Nodes in Banff

On Sulphur Mountain overlooking Banff and the Vermillion Lakes. The cliff is in the shade due to it's NW facing exposure. There is currently only a handful of routes, but their quality are excellent.

The main wall. Called the Main Arena because of the small proximity of climbs and entertainment when hard sends are going down.

A tough opening move gains a crack in a left facing corner. From the 3rd bolt, step left and execute cool moves between steep jugs that leads to a power draining, sequential crux. Steady now

The infamous Masque. Continue past the anchor of P1 by launching directly into a nails crux that utilizes tiny crimpers. Followed by sustained climbing that leads to a powerful and technical boulder problem way off the deck, that guards the anchor.

Fun technical 5.11 edge climbing punctuated by nice buckets lead to a great crux before the anchor. *Completely retrobolted (June 2016) by James Blackhall and Greg Tos

From the anchors of P1, tackle the powerful head wall to the burly roof. Once over the roof a never ending sea of technicalities awaits, for some time. Hang on and enjoy the view! Absolutely classic and one of the best in the country.

An alternative finish to T.T.H pitch 2, branching right near the top, with a few harder moves. This route seeps the most on the wall and has been described by visiting rockstar Ondra as “unfortunate”.

Climb the funky corner system with a few crimpy moves, until you encounter a technical crux up the top. Shared anchor as Telltale pitch 1.

Climbs the striking beauty Prow/Arête black and silver stripped. Starts up on a small ledge. Hard crimps and sloppers lead to a vicious Boulder problem. Part 1 of the Prow Projext has been sent in July 2016 by Alex Megos at the grade of 5.14b/c.

CANADAS FIRST 5.15! Which took Megos 7-8 visits to Ravens for. Easy to spot walking into the crag, as the streaked nature of the line, makes it look like a massive, silver lighting bolt, into the cliff. Extremely delicate moves off micro holds, that look like nothing but dimples of limestone, go up the stunning, sharp streaked prow. The extension above the Orginal Prow Project that was bolted by Peter Arbic. Sonnie Trotter added 10 bolts creating Alex Megos' insane and mega steep, test piece. Another hard Boulder problem (Vhard) consisting of bad slopping dimples and tiny beyond micro-edges and a mad dash to the anchor!

Project right of Megos’s “Fight Club” lives it’s evil brother.

Right of Fight Club P1, starting atop of “Fun Club Ledge”, climbs this power endurance- test piece. Begin with a hard dyno, into a rest, then firing a technical traverse into a sequential pillar. Make sure you didn't get pumped because the true crux lies above with optional big frequent flyers and a stroll to the scenic views at the anchor.

Far lookers right

This route climbs the sky blue stone in the middle of the short wall. Climb the line of bolts by starting next to the two "eye" pockets. Slab and face climbing on water worn baby blue rock leads to a mini roof. The anchor is directly under the large roof slightly right.

The crux comes at the 2nd bolt, so stick clip is recommended. Once off the bouldery beginning, easy well protected slab climbing finishes up a solid refrigerator block.

This adventurous climb, ascends a long, light-blue streak via the anchor of Apollo or from traversing in from The Club's ledge. (Steel chain with bolts added as a easy grip along to Apollo’s Anchor). Technical climbing up 5 perma-draws, gains an airy, blunt arête scattered with flakes. Keep your head about you, locating the holds over the bulge, facilitating the escape of the arete, onto the bullet stone above.

The Center wall at Ravens. The Bulges shape the wall like Bells. Also a poem of Edgar's is named "The Bells"

Excellent stone, leads up to a small ledge before moving left and up on small edges, sidepulls and a cool sloper. A fingery, balancey, powerful crux through the corner ends with fun climbing on positive holds over the roof, with a “old school” styled finish.

Start as for House Of Usher, but trend right after the first bolt, to a no hands rest at the second bolt. Power through a crux at the first bulge, to a quick shake, then another 5.12 crux through the second bulge using hard to locate holds. More technical, powerful climbing gains a last quick shake before a finish with a tricky bouldery move at the anchor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dklKQz3eGNg

This is the extension to House of Usher. Climb up right to a shake right of the third bolt. Then cut left and head up the black rock through big moves with a building pump.

Pitch 2 is a 13C above.

Put a long extendo on the last bolt of House of Usher and don’t clip anything to the anchor.

The continuation of Shame P1.

Link up. Do HOU’s crux through the corner, clip the last draw and head left to the last bolt and anchor of City In The Sea.

Technical climbing weaves up the beauty, grey streak, left of House Of Usher. Put your thinking cap on for this one! The intricate, friction-dependent boulder-problem crux makes this route really worth doing! Steady to the anchors now.

A powerful boulder problem off the ground leads to sustained technical puzzles on interesting holds. Watch the anchor clip!

Same start as "The Sleeper", ontop of the small cave, but cuts left up the beauty black streak. Boulder problems, gain a half decent shake and a burly pull over the "Wave". Make sure you have gas in the tank, because the sequential, technical top can feel hard after the power draining bottom. Shares the same anchor as Overlooking Paradise.

The project line of Bolts above Bittersweet and Op's anchor. Hard future proj!

First crux requires a blend of tech and power to overcome. The second requires nothing but burly strength.

