Squamish is a climbing Mecca. Whether you've never rock climbed a day in your life, or are looking to test yourself on one of the most difficult trad climbs in the world, Squamish has something for everyone. This world-class climbing destination has sport climbing, bouldering, trad climbs, and 15-pitch mult-pitch climbs. Nowhere else in the world can you find such quality routes at such a wide variety of difficulties.
Guided climbing and instruction are available for climbers of all skill levels, from first-time beginners to intermediate and advanced climbers. All of the guides at our Squamish Climbing Retreat are trained through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and are experts at finding the right climbs for you. Save your spot now, and join us for some unforgettable climbing in Squamish!
Squamish Climbing Retreat
- Regular price
- $2,000.00 USD
- Sale price
- $2,000.00 USD
- Regular price
What's Included & Not Included
What's Included & Not Included
Included:
- All rock climbing gear.
- Three 7-hour climbing sessions.
- All meals Friday breakfast - Sunday lunch, Thur snacks.
- 3 nights lodging.
Not Included:
- Gratuities to guides. We recommend between 15-25% depending on your experience.
- Trip protection. We will host this retreat rain or shine. If the weather is poor we will propose alternative activities such as technical skills lessons (anchor building, self-rescue, multi-pitch) or hiking.
- Transportation during retreat.
Optional:
- If you want to stay for a few extra days and go multi-pitch climbing, please book this after signing up.
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
We have a very strict cancellation policy. We recommend purchasing trip protection to protect your investment.
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Climbing
In order to make sure everyone gets exactly what they need, we will have three guides who will each take a small climbing group out to focus on one of the following:
Intro Instruction - Designed for those who have never climbed before.
Intermediate Instruction - For climbers wanting to climb in the 5.5-5.9 range (best for those who have some experience, but perhaps have never climbed outside).
Advanced Instruction - For climbers wanting to join our guides on more difficult routes.
Note: While this retreat will be entirely single-pitch climbing, if you would like to stay for a few days to climb multi-pitch you can hire a guide directly. You can set this up after signing up for the retreat.
Accommodations
Our basecamp for the week will be MTN FUN Basecamp. MTN Fun Basecamp is located trailside, on the north end of Squamish bordering Alice Lake provincial park and the nearby eagle watching hub of Brackendale. Surrounded by towering pines, mountain views, and a stunning creek running through the property, you will feel immersed in nature. It's located only minutes away from shops and restaurants. Choose from our comfortable kitchenette-equipped hotel rooms, small cabins, or tent camping during our retreat. For those choosing to camp, there is newly upgraded WiFi throughout most of the property, a charging station for your electronic needs, and hot showers.
Meals
We love to eat! And we love supporting local businesses. At each retreat we work with local restaurants to offer the best tasting food in Squamish. We may go out to eat together, or we may order catered meals to enjoy at our basecamp. Whatever we end up doing, we will make sure you're well fed with tasty options. And don't worry - we can accommodate those with food restrictions.* We provide a simple breakfast of bagels and cream cheese (GF and vegan options provided), eggs, grain free granola, yogurt, fruit, and nuts. For lunch we make sandwiches and provide a variety of snacks and bars.
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Photos from our 2023 retreat
Example Schedule
Day 1
Check-in, happy hour, and introductions! You're welcome to arrive as early as 2pm to check into your room or campsite, but group activities will not begin until 6pm.
Day 2
We'll start with a good breakfast before heading out to climb for the day. Upon returning to our basecamp, we'll enjoy dinner and a campfire.
Day 3
With a similar schedule to day 2, we'll start with breakfast, climb routes all day, and finish up with dinner and a campfire.
Day 4
Expect another solid breakfast followed by a full day of climbing before heading back to camp for goodbyes.
FAQs
Age & Physical Requirements
- Ability to hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15lb backpack.
- Ability to do 20 squats.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
Travel Information
- Squamish is located about 180 miles north of Seattle, WA and less than 50 miles from the Vancouver, BC airport. You can fly into the Vancouver Airport and take a shuttle to Squamish, drive up from the states, or fly into the states and find someone to carpool with.
- If you are flying into Vancouver we recommend booking a shuttle through Skylynx.
How many participants come by themselves?
The majority of women come to our clinics alone - somewhere around 95%. If you are hesitating to join because you would be coming solo, please know that we expect a majority of our participants to be joining by themselves, seeking community.
I'm an advanced climber. Will I be able to lead climb?
Due to the nature of this event and climbing in the mountains, we do not allow participants to lead on this trip. As a company policy, we do not permit climbers to lead without a guide on a rope next to them which is not possible while we are in the mountains.
During our crag days will spend our time focusing on learning and building multi-pitch skills and clients will not have the opportunity to lead climb.
What is the average age of the women who attend?
We generally have a wide range of ages at our retreats. The average tends to fall anywhere between the ages of 26 to 45. But we have had quite a few women in their 60's join as well. It really is up to the attitude and physical ability of the participant.
I've never climbed before, can I come?
ABSOLUTELY. We will have at least 4 instructors at the retreat so that we can accommodate a wide range of abilities. In fact, teaching people the basics of rock climbing is what we do best. The entire ethos of She Moves Mountains guiding is to remember what it felt like to try climbing for the first time. It's intimidating, but we will be with you ever step of the way.
Can people with food allergies join?
People with food allergies are absolutely welcome to join us at our program! We have food options that are vegan, gluten free, lactose free. Of course, if it would make you more comfortable, you are also welcome to pack your own meals.
What happens if it rains or the weather is poor?
All of our retreats are rain or snow or smoke or shine. We do our best to choose dates where this won't be an issue, but it's always a possibility. Even more so with the changing climate. If poor weather occurs we will propose alternative activities such as technical skills lessons such as anchor building or multi-pitch clinics, or hiking.
If poor weather will ruin your experience we suggest that you purchase "cancel for any reason" trip protection as we will not be providing any refunds due to weather related issues.
I am plus sized. Am I able to climb?
We aren't experts in this area as this is not the lived experience of our current instructor team. But we want you here and we are committed to making your experience a positive one.
If you can:
• Hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15 lb backpack
• Do 20 squats
• Have good balance
• And maintain a positive attitude
CLIMBING IS FOR YOU!
Currently the most limiting factor is the ability to fit into a harness. We have harnesses that can accommodate up to a 56inch waist. We are looking into getting a fleet of fully adjustable harnesses before next season starts.
If you want to learn more from plus sized climbers I highly recommend looking into Climb Big. Climb Big is an organization with a mission to "Make climbing more accessible for fat folx."
Can I bring my pet?
We know you love your fur babies, but unfortunately we cannot allow pets on any of our group trips or clinics.
Are payment plans available?
Yes we have 2 types of payment options: Please visit our Payment Plans page for more information.
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