Snootli

A 15-pitch adventure up the grand NW face, starting up the giant dihedral between the starts of Spirit Walker and Snakes n Ladders, and topping out above the large upper tree island near the top of the wall. It is also possible to exit left after pitch 13, and gain the same upper helm feature as Spirit Walker (just from the right). Mix of gear and bolts. Double rack to 2" and something for 3", 12-16 draws. Bring some small wires for the occasional key placement. All stations have bolted rap rings. Pitches up to 60m.

Pitch 1 - 5.10- (or 5.5 bypass): From gear belay at base of waterfall, climb the face and thin cracks directly above to the base of the main dihedral. Alternately, or when main face is wet, bypass to the right on easy but runout friction.
Pitch 2 - 5.9: Climb the dihedral with glorious laybacking, stemming, jamming and more to anchors halfway up the corner system.
Pitch 3 - 5.10+: Continue up the corner for a few meters before breaking left around the arete on an obvious ramp. Continue face climbing near the arete past a bolt and to the right of a roof feature. Step left and reach around, bypassing the roof using hand cracks. A few more crack moves gains easy ledges and anchors.
Pitch 4 - 5.10+: Face climbing past a few bolts to a small seam, some small pro, and anchors.
Pitch 5 - 5.10-: Gain a left-leaning face crack to easier ledges; scramble up easy ground to the right to anchors.
Pitch 6 - 5.10-: Face climb to the right of a thin seam past a few bolts; rejoin the seam for a few moves and another bolt, then traverse right to the top of a large flake and anchors.
Pitch 7 - 5.10: Face climb left past bolts to a large half-moon feature; easy climbing within the moon feature to gain a belay on the left edge.
Pitch 8 - 5.10: Exit the half-moon left past a bolt; climb the mix of friction and flake past several more bolts to a belay immediately left of the large diagonal vegetated streak that clefts Snootli's NW face.
Pitch 9 - 5.10: Cross the diagonal fault and gain the right-hand wall with some difficulty. Face climb past several sets of bolts; some harder climbing punctuated by easy sections.
Pitch 10 - 5.10+: A gem of a pitch, up a steep flake right off the belay and then face climbing past bolts zigzagging through large dish features.
Pitch 11 - 5.10: Friction traverse left past a bolt, then face climb up to a slabby ledge; traverse left past 2 more bolts to an airy belay below the looming pillar and crack system.
Pitch 12 - 5.10+: Climb the widening crack up the headwall past a couple bolts and much gear. Turn the lip and friction climb to a beautiful belay stance.
Pitch 12.5 - 5.5: Climb 20m over very easy ground to anchors at the base of a steep rolling slab.
Pitch 13 - 5.10: Climb the shut seam, scrounging for small gear, to a pair of bolts trending right - a bit runout. Continue up to a relic 1/4" bolt with handmade hanger; clip it for good luck and then choose whether to exit left to the Spirit Walker anchors or continue right past another bolt to anchors below a water groove.
Pitch 14 - 5.6: Climb the runout but very easy and asthetic water groove, trending right.
Pitch 15 - 5.6: Drift right along several easy grooves, then up a short watercourse of sorts to a wide slabby alcove at the base of a wall to the left. Final anchors on the left edge of this wall.

Explore the upper slabs or exit directly right, into the trees and down the descent trail. Or rap the route.

Route was a collaboration of many over the years; pitches added or first climbed by Grant McCartney, Steve Hodgeson, Rob Nelson, Pat Moser, Peter Wainwright, Devon Girard. And as the 1/4" bolt indicates, someone had been up a similar line decades ago.

Multipitch up the ~750m Snootli East face. Many excellent pitches on fine rock, some runouts on easier ground but well protected where you need it. First 1/4 is almost a route on its own, gaining a 200m pillar feature in 4 long and substaintial pitches. Difficulty eases after that for the majority of the route, with a nice sting in the tail on the final pitch. Bring 70m lead rope for climbing. 60m ropes will get you down. Double rack to 2", triples or quadruples of small sizes (Metolius #0 and #1), small wires. 3" gear useful but not required. FA 2020 Devon Girard, Grant McCartney, Peter Wainswright.