This pitch gains a high position on the cliff and follows a very attractive grey steep corner feature that's begging to be climbed. Begins next to a small cave with a Boulder problem straight off the ground followed by technical dihedrals. The upper pitch has spectacular climbing and a total must do for the grade. The midway ledge has a new anchor ONLY for lowering if you have a 60m rope- do not stop here.

The Horizontal cave.

Start on the right side of the cave by the JEB graffiti. Climb straight up to holds lead out of the cave. Although it's short, it packs a punch!

Start just to the right of the mouth of the cave. Big powerful moves lead out the roof to a shared anchor finish with The Hermit.

Project to the right of One Robe One Bowl beginning in the corner and climbing up the left trending crack. Will be a great addition to the crag once complete. Only random bolts so far

The Multi Pitches

See map attached.

10 draws, 6 long slings, 60 m rope

1. Welcome to Texas, 5.5, 20m

2. The Battle of the Bulges, 5.7, 55m

3. The Castling Move, 4th, 10m

4. Left Left Right, 5.8, 20m

5. A Murder of Crows, 5.8, 50m

6. Billy the Destroyer, 5.9, 30m

7. The Cooler, 5.7, 35m

Starting from the Lenore Traverse (traversing in from the main crag) following 5 bolts on 5th class. Begin the P1 after- 10B 40m P2- 10C 25m P3- 10C 30m the "crux" pitch follows a small Corner/Seam up vertical rock. Sustained 10B/C but doesn't warrant 10D. P4- 5.7 35m

The Raven (fully retrofitted in 2014). P1 - 11B 45m long sustained 5.10+ and 5.11- moves on bomber slab. Many technical engaging moves throughout. P2- 11B 30m a slab crux half way up the pitch on blank notmuchness. Grippy rock! P3 - 10A 20m more friction climbing with a crux on runnels. P4 - 5.7 35m and topout.

It resides in the Banff National Park, and has it’s own parking area, thanks to a few things, but about 2 km from the park gates, heading west, turn right into the parking area. The main function of this parking area used to be for the Banff Waste Disposal/Dump, but many people forget this and decide to ignore the fact. The park service covered and filled it in and did a very nice job, put up a new fence and built a nice set of stairs for hikers, walkers and climbers to get over the fence. Then the Honorable Sheilah Copps, minister of Heritage for the Liberal Federal government decided to make the area a wildlife corridor (not that the wildlife hadn’t used this area for eons) and removed the stairs, but could not legally shut access down – simply asked climbers to refrain from climbing in the canyon. Most of us abided by the rule, and still do, and climbed elsewhere. The parks service started clear-cutting the area for a firewall to protect Canmore. Well, as you may notice, clear cutting and fires will do more to detract from the “wildlife” than climbers and hikers. Besides that, why build a firewall to protect Canmore in the Park itself? The parks service could easily have built one just outside the park boundary – well we may never know, as the federal government has never been very good at coming clean or being “smart” about it’s environmental decisions - Enough of that. New Parks Work There are many other areas to climb – but this one has history and I wanted to let climbers know about it.

Start on the left side of the corner and climb onto an arete. Veer left in order to pull over the bulge on the way to the anchor.

Easyish climbing to a sloper ledge. This is where the fun begins- 4 bolts of pumpy slopers up the beauty arete! Absolute classic.

The big corner.

Climb book worm to the top of the corner before continuing straight up past a small roof to a cruxy bulge.

Head for an open book corner in the yellow rock without getting suckered into climbing straight up the corner.

Enjoy great climbing up a beautiful grey streak.

Start in yellow rock and follow a weakness leftward before heading up a blank slab to a blue streak.

Start just left of a mossy corner. Follow good juggy stone to the anchors.

Follow buckets up a right trending ramp, where it becomes a little uncomfortable and awkward. Presumably the crux.

A pump like no other in the Rockies. Openhanded sloppers for days!

Start up the large corner at the left end of the wall and climb a right trending ramp above. From the top trend slightly right before tackling a series of overlaps capped a funky mantle. A long draw helps reduce too drag on the 6th bolt.

Carrot creek is on a wild life corridor. Parks asks people not to climb here. But if you love climbing, then it's hard not to.

Continue above the anchors of merlins laugh

Start to the right of a corner and climb a discontinuous groove on slopers and edges.

Climb Hey Presto to a no hands rest stance out right. Climb up and slightly left on sloppers to a cool Boulder problem. Finish with a sensational move!

This is an outstanding pitch of climbing- maybe the best for grade in the canyon. Climb abracadabra to a bitter end to the top of the featureless face before continuing up through the blocky roofs on small holds. Finish In the alcove above

Same story as Alacazam but veer right at the top of the featureless face instead of straight up. Tackle a great crux on sloppers to a quick shake then tackle another roof into a corner. Take a breathe and jump into the redpoint crux pulling the lip at the top of the whole wall to a moderate finish. Absolutely beautiful movement with an array of different holds. Classic

Climb a left facing corner and fun for the left side of a featureless slab. At the top veer left through a series of blocky roof son anchors at the top of a short corner.

Carrot creek is on a wild life corridor. Parks asks people not to climb here. But if you love climbing, then it's hard not to.

Climb a large left facing corner and veer right into a smaller corner system. From the top follow a system of flakes rightward to the anchor.