When my good friend Sam asked me to join him at Wisebird rock for a day of climbing with Zach and his partner Miranda, I was excited. Firstly, since I’d heard so much about Zach and his legendary eagerness for rock climbing development and, secondly, because I wanted to see his latest and dearest project: Wisebird.

We met Zach and Miranda at their campsite by the Skeena, where they had been sleeping in their leaky truck for a while. Every day, they would drive up to Wisebird and hike the long and very steep approach carrying tools and bolts, just to open new climbs for us to appreciate. And the best part is that Zach does it voluntarily, out of passion. This is dedication. But, the payoff is huge.

Located along the shores of the Skeena river, the steep walls of Wisebird offer countless routes of dry climbing, something the Northwestern British-Columbian climber has learned to value, a lot. Word on the street is that there would even be an 8-pitch line of dry climbing, where else can you find that? Otherwise, it is mostly sport and mixed climbing and there are grades for everybody. Plus, new routes are being developed basically every time Zach walks up there.

For instance, while I was dangling from a rope taking pictures, Zach and Sam did respectively the first and second ascent of Sharp Dress Man (5.10+). This pitch has some pretty unique features including a finger crack in the bottom third and a very sketchy-looking flake shaped like a body-long pizza slice. Trust me, Zach tried his very best to make it detach from the wall, but the thin piece of rock would just spring back and forth. So far so good! I guess.

Despite how unique this crag is, I can only advise you not to visit its walls. Having your eyes set on the rock when leaving the car, you might not even notice that you are crossing a train track, which is significantly illegal. So don’t go, I don’t want to be responsible for any trouble.

Wisebird rock, Highway 16, Canada. April 2022.