Approach as for the East Walls:

https://bellacoolatrails.ca/content/snootli-east-walls

Descend via either Snootli Descent trail or Crystal Creek trail:

https://bellacoolatrails.ca/content/nuxalk-ridge-crystal-creek
https://bellacoolatrails.ca/content/snootli-descent-trail

Pitch 1 - 5.10+ 2pa: Choose from one of several belay spots at the base of the East face; about 10m of easy climbing gains a small ledge and the first series of bolts. Climb meandering edges and small flake features past bolts and some small gear placements, until the final pair of aid bolts below the anchors. 60m
Pitch 2 - 5.11:Trend right from the belay past 2 bolts, some small gear and a cruxy transition from thin cracks to easy face climbing. Continue up an easy corner feature to another bolt protecting some thin face moves to gain a large ledge and friendly offwidth corner. Continue to the top of the wide corner and pull a few easy face moves to the belay. 60m.
Pitch 3 - 5.11: Climb friendly edges past 4 bolts to the base of a large looming column; traverse left and around the arete of the pillar to gain a thin crack system. Climb the well protected thin cracks in spectacular position to an exposed belay midway up the pillar. Be mindful of ropedrag on the traverse; long slings on the final bolt before and first piece after crossing the arete is recommended. An epic pitch. 60m+.
Pitch 4 - 5.11-: Continue up thin cracks and one bolt in exposed position to the top of the pillar. Well protected, exciting climbing. 55m.
Pitch 5 - 5.10-: Traverse right directly off the belay, leaving the pillar for the righthand face. Climb past 2 bolts to an undercling feature, more face climbing, a glorious large hand crack, another face traverse past a bolt, and then a friendly exit crack to anchors. 60m.
Pitch 6 - 5.9: Climb up through some broken yet clean and fun terrain. Gear where it's needed. Anchors directly below a large patch of cedar vegitation. 50m.
Pitch 7 - 5.8: A very short pitch up and towards the right. Climb an easy flake and then face to anchors. 20m.
Pitch 8 - 5.10+: Start up a clean shallow groove, transitioning to face climbing past a bolt, then out left towards a large roof feature via a friendly flake and good footholds. Overcome the roof to the left; some thin face moves past 2 bolts lead to an easier finger crack and slab. Trend right for anchors. 50m.
Pitch 9 - 5.9: A grand pitch of beautiful features. Trend right across clean slabs, up some easy flakes up into a slippery corner, then zigzag up the fractures white wall via friendly finger and hand cracks. Wide at the end but always easy. 60m.
Pitch 10 - 5.9: Easy face climbing past 5 bolts, exiting left from the belay ledge and wrapping back right to anchors at the base of a left-trending crack up a blank wall. 50m.
Pitch 11 - 5.10+ 1pa: Hard slab moves (11+? or pull past a bolt) to gain a long layback crack feature splitting an otherwise blank wall. Good gear and rests punctuated with thin and delicate sections. Clambour onto the right-hand slab as the seam pinches off, then easy faceclimbing to anchors. 50m.
Pitch 12 - 5.10-: Easy faceclimbing past a couple bolts leads to a thin corner, then more easy faceclimbing trending right, to anchors at the top of a column and below a large clean corner. 60m+.
Pitch 13 - 5.10: Easy slab leading to thin face cracks in the large asthetic bay framed by the corner and looming roof. Thin wires and a bolt before the roof, which is overcome with a reachy move to good finger locks, gear, and a right highstep and rockover. 50m.
Pitch 14 - 5.7: Easy climbing up a thin seam, delicately negotiating an often-wet spot trending left, then more easy slab to anchors at the base of a long thin seam. 60m.
Pitch 15 - 5.6: Easy slab climbing trending left gains a wide crack system. Follow this to the base of the final pillar. 60m.
Pitch 16 - 5.11-: Climb the impressive pillar, starting just right of the belay. Some hard layback moves past 2 bolts, followed by a wild entry left into an easier crack. Continue past a couple delicate moves to easier ground, another bolt and an often-wet topout before greenery, and the final anchors just left. 50m.

