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Hello everyone,

John and I just got back from a glorious trip to Squamish BC. For John, it is one of his favourite places in the world. For me, it was my first time visiting.

Squamish, located about 45 minutes north of Vancouver on the Pacific coast, is known for its world class rock climbing. The Chief, a granite monolith boasting an approximate 2,200 foot cliff face, is a rock climber’s dream. But apart from the Chief, the area is littered with hundreds of climbs.

Together, John and I have about 20 years of rock climbing experience. 4 months of those are mine, and 19 years and 8 months are his. John has climbed the Chief before, but as you may guess, climbing the Chief is a tad bit beyond my experience. John and I opted for some easier (and much shorter) climbs, to allow me to learn how to crack climb.

What is crack climbing? It is much different than the type of climbing I was familiar with before, reaching for various holds as you climb. Granite tends to crack, so you will see long cracks varying in with ascending the cliff face. The idea is to literally jam your feet and hands into the crack as you make your way up.

John and I had a wonderful time crack climbing in Squamish. John would climb first, placing gear as he climbed and fashioning a very secure anchor at the top. I would follow suit, climbing at about 1/80^th of the pace of John (thanks for your patience sweetie!) But heck, it may not have been a beautiful thing, and I may have taken a fall or two, but I made it to the top!

I can safely say I’m now addicted to crack (yup, I went there.) I was able to improve my technique and build some climbing confidence during our trip.

So of course, with camping comes camping meals! These pancakes are one of our favourites. The fruit – rhubarb, strawberries and apples – are inspired by pie filling. Simply mix your fruit with sugar, cinnamon, and butter, wrap with tin foil and cook over your camping stove or grill. Serve the fruit over the pancakes.

TIPS:

• John and I like to do the prep and cooking for the fruit the night before, even eating some for dessert and saving some for breakfast. You simply have to re-heat the foil package in the morning.
• The sugar is variable according to your tastes. John and I prefer the fruit a little more tart, but add as much sugar as you like.

I’m already looking forward to our next crack climbing trip and our next camping meal. Stay tuned for a few more camping meals from our Squamish adventures!

Special thanks to John’s cousin Richie Warke for being our on-site photographer and providing all the photos you see today!

Bon appetit,

Julie

Click here to view the printable word version of the recipe:
Strawberry Rhubarb Apple Pie Pancakes

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Strawberry, Rhubarb and Apple Pie Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 4

2 small or 1 large stalks rhubarb, chopped
½ a container strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 apple of your choice, cut into chunks
¼ – ½ cup sugar, or more depending on how sweet you like it (We used 1/4 cup)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
Tin Foil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Assemble all ingredients in tin foil. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon, dispersing it evenly over the fruit. Divide the butter, spread out on top of the mixture.
2. Seal the concoction in the tin foil. Cook on stove or grill until fruit is cooked, about 20 minutes. Make pancakes while fruit is cooking.
3. Spread the fruit on top of your pancakes.

We like to double this recipe. Make 2 separate fruit packages the night before, cooking them both. Eat one for dessert, and save one for breakfast to be re-heated the next day. A great time saver!