Written by: Nick (@outdoorzboy)
Just another day at the bluffs
The Okanagan sun hits the canyon early, washing the orange and pink cliffs in warmth while the valley below still clings to morning haze. The air smells sweet from mock orange and sagebrush. I shoulder my pack and wind up the familiar trail through Ponderosa pines, the sound of quickdraws and cams clinking against each other; that small music that says it’s going to be a good day at Skaha Bluffs.
1. The Foundation: Petzl Adjama Harness
From Red Tail to Doctors Wall, a day at Skaha often means a mix of single-pitch sport and the odd trad line. The Petzl Adjama harness handles both with ease. It’s padded enough for hanging while projecting, yet flexible and breathable for warm Okanagan afternoons. The gear loops are perfectly spaced for racking both draws and a few cams when you wander onto something more adventurous. I’ve worn it for hours under the midday sun and still forget it’s there, the mark of a great harness. Today I’m warming up on Preface, a classic five star 5.9 sport route. Although I’ve done it a million times, I can’t ever seem to remember the moves on 5.9’s so I like to refer to this as an amnesiac onsight. Once threw the mid-way crux it’s quick and easy moves to the nice spacious standing belay ledge above.
2. Lifeline: Mammut Alpine 9.5 mm × 70 m Dry Rope
There’s a reason I bring a Mammut Alpine 9.5 mm Dry 70 m rope even for cragging days. Many of Skaha’s best routes; like the tall faces of Great White Wall or the long 35-meter pitches at the Fortress; are just a bit too long for a 60 m rope. The 9.5’s balance between lightness and durability feels ideal: supple through the belay device, but still thick enough to take abuse from repeated laps or gneiss edges. The dry treatment helps too, when you’re pulling the rope through dusty cracks or dropping it on pine-needle-covered ledges.
3. Control: Petzl Reverso Belay / Rappel Device
At the base of the crag, my Petzl Reverso does it all; smooth belays on lead and easy lower-offs on the plentiful anchors Skaha is known for. Its light weight makes it my everyday device, and I like that I can flip into guide mode for the occasional top-belay setup when friends want to try a new line or most especially when I’m in the alpine doing big lines. There’s a simplicity in its design that fits the Skaha rhythm: tie in, climb, lower, swap; no fuss, just climbing.
4. Warmth When It Matters: Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket
Even in Penticton, the mornings can start cool, especially in early spring or late fall when the wind whips down the valley. The Patagonia Nano Puff has become a permanent resident of my pack. It’s the perfect layer for pre-dawn hikes in or post-session hangs at the parking lot. Light, synthetic, and packable; it disappears until the shade rolls across the canyon and suddenly becomes your best friend.
5. Precision and Trust: La Sportiva TC Pro
The La Sportiva TC Pro might seem like overkill for a sport crag, but Skaha’s variety makes it shine; edgy faces, flared cracks, or slabby starts. They smear confidently on that fine-grained gneiss and slot into the rare hand crack you find tucked between bolted lines. I love that I can wear them all day without needing a break. When the moves get thin and the holds slope just enough to make you second-guess, the TC Pros feel like an anchor point for your focus.
By the time the sun dips behind the cliffs, the air smells of sage and chalk dust. The last few calls of “climbing!” echo through the canyon. We coil the rope, trade beta with a pair of locals, and head back down the trail toward Penticton’s evening light; a cold drink waiting in town.
It’s hard not to feel grateful for gear that works as seamlessly as the day itself. Harness, rope, belay device, jacket, shoes; each one does its job without complaint, letting the focus stay where it belongs: on the next route, the next move, the next perfect day at Skaha Bluffs.
I use the same gear trad climbing Yak Peak in the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area, playing on the apron in Squamish, alpine climbing in the mountains and clipping bolts at Skaha, so I want gear that does it all, and this gear does it all!