From the final anchors, continue up 100 vertical meters through the scrub alpine forest following a faint path (look for chainsaw marks, limbed trees, some flagging etc) to gain the alpine proper. Recommended descent is via Crystal Creek trail: https://bellacoolatrails.ca/content/nuxalk-ridge-crystal-creek approx. 3 hours to parking lot from summit. Or rap the route.

An alpine ridge tour de force. All-day on a summit. Miles of ridge-walking, with some short technical sections and some sections of loose/rotten rock. Some parties may want to bring a rope and light rack for short sections.

Note: Exiting the Snooka Lakes bowl depends on snowpack levels; in low snow conditions, start from the upper of the three Snooka lakes (https://bellacoolatrails.ca/content/snooka-lakes), head to the south end of the lake, then up not-so-pleasant looking dirt and scree slopes until gaining a south-trending series of clean granite ramps. The dirt slopes are not as bad as they look, and the granite ramps are excellent and make for fast travel. Continue up the ramps until the ridge.

Continue on this ridge more or less the rest of the way, over several intermediate peaks, to Snootli peak itself.

A grand day out.

Approach route for the large amphitheatre feature, at the bottom of the wild Eastern walls of Snootli. Flagged and cleared of major obstacles; brushy in spots.

Park at Snootli ice rink, enter the forest and take the "Boulders" trail immediately across the forest road, slightly left of the Snootli Crag/Nuxalk peak trail. Follow trail up and slightly east, past the Snootli West boulders, across a small ravine, to the edge of the 2009 burn - beneath the East walls. Follow a flagged trail up towards the walls; the trail merges with an overflow creekbed for a short while; after reaching the base of the walls (start of Eastern Medicine) continue up for another 15-20min through brush bands and broken slabs into the amphitheatre itself.

Established routes include:

South walls:

Oblivion - 5.12+, 2 pitches (12++, 11+): hard climbing off the deck past 4 bolts leads to an even harder sequence gaining a small corner with good gear. Climb past positive flakes and face holds as the wall steepens and difficulties increase past 6 more bolts to a belay station on a spacious ledge (5.12+, 35m, 10 bolts + Gear to 2"). Climb through 3 stepped roof features, each with their own challenges, with a mix of bolts and gear. Multiple cruxes with good rests. Unlock the final mantle, followed by an airy step-over to gain an easy corner to anchors (5.11+, 30m, 7 bolts + Gear to 2"). Double ropes required for rappel - 70m single rap to bottom, or midstation can be used to make 60m ropes work. FA 2023 Cole Verrall, Devon Girard

Cat Burglar - 5.12-, 2 pitches (12-, 12-): a few easy (sometimes wet) meters past a bolt, some gear, then another bolt at the low crux, hard layback move to gain a hanging slab. Traverse right with good gear in an immaculate thin crack at the top of the hanging slab, to gain the defining double-crack column that runs the height of the whole route. Problem-solve your way up the elevator-shaft feature, delicately using a loose-but-well-jammed block or two, passing 1 more bolt before a roof feature, good gear and jams take you to the first belay on top of a detached pillar (11+). Continue up the double-crack feature with good gear, jamming, laybacking and chimneying. Solve the midway crux with finesse and burl, continue past a small roof to some easier terrain, until the high crux overcoming the final flake (save a yellow TCU for this bit) - a sting in the tail requiring some strength held in reserve (12-). Double rack to 2", triple #0/purple metolious, quadruples of #1/blue metolious. Double ropes to rap, about 65 meters, a 70m rope gets you down in one rap. FA 2023 Devon Girard, Cole Verrall

Silk Worm - 5.11+, single 60m pitch: Starting at the far left of the South walls, climb discontinuous features and varied gear to the base of a clean and shallow corner. Stem, bridge, scoot, and levitate up the corner feature, with good small gear at the back. Climb past the corner feature to gain a shallow ledge; walk right (note the gear by feet) and gain an exit flake splitting a short, exposed headwall. Exciting moves to the end. Many small cams!

