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Cordilleran Geoscience/GCDZ/Rogues Gallery 1 of 11
May 31, 2004
Anders Ouram
Climbers Access Society of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC
Re: Garibaldi Civil Defence Zone and conflicts with climber’s access to Rogues Gallery.
Introduction
The Climbers Access Society of British Columbia (CASBC) has asked me to prepare an
outline of the issues pertaining to recreation in the Garibaldi Civil Defence Zone,
specifically with respect to climber’s parking and access to the Rogues Gallery climbing
area located at the south end of the GCDZ (Figure 1). They desire a list of
recommendations consistent with the intent of the GCDZ that, if followed, would allow
continued access to this popular climbing area. This report is based on a review of the
Garibaldi Civil Defence Zone Land Use Plan and its appendices, published literature on
the Barrier landslide, and on a field review of sites discussed in the text. Observation sites
were located using a handheld Garmin GPS unit with a stated accuracy of ±10 m.
Relative elevations were determined by Thommen altimeter accurate to ±5 m. River and
debris terrace heights were measured. Of importance to the Approving Officer reviewing
this report are the qualifications of the person making recommendations, and therefore
my CV is attached.
The Garibaldi Civil Defence Zone (GCDZ) was established in 1980 by Order in Council
(OIC 1185/80). The intent of the GCDZ was stated in land use policy 1.01 contained in
OIC 1409: the GCDZ is designated “to minimize the loss of life in the Garibaldi Hazard
area in the event of a slide” from the Barrier. The details of the Garibaldi Civil Defence
Zone, including the scientific basis, its history and administration, etc. are reviewed in the
Garibaldi Civil Defence Zone Land Use Management Plan (Gryphus-Thurber 2001) and
will not be repeated herein. This report specifically addresses the intent and management
of the GCDZ as it bears on recreation at Rogues Gallery.
Since 1992 climbers have pulled off Highway 99 into a low flat area on the east side of
the highway located at UTM E488040, 5532243 (NAD 83), and then walked upslope to a
group of crags referred to informally as Rogues Gallery (Figure 2). Presently this is a
relatively popular area with consistent use on weekends and many weekdays as soon as
the area is snow free, and any time the rock is dry and the weather warm - a period
extending from mid March to late September.
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In the GCDZ land use plan, Kevin McLane, the author of the climbing guidebook for the
area and a representative of the CASBC was listed as a contact on the distribution list for
the recreation questionnaire (Appendix 3, Gryphus-Thurber 2001). This implies that
rockclimbers had some input into the planning document, however, no mention of
Rogues Gallery appears in the questionnaire results, and Mr. McLane does not recall ever
seeing or responding to the questionnaire. Thus, it is not clear if access to Rogues Gallery
was ever considered during the development of the land use plan. Recently, parking at the
trailhead to Rogues Gallery has been discouraged by the Ministry of Transport. CASBC
believes, and the argument is made herein, that conditional approval for parking and
access is consistent with the intent of the Garibaldi Civil Defence Zone.
GCDZ: Configuration and Purpose
In the Cheakamus River valley bottom, beyond the mouth of Rubble Creek, the boundary
of the Garibaldi Civil Defence Zone is defined by the 400 m contour elevation (Figure 1).
At the upstream end this boundary is naturally closed, but at the downstream end the
boundary is artificially terminated near the upstream end of the Cheakamus River
canyon. As stated by OIC 1409, this cutoff is drawn east/west from the SE corner of Lot
3669, Group 1, New Westminster District, and corresponds approximately with UTM
northing 5531250 (NAD 27) on NTS map 92G/14. This line is roughly coincident with
the rockfall that blocked Highway 99 for a week in 1997. In all the GCDZ extends about
11.5 km along the valley axis.
The intent of the GCDZ is derived from the Garibaldi Advisory Panel report (1978),
which was conducted in response to the Berger (1973) decision. The wording of the
advisory panel recommendation (section 8.5.1, pg 70) is reiterated below:
“The extent of the area of limited development should include both sides of
Cheakamus Valley to a distance of 3 km downstream from Cheakamus dam
measured along the river and should extend 20 m in elevation above the limits of
the previous deposits of slide debris and debris flow deposits.”
In the subsequent delineation of the GCDZ, the arbitrary designation of the 400 m level
for the boundary resulted in the inclusion of “excess relief” on the order of 80 m on the
east side of Cheakamus River near Rogues Gallery. Cognizant of the Advisory Panel’s
recommendation, Thurber (2001) has divided the GCDZ into different hazard types
shown on Figure 1.