Brette Harrington Makes Second Female Ascent of the Trad Route Shadow (5.13a)
Brette Harrington, trad climbing for only two years, has sent the crux pitch of University Wall.
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Brette Harrington of Vancouver, British Columbia, made the second female ascent of the Shadow (5.13a), a stemming-corner 150 feet up the Chief in Squamish on September 15.
Harrington tried the Shadow, the crux pitch of University Wall, twice on September 14, coming back immediately the next day to send it, placing all gear on lead. Remarkably, Harrington has only been trad climbing for two years.
Just ten days before the Shadow, Harrington made the first ascent of Vanguardia (5.12+), using a combination of bolts and thin gear, at the Ferris Wheel Crag just south of Squamish.
On a trip around the United States this summer, Harrington climbed Lurking Fear on El Capitan in a day. Although it is the easiest aid line on El Cap, on her blog Harrington described it as, “Pretty exciting for my first time on the Captain!” She also onsighted the ten-pitch, ultra-classic, Astroman (5.11c), in the Valley before heading to Zion for a send of the five-pitch 5.12+ trad route, Silverback.
Peter Croft made the first free ascent of the Shadow, onsighting the 150-foot dihedral in 1988.
Senja Palonen, also of Vancouver, was the first female to send the Shadow in 2012, calling it “One of the most beautiful and iconic routes in Squamish.”
Check out Jesse Huey on the Shadow
THE SHADOW from Sonnie Trotter on Vimeo.