Main Wall:

Pina Colada - Pitch 1 - 5.10a: an exciting, short climb up the grand flake at the base of the main North wall. Fun laybacking and pseudo-chimneying up the wide flake to bolted belay station. Single rope can get you up and down. Minimum recommended rack includes 2x #4, 1x #5 Camelot, and a #4 Trango bigbro, plus some smaller sizes for the bottom. Pitch 2 - 5.10 A1: continue up the left-leaning hanging corner, using bolts and gear for aid as necessary. Exit the corner onto a hanging slab, and face climb over steep ground with juggy holds to a final hanging slab. Continue up past some bolts to gear at the final bulge. Easily overcome to belay in an alcove. Pitch 3 - 5.11? A0: Follow bolts past several horizontal ledges, separated by short face problems. Use one of the bolts for aid. Follow the second to last ledge left to final bolts, then final ledge left to belay. Pitch 4 - 5.8: traverse back right on the super-ledge, gently downclimbing a few moves, taking care to place protection for your seconder, to belay at base of rising corner system. FA 2023 Devon Girard, Cole Verrall, Kate McGiverney

White Rhino - Pitch 1 - 5.12+ 4pa: an epic hand and finger crack arcing across the overhanging main wall. A hard start past good protection leads to a series of bolts up an even harder shut corner. Use the bottom 4 bolts for aid, and the last one for protection - avoiding placing gear behind the looming detached flake. Overcome the juggy flake to small gear in the cracks above. Climb steeply up the crackline with a mix of liebacking and jamming, with good gear pretty much the whole way. Optionally belay at a midstation in a small alcove around 35m, and/or continue up the remainder of the crack. Clip a final bolt and avoid placing gear in the last crack up a detached pillar; a hard off-hands section leads to tight hands for the exit. Mantle the pillar to belay. Option to continue upwards via short 5.8 traverse pitch into 2nd belay of Pina Colada.

Adventures of Smaug - Pitch 1 - 5.12: Fun face climbing up through blocky features with several small cruxes. Clip the 2nd bolt before mantelling onto the first of 3 slopey horizontal ledges. Navigate the ledges leftwards to the base of the crux pillar. Subtle yet powerful sequences unlock the upper pillar; pumpy moves take you to a final traverse and mantel into the belay alcove -15 bolts. Pitch 2 - 5.12?: potential 2nd piitch, delicately move left past a bolt, slink around the black pillar in wonderfully exposed position, and into the rising flake feature in the white granite bay. Continue up the flake until it pinches shut; make use of the arete (and hidden crack) through lieback crux. Grab the saviour jugs and climb into belay alcove. Pitch 3 - 5.12?: potential 3rd pitch up steep corner crack. Exit right to belay. FA 2024 Devon Girard.

An attractive trail-side crag along the Snooti descent route, a few minutes before the Bodhi Tree lookout (http://www.bellacoolatrails.ca/content/bodhi-tree-lookout).

Pearl-white granite with 2 splitter cracks, and an incredible bolted arete face-climb. Rock quality is excellent, and the atmosphere is unique and airy, views all around, almost like an alpine crag. Well worth a visit, especially if on the way down from one of the multipitch routes on Snootli.

Approach time is 60-90 minutes from the parking lot.

Traverse the base of the Snootli crag, continuing East and up for ~10 minutes to an attractive wall with several crack lines. Easy toproping setups for every line via 4 sets of anchors.

A good place to learn gear climbing.

From right-to-left:

1) Jimminy Cricket - 5.9 - climb a thin crack to a junction with Frog Prince; continue up the right-hand slab to a juggy flake. Small cams and nuts, 1 bolt.
2) Frog Prince - 5.8 - climb the left-leaning finger crack to a slab finish, small cams and nuts.
3) Rapunzel - 5.11 - boulder the slab crux right off the ground, gaining an easier crack to a slab finish. Small cams and nuts.
4) Goldilocks - 5.10 - an easy crack start leads to thin climbing through unique water-groove features; easier face climbing to the top. A couple small cams with 4 bolts protecting the cruxes.
5) Tinkerbell - 5.11+ - slab to disappearing-crack to hard face climbing; fun crux face moves overcoming the slight bulge mid-route, riddled with subtle dyke features; easier slab moves to the top. 4 bolts plus a couple small pieces.
6) Captain Hook - 5.12? - hard face climbing just left of Tinkerbell. Toprope project.
7) Bean Stalker - 5.11+ - fun and varied climbing up a series of cracks and face features; a hard lower crux above good gear, with some finesse sequences up higher. Many small wires, small cams, and one medium piece.
8) Quasimodo - 5.11 - keep the good times going with this long and varied climb! Climb the crux of Bean Stalker, then traverse left on good holds to gain a beautiful double-crack that takes you all the way to the anchors. Fun moves on decent holds. Bring a range of small cams and some wires.
9) Kung-fu Panda - 5.11 - exciting and sustained climbing up a striking crack at the left edge (tallest part) of the wall. Short boulder problems with good rests and gear where you need it. Gear to 2" - and remember small wires for the top.
10) Quetzalcoatl - 5.12? - dramatic line up the arete on the far left of the wall. Hard face climbing past 6 bolts, to larger holds in a spectacular position. 8 bolts plus a couple small cams for the mid-section. Open project.

