Gripped – August 2019

Gravity’s Rainbow

Niall Hamill and Cory Rogans made

the first free ascent of Gravity’s Rainbow

5.12R 285 m on Mount Wilson on Canada

Day. The route climbs next to Hamill’s

2018 route Prairie Gold 5.11c. The route

connects slabs, faces and steep cracks on

solid quartzite. Rogans compared the rock

to Back of the Lake and the crux was a

demanding steep section with nice holds.

Right: Rogans at a

shiver belay on one

of the cruxes

Dan Beland

West Coast climber Dan Beland climbed

Superman 5. 14 c on the Big Show in

Cheakamus Canyon north of Squamish

this spring. It was the only route on the

steep wall that he hadn’t climbed. Beland’s

journey to send all nine of the hard Big

Show routes started in 2013 with a tick

of Free Will 5. 13 c and was followed by a

climb of Division Bell 5. 13 d. Of Division

Bell, Beland said, “It took longer than I

expected, but that’s OK, because this is a

route that I will never get tired of climb-

ing.” In 2014 , Beland sent Pulse (Canada’s

first 5. 14 a), Patience 5. 14 a and Heat 5. 13 d.

In 2015 , he ticked Revival 5. 14 b and said,

“So awesome. Despite being a link-up, it

climbs very naturally. A huge amount of

effort has gone into this wall over several

seasons and it’s all starting to come together.

Still, this is just a stepping stone en route to bigger objectives.

In 2016 , Beland sent Supermanboy 5. 14 c and said, “After four

years of obsession with this wall I finally ticked off the big one.

This route is so good. On the send I had to try really hard, but I was

solid and in control the entire way.” And in 2017 , Beland climbed

Captain America 5. 14 b. Beland took 2018 off from climbing on the

Big Show: “Last year, I took a step back from The Big Show after

getting an emotional beatdown in 2017 trying to climb Superman.

After sending Captain America, I spent another two months trying

to finish Superman. It actually shares the same lower crux which

I had previously done. However, after falling on that crux another

50 times from the ground I was starting to feel pretty burnt out.”

Beland came back stronger than ever and climbed Superman this

spring and became one of only a few climbers to send every route

on the Big Show. Superman was first climbed by Sonnie Trotter

and is Beland’s fifth 5. 14 c. Beland said after, “Last one on the Big

Show. Feels good to finally finish this up. I sent Free Will in 2013

and I’ve spent most of my summers since then working toward

finishing the wall. It’s been a hell of a ride.”

Below: Cory Rogans

high on Gravity’s

Rainbow

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