our understanding from the limited information received from the proponent is that the proposal is a major engineering project involving the installation of steel ladders and cables, on two sides of the mountain, using helicopter support,” Foord-Kelcey said.
While the proponent, Stanley Yntema, declined to be interviewed by The Chief about the project, a representative from the provincial Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations’ Recreation Sites and Trails Branch confirmed the ministry has received the proponent’s application and it is currently being reviewed.
After the ministry has reviewed the application for completeness and ensured it does not conflict with any existing activities or restrictions on land use in the area, First Nations and stakeholders will be consulted.
“Based on the results of the review and consultation, the application would be approved, not approved, or approved with conditions,” a ministry spokesperson told The Chief in an email.
There is currently a Squamish via ferrata managed by Mountain Skills Academy & Adventures at the Sea to Sky Gondola and the academy has tenure on Mount Habrich.
The academy's Eric Dumerac said there needs to be balance in the backcountry.
"Some things need to be preserved," he said. "There's a natural beauty to be preserved, there's liability and safety to consider... the problem with via ferrata is it really makes [the mountain] accessible to anyone, which is great, but in the wrong place, it can create not only a serious hazard there, but I think in this valley, considering there is already two via ferratas – one in Whistler and one in Squamish – it is overkill."
Dumerac also said that Mount Habrich is not easily reached, therefore it would be arduous for rescue crews to assist the via ferrata users if something were to go wrong.
Kirby Brown, general manager of the Sea to Sky Gondola, said given the company doesn’t have tenure on Mount Habrich, he doesn’t have an official position on the project.
“We would expect any project proposed on Crown land to proceed with due process and, moreover, involve all tenure holders and user groups,” Brown said in an email.
*** Please note: this story has been updated since it was first posted to include a quote from Mountain Skills Academy, whose representative had not received The Chief's requests for comment.