A moderate 5-pitch gear climb on Snootli's west walls. Good climbing with good protection over interesting features with fine positions. Bring rack to 2", bolted belays. Devon Girard, Sandy Van Horn - 2016.

Start at the far left side of the west wall, at the base of an ivory white pillar with several attractive flakes. Climb the white flake system to easier ground and belay at the base of a compact triple-corner system (5.8). Climb the columns/cracks to easier ground and belay at the beginning of a large, low-angle open-book corner (5.9). Choose from a variety of corner (more vegetation) and face cracks (cleaner, less protection) until exiting the corner left to the obvious blunt arete via a series of flakes up the left-hand wall. Follow the arete up to a belay (5.9). Continue on up and slightly left over easy ground to belay near the base of smooth-sided corner (5.6). Finish up the enjoyable and friendly corner, past a few face moves to final belay (5.9).

Descend via Bodhi tree trail: http://www.bellacoolatrails.ca/content/bodhi-tree-lookout

A steep and adventurous hiking route up to the alpine of Nuxalk ridge with many points of interest. Start from the ice rink, traverse below granite walls to the deep ravine of Crystal Creek. Crossing the creek, head up through the canyon before continuing steeply through burnt timber bands, weaving through small rock bluffs, gradually moving right towards the highest notable stand of timber. Follow ledge systems and gain the first summit from the West, traversing it Eastward before continuing up through steep old growth mountain hemlock to the alpine.

A short crag with an easy approach; 15 min hike from the ice rink, easy toproping, good for quick sessions and beginner intros. All routes require at least some gear to lead; there are no pure sport routes. Many routes are partially bolted, to complement the natural protection. All routes have bolted anchors at the top of the wall.
Lower wall:

1) 5.11 - Separation Anxiety: Start up a short pillar to avoid an often-wet crack; face-climb past a bolt to gain a pumpy flake and good gear, then overcome the bulge by reaching right. Continue up the finger crack until it pinches shut; reach for the slopey rail and good jams in a horizontal crack; a few more easy moves to the anchors. Bring at least 3 small cams (Metolious #1 or equiv) for the flake and upper crack. FA Devon Girard 2018.

2) 5.12c - Stiff Upper Lip: start as for Sweet Jesus, go right after a few moves on good holds past 2 bolts in a shallow corner feature. Get into boulder mode and pull a few hard moves on decent holds to overcome the bulge, leading to more hard moves on thin holds past several more bolts. Move right to same anchors as Separation Anxiety. FA Cole Verrall 2023.

3) 5.10c - Sweet Jesus: Possibly the best line on the crag, steep and exciting climbing up good holds and through a range of crack sizes. Face-climb to a juggy flake, past a slopey rail into a finger crack. Overcome the crux bulge into saviour hand-jams and easy slabs up to the anchors. Bring gear to 2". FA Devon Girard 2016.

3a) 5.12b - Covidian: climb the thin corner past good nut placements to a burly iron cross past a bolt, steeply up towards horizontal cracks, holds and small gear. Exit right to join Sweet Jesus. FA Cole Verrall 2023

3b) 5.12b - Branch Covidian: left-hand exit of Covidian; climb the same corner through the first crux to the horizontal crack; follow the cracks left and exit up the small stepped corner, finally veering back right past the last small gear placement, to the Sweet Jesus anchors. Small nuts and cams.

4) 5.13? - Hard: open project.

