Birds of Prey, Squamish Route Photo

Birds of Prey 5.10b

The 'Squaw'

  • Birds of Prey Sun ExposureRoute quality:
  • Birds of Prey First AscentJim Campbell, Bob Milward, 1983
  • Birds of Prey Pitch InfoNumber of pitches: 6
  • Birds of Prey Approach TimeApproach Time: 20-25 minutes
  • Birds of Prey Climbing TimeClimbing Time: 3-4 hours
  • Birds of Prey Descent timeDescent Time: 20-30 min to base
  • Birds of Prey Sun ExposureSun exposure: Afternoon sun

    • About the Climb

    Birds of Prey is a great route on the left side of the 'Squaw', which is located along the Maquam Forest Service Road, away from the busy highway. From the 'Squaw', the views of the North Walls of the Chief are simply amazing. The route is full of nice finger and hand cracks, and also includes a short but exciting face traverse. The 5.10b crux section is a short but steep corner crack, that takes protection very well. This makes Birds of Prey suited to break into the 5.10b grade for the leader.

    The bottom section of the climb goes up a 5.8 finger crack splitting a steep slab. This slab is about 70m long, and there are no nice ledges or features for a belay position. This means that you'll have to build an uncomfortable belay or do a little bit of simul-climbing to reach a good belay stance. For this section, it helps if you bring a 70m rope to minimize the amount of simul-climbing.

    The last pitch has superb and sustained 5.10a climbing, but it can be wet from seepage after periods of rain. However, it is possible to retreat from the base of the last pitch in case you arrive there and the rock is too wet to climb. Bring some slings just in case you need to replace the slings at the belay stations.

    Birds of Prey (Squamish) GearLoopTopo {Birds of Prey (Squamish) GearLoopTopo

    Low Resolution GearLoopTopo Preview

    Minimum order of 3 GearLoopTopos

    The GearLoopTopo

    Our GearLoopTopo for Birds of Prey contains all the information you need for the climb, with the approach description starting from highway 99 at the Apron Parking.

    Possible Combinations

    The routes on the 'Squaw' are generally quite short, and consist of 4-6 pitches. Furthermore, the descent is quick and brings you back to the base of the routes. This makes if very easy to climb more than 1 route in a day. Jungle Warfare (5.10a) and The Great Game (5.10d) are both great routes to combine with Birds of Prey. Both routes have bolted anchors on the first pitch, so it is possible to climb only the first pitch and rap back down if you don't have enough time (double ropes required).

    Similar Climbs

    Jungle Warfare (5.10a) is very similar to Birds of Prey. The crux on this route is also very short, but comes only a few feet off the ground, so there is no time to warm up. The rest of the route is in the 5.7-5.9 range, and although not super sustained, it is very entertaining.

    Rock On (5.10a) also has lots of great finger and hand crack, and although it is rated easier than Birds of Prey, the climbing is more sustained.

    Download the Birds of Prey PDF file or visit the PDF Center.

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