Spring wrote a short TR about our trip to The Copilot near Sky Pilot recently.

To add to beta on this route and the approach I've attached a RIY Google screenshot.



The entire route was snow free. Rather than taking the simonc "Good from Far" ledge, we took the route DeanP alluded to in his TR. We dropped below the stadium glacier and then worked our way up easy slab ledges to the base of The Copilot.

Bad news is that the majority of the last rappel tree is now at the bottom of the gully, complete with a sling and bail biner around it. Wonder if someone was attached to it when it broke?

There is still a gnarled up trunk to rappel off, we did, it's currently bomber but with weathering it might start to disintegrate. Good news is that the best rock to downclimb is below the last rappel.

The rock higher in the gully is friable. I pulled on a large piece that pulled out like a jenga block just as I was fully committing to it. Felt like a slowmo moment as I looked at it and tried to let go of it before it's inertia took me with it but also direct it away from falling near Spring below me.

All in all a fun scramble.

Springs report: http://pebbleshoo.com/copilot-civilized/

I love the photo in the blog where Spring is tossing the rope down. Cool action shot with a stunning backdrop!

Sun. Sept. 29 - Co-Pilot NE Gully rock climb.

Placed 4 bolt stations/rappel anchors and removed the old tree anchors/slings.

It's a 5th class rock climb. 60m rope.

Good on you!

Just like the pink slab is 5th class too right? there is no way this is a 5th class climb.

If it's 5th class,you were way off route.

If you have to rappel it's also not a scramble...

True that.

You don't have to rappel, we chose to rappel. It could be downclimbed, and others have.

I'd quibble on the grading of the pink slab, but this gully is not Class 5. It's mostly Class 3 with some Class 4 moves.

I'd read that guides in Squamish were beginning to offer guided trips up Copilot and once I seen the old anchors I knew it would only be a matter of time before somebody bolted it. Not a fan of the bolting tbh. It didn't need it, without the anchors the route could be downclimbed.

2112, I'm curious, are you a Guide?

That choss-filled gully? I call 3rd class and loose: about as hard as the final scramble up the Tusk. No way it's 5th anything, or requires a rope.

Nice view up top though.

Nice write-up on blog site as well. Perennial dilemma: Earned versus "civilized". Rockies are comparable to Alps (to a point); hard work seems to be in B.C. When I first got to the Coast, reaction was "Why do I have to slog over roots and rocks, slog for hours on FSRs, fight the bush, etc. Where are meadows and ridges I can walk up to in 1 or 2 hours?". Even relatively straightforward peaks like Sigurd are epics from hiker perspective: 2000 vertical -> insanity from Rockies standard. But with time it does get under your skin. So there is no easy answer.

looks like the alders are tamed back a bit. Is that the road in that pic?

PS - I told Ben if he waits for me, we'll go get him Sky Pilot then Co-Pilot after. You think its doable without too long of a day?

Easily doable as a twofer. The trail is wide open now, a world of difference to the alder choked hell filled with green flies that we endured.

At the section where we worked our way up the sides of the creek a new trail has been cut up through the forest which speeds up the approach further. I'd do Copilot first and then tag Sky Pilot. The only reason I say that is if you leave Copilot until later in the day you run the risk of others being in the gully ahead of you. The main hazard on this route is other people. Loads of loose stuff that could be knocked down.

Whoa, I can't imagine that will be popular. Does every thing really need a bolted rappel anchor? I'm beginning to think the Australian ethics (if you bolt it, you WILL tarred, feathered, then killed) are vastly preferable to this run-away bolting bonanza. Maybe some one should go chopping.

BTW, you don't happen to be the dude who bolted the class 2 descent ledge into Mulvey Basin recently? That is a hugely unpopular with the local climbing community.

Looks like a complete blast, way to go guys!