5) 5.12? - PSI: hard flared finger crack, 2 bolts at start. Open project.

6) 5.10a - Cookie Monster: A fun face and flake climb disguised as a mossy groove; climbs much better than it looks. A delicate start past a bolt gains a juggy groove; layback and stem up to a slopey rail and a big move to a huge jug. Mantle up and continue up the face crack and past a bolt to the final slab moves and anchor. Gear to 2". FA Devon Girard 2018.

7) 5.11a - Houdini: Steep and fun face climbing past 4 bolts, gaining a shallow corner/box feature. Enter and exit the box with difficulty, continuing up a crack and slab to anchors. Bring a pair of cams (2" and 0.5") and a small wire for the top. FA Devon Girard 2016.

8) 5.12a - Hootnanny: Start on the left of the detached pillars near Houdini, trend right on easy ground to a fun throw on good holds, to the crux bulge. Boulder through thin moves up a shallow corner to a slab finish. All bolts. FA Cole Verral.

9) 10d - Unnamed. FA Cole Verral 2024.

10) 5.13a - Unnamed. FA Cole Verral 2024.

11) 10d - Crescent Moon: Climb the left-hand line past 5 bolts at the 'middle' crag, a short featured wall between the lower and upper crags. FA Issac Pulliam 2023.

Upper wall:

1) 5.10b - Little Yosemite: A short but stout fist jamming clinic up a beautiful orange corner. Cams to 4" for the bottom, and a couple smaller pieces for the top. FA Devon Girard 2016.

2) 5.10a - Minuteman: Climb the short detached pillar to a hand-sized corner crack. Overcome a small roof and continue up the crack. Anchors up towards the right. Gear to 3". FA Devon Girard 2016.

3) 5.9 - Nukwlhan (Corner crack): A fun and feature-rich corner, harder towards the top before the anchors. Gear to 2". FA Dale McCreery 2016.

4) 5.10a - GMO: An easy starting ramp leads into delicate underclinging and harder moves over a bulge. Head right to anchors. Gear to 1.5". FA Devon Girard 2016. WARNING: some gear placements have broken and leading is not currently recommended.

5) 5.9 - Nulhtnikta (Central pillar): Potentially fun climbing up a pillar-like feature. FA Dale McCreery 2016. CAUTION - very dirty and loose at top since a tree-fall event! Evaluate before climbing.

Multipitch on the far right (west) face of Snootli. 5 pitches - 5.9/5.10a/5.10d/5.10b/5.6 - Devon Girard, Rob Nelson, 2016. Mixed protection, bring many small wires and cams for pitch 3.

Climb the prominent white, crack-riddled pillar to a perfect belay ledge (5.9). Continue past 1 bolt and various cracks and flakes to the base of a long, thin seam up a sheer wall (5.10a). Climb the long seam until it shuts; continue left past 1 bolt, to another crack system, continue to belay ledge below the headwall - a long pitch (5.10d). Climb past 3 bolts and some small cam placements, traversing up and right to gain a large hanging corner; scramble right on easy ledges with a few moves to belay below final wall (5.10c). Climb easy cracks up final wall to the top (5.8).

Descend via Bodhi Tree http://www.bellacoolatrails.ca/node/184

The classic line on Snootli, directly up the main prow. Excellent climbing in beautiful positions, culminating in a gloriously exposed headwall. Previously known as the somewhat runout Snootli Express, it has been fully retrobolted and is in fine form. 5.11, Ray Hawkes, ~1990.

Take the Snootli approach trail, directly up past the crag, to the base of a bolted slab.

Many pitches of fantastic face climbing take you to the very top of wall. Some runouts on the easier pitches, but well protected for the cruxes. Mostly bolted. Bring 20 quickdraws and a few small and medium cams.

Descent is via rappel, or Snootli descent trail (1 rappel from top of route to gain hike-able slabs and join trail to the west - http://www.bellacoolatrails.ca/content/snootli-descent-trail).

Update on variations (from Ray Hawkes): Red line is the original line with grades up to 5.11, Yellow line is the new completed addition with grades up to 5.10. Gear needed 13 draws and gear to #4 cams with multiple small to med. size cams. Blue line finish has been climbed with the left upper side comming in at 5.9 - All blue to be fixed. Great climbing and views.

