Lighthouse Point Rock Climbing

Lighthouse Park has long been a favorite rock climbing location for summer crag sessions. It tends to be less popular with the serious climbing crowd who look down on top-rope-only climbs, but the area's scenic, local novelty and easy access to a post-climb dip make it a popular choice all the same. The rock is all good quality, if a little polished. All the routes at Juniper Point and Arbutus Alley are designed with top roping in mind. There are several bolted anchors on top. Some are better placed than others.

There are three main areas. The Big Pin routes face downtown Vancouver and are defined by a gigantic piton wedged in the rock. Around the corner from this, a lone juniper tree sits above the larger collection of routes. Around the corner, about 100 meters due north, is a narrow channel of rock with three arbutus trees that mark Arbutus Alley.

The Big Piton has several easy to intermediate routes in the 5.7 to 5.10b range. A couple start right up beside the high-tide mark, and it is often easiest to be lowered in.

Juniper Point can be accessed by coming down a trail through salal on climber’s left of the routes. Walk down this trail and then along the rock bench that sits beneath the anchors. It’s not a big area for standing, so if there are large groups it’s often better to source your climb elsewhere. The top ropes are a fair ways down the incline, so newer climbers may feel uncomfortable approaching them as they are a bit awkward.

Arbutus Alley is left of Juniper Point, and you’ll follow a scramble through salal and boulders to get to a steep climbing wall of granite. Several arbutus trees sit at the base. Keep heading up this fairly steep trail to gain the top of the boulder and the anchors for the route below. There is one sport climb here that goes at 10a. It’s a good area to head to when elsewhere gets a little too busy.