Why is the Chief called the Chief in Squamish?

Stawamus was the name of the village at the foot of the mountain and “chief” is a rough translation of Siám’, though the term apparently reflects a social ranking of which chief is a fairly unsophisticated substitute. The reason it was given that name at all seems to be lost to history.

How long does it take to climb the Chief in Squamish?

First Peak is a 4km round trip from the Chief parking lot and will take an average group around 3 to 4 hours. Fast parties can do it 1.5-2 hours. Second Peak is a little longer at 5km and will take most groups 4 to 5 hours. Third Peak is 7km and should be given 5 to 7 hours.

How hard is it to climb the Chief in Squamish?

great climb, felt like I was on the stair master forever but once near the top there is this steep little section with a ladder and chain pull up. Its a great hike. I’d wear running shoes next time and a lighter over shirt. As the climb is steep and you get hot quickly.

Is the Chief a hard hike?

How hard is the Chief hike? The short answer: very hard. The longer answer: very hard, for lots of reasons. First is the 600 metres of elevation gain in just 1.7 kilometres to First Peak – without getting too deep into the math, that is pretty steep.

Is the Chief a volcano?

The Chief may be the root of an extinct volcano because no volcanic activity has occurred in the Squamish area from about 86 million years ago to the beginning of Garibaldi Volcanic Belt volcanism about 2-3 million years ago.

Does the Chief have snow?

The Stawamus Chief gets snow during the winter, but not as much as some of the other nearby mountains. For this reason, The Chief enjoys a fairly long hiking season. The summit is usually free of snow in the early spring, making this a great warm-up hike for the summer months ahead.

Is Squamish Chief hike open?

Rockfall Hazard Closures. Due to multiple significant rockfalls in the North Wall, Slhanay, Grand Wall, and Western Dihedrals climbing areas of Stawamus Chief, a large number of climbing routes are currently closed until further notice.

How long is the hike up the Chief?

The Stawamus Chief Hiking Route. The Squamish Chief hike has a roughly 500 m elevation gain to peak 1, and 590 m and 630 m gains to Peaks 2 and 3. It is considered an intermediate hike, and takes about 90 minutes to reach Peak 1, and slightly longer if you choose to ascend one of the other two peaks.

How high is the Chief in Squamish?

2,303′Stawamus Chief / Elevation

Can you hike the Chief in winter?

You will want to start at or around sunrise regardless due to the short daylight hours of winter because this hike may take you eight or more hours to complete under winter conditions. Set a strict turn-around time and don’t worry if you don’t quite make it to the summit.

What kind of rock is the Chief in Squamish?

granodiorite
The Chief is part of a medium-sized pluton of a granitic rock (granodiorite) that was initially formed in the early Cretaceous(approximately 100 million years ago) by the slow cooling and solidification of molten magma deep below the surface of the Earth.