From the ice rink follow flagged trail up switchbacks to some stairs. Follow the Nuxalk Peak trail (sign just after the crag), head West past 2 slides/waterfalls to a junction. Follow the Bodhi Tree trail up (rather than traversing West on Crystal Creek trail), until intersecting the main buttress before the deep ravine feature that dominates this Northern aspect of the mountain. Hike steeply up zig-zagging ledges to an excellent view of the valley and inlet - Dog Ledge. To continue to the Bodhi Tree, continue up past a few minor fixed lines and many great views of the valley, to the mini-summit about half-way up the face. This is actually the lower half of the Snootli descent trail.

Alpine tour de force, an incredible circuit linking Nuxalk ridge and the Snootli descent trail with the Snooka lakes.

Nuxalk Mtn is more technical from the North, so climbing up from Nuxalk Ridge and descending via Snooka lakes is recommended. Technical difficulty will vary with conditions, there are a couple brief sections of 4th class scrambling between the North and South Nuxalk summits, where some parties may wish to use a rope. The descent via Snooka lakes trail involves some route-finding and can be a bit rough/bushy in places. Allow 16 hours for the complete circuit.

Multipitch on the far right (west) face of Snootli. 4 pitches - 5.8/5.10b/5.11a/5.8. Devon Girard, Dale Mcreery, 2016. Mixed protection, bring small wires for pitch 3.

Start below a large, white flake; climb past 1 bolt and discontinuous cracks to a belay ledge below a friendly crack (5.8). Climb the friendly crack, traverse right and face climb past 3 bolts into the main corner system to a small belay ledge below a thin crack (5.10b). Climb past 1 bolt into a thin seam, slowly expanding into a finger crack before disappearing; face climb up and right past 3 bolts, navigating small roof features (5.10d). Finish up friendly flakes and cracks past a small roof, then head out right past 2 bolts to belay anchors at top of the wall (5.8) - sometimes wet.

Descend via Bodhi Tree http://www.bellacoolatrails.ca/node/184

Fantastic 12 pitch climb ranging around 5.9 to 5.10a/b up the western wall of Snootli's main face. Bolted rap stations, mixed protection relying mostly on bolts.
F.A Pitch 1-4 Steven Murray 2001, Pitch 5-10 Steven Murray & Jia Condon 2002, Pitch 11-12 Jia Condon & Grant McCartney 2013.

This climb starts more climbers right (west) of Spirit Walker (or 'Snootli Express') and is mostly modest angle slab climbing with moments of crack allowing for laybacking and some steeper more difficult slab bulges. Sections can be runout at times but cruxes are often well protected. Pitches are 60m long and rapping requires two 60m ropes.
A single rack up to size 2 or 3 with emphasis on a few smaller pieces (0.4) is recommended and numerous long runners (~6 alpine draws and up to ~12 total draws). Lead with a nut-tool to clean cracks for placements as Bella Coola routes does not get enough traffic.

See the topo attached for more details on the pitches and route finding. Of note, for pitch 4 the route passes through a thick but short swath of stunted hemlock after a bolt. Push through the bush and look for another bolt.

The top-out on the climb is a tree'd ledge and a descent trail goes down from this ledge if you'd rather not rappel. Go west on the tree ledge and look for flagging. The descent trail involves sections of slab, some hand-lines and chains, and can involve some route finding so give ample time and daylight.

This trail system provides an interesting walk as it offers a variety of natural sights and historic features. The first trail branches off to the left to an ancient grove of culturally modified cedar trees. This area requires respect not only for the forest but also for the First Nations people that used this area for acquiring bark and lumber from these sacred and special ‘trees of life’. Look for the distinct scars left after planks were cut and split away from the living tree. This grove also features huge cottonwood, Sitka spruce and Douglas maple. Back to on the main trail, carry on past the cottonwood grove through second growth to the rodeo grounds, hike through the cottonwood grove or loop back along the beaver pond to the road and the parking area. A variety of water fowl can be seen at the pond and look for beaver gnawing signs on shoreline trees. These trails are for hiking or biking.
Potential for interpretive trail – CMT, old/new forest,