Routes as sport in Canada

Climbs up a short bit of slab to a vertical wall with green streaks and bolts. Up the face to a right facing corner/chimney right of a high roof, then finishes a bit left.

Try not to be lured off route by the chalk and crumbly jugs on the far left under the roof. Stay true to the bolt line for the full experience - and grade.

The right set of bolts up this face. If climbed directly over the bolts, goes about 5.7 -- but can be climbed at about 5.5 by drifting a bit off line either right or left into larger holds.

This now (fall 2012) has a chunk of rock at the bottom labelling it as "Stage Right 5.8 S".

The bolt line right of "Moje Zlato", climb the face and over the small roof.

The historically run-out (though with a clean fall) finish has, apparently, now had a bolt installed to protect it, above the crack in which the (historical, optional) piece would have been placed.

(Finish was a bit run-out, but can be protected with an (optional) piece in the horizontal finger crack. The block below the crack is hollow and a fall on gear could dislodge it.)

Anchor is in a big detached block.

Climb a short face to a short slab to a bulge. Pull the bulge/roof to a ledge to the right. Then up and left over another bulge, then right to the anchors.

Probably the most climbed-on route at Down Under, often used as a warm-up. Below and to the right of the small cave at the top is an interesting no-hands rest.

Climbs over the same roof as Desert Trip to its right, with more consistent but easier climbing.

Now (spring 2017) cleaned & bolted as a sport route, with a label stone as "Too Many Puppies 5.8S" - was graded 5.4 in the 80s as a trad route.

Start 5m to the right of a small cairn (yeah, right, like it's still there) and at the base of a steep slab facing right, 75m past the start of "First Flight". A short face leads to the base of the slab. Follow the slab to the top, generally keeping to its left edge, bypassing a cedar. The crux move involves stepping left onto a bulge (6m above the base of the slab) while using a horizontal break for a hand jam.

About 100m right of Calabogie Sunset you will come around a bit of a corner to an easy-angled face with a couple bolt lines up it.

This now (fall, 2012) has a plaque at the bottom labelling it as "Stage Left 5.9".

This is the left-most of the two bolt lines. The first bolt is a bit high, so a placement before this bolt could help, though the climbing is also fairly easy. Crack has been retro-bolted with FA permission.

There are a pair of bolted lines up a left-facing wall, this is the left-most of the two of them.

This goes at about 5.9 if you stay on the face the bolts are on, but somewhat easier if you move into the corner to the left. Probably about 5.7 if climbed to the left.

Climb easily to a high first bolt, then follow the glue-ins past a couple small roofs using a sharp arete.

Name-stone at base.

Start up a blocky corner with big holds. After clipping the first bolt, step left onto a right-facing slab. At the top of the slab, climb a steeper face on good holds, them move right to the anchor.

Good climbing throughout.

In the lower part of the cliff there is a nearly vertical about 9" wide pink dike that protrudes out from the rest of the cliff by an inch or two, and a bolt line running up it.

Mr Clean climbs the dike, and face above, to anchors.

Climb up the ramp out of the gorge, staying along the arete. Nice climbing with beautiful views.

P1. 5.7 20m, 4 bolts

P2. 5.7 45m, 8 bolts (don't stop at the first anchor -- this is just an intermediate rap station)

P3. 5.9 20m, 4 bolts

Pitch 3 Variation: 5.10c climbs to the left, around the corner, to the same upper belay location.

NOTE: The trail from the car park IS the way to go as per the update on Quickdraw Publications. Its is a well maintained trail with just a shitty move on scree slope but totally safe, much quicker than walking the same distance and then raping. If for whatever mysterious reason you want to rap, the rap station is 5 meter left of the chains from top of start check as per pic below. Can be done in 2 raps with a 70m rope or 3 with a 60m. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD PEOPLE RAP THE ROUTE extremely likely that someone is climbing it and you will be on their way, rock fall possible from the top, and its 4 raps instead of 3 if you chose the rap station

The crux is at the roof, the 3rd bolt. Beneath the roof is a nice finger pocket for the left hand and then a nice layback for the right. Just above the roof line is a good right hand and then fire up and to the right of the 3rd bolt by a couple feet for a very good jug.

Name stone at base suggests grade is 5.11a.

The middle bolt line up the cliff.

Formerly an X trad route, now a very closely bolted sport route. This is a good lead for a beginning lead climber.

From 'Flaky Flake', walk left along the cliff face, up and over a pile of scree then down again. There will be a slab with a wide zig-zagging crack going up to a ledge about 3m off the ground, with a small overhang about 1.5m above the ledge and a first bolt just above the overhang. Crux is pulling over the overhang, much harder if you are shorter than about 5'8". Then nice climbing up past 3 more bolts to a 2-bolt anchor.

Suggested grades have ranged from 10a to 11a on this equivocal route. At odds are the bolt line and the obvious path of least resistance left of the roof. 10c seems an honest compromise between the two, but every step farther left probably drops the route a letter grade.

This newly bolted slab climb could top out onto Eagles Nest lookout. Hike up the slope past 'Coward's Way Out' and find the slab with glue in bolts on the left just where the trail levels off. The first 18 meters of this climb goes at about 5.5, maybe easier if you stay closer to the corner with one committing move to get to the anchor.

Not 100% sure who set this, so a few more assents to confirm the grade would be appreciated. Also to add a name by the FA.

About 20m past Shanti, glue-in bolts up a slab with a small tree at the base.

Plaque labelling it as "Aint No Wifey 5.8 S", but grade is no harder than 5.6.

"Yadda yards yadda best sport climb in Canada......" Listen to the spray people say when they get off this pearler!Pumpy climbing on beautiful jugs and flakes. Absolutely classic.....

A few meters right of "Ain't no wifey", another line of glue-in bolts run up the cliff.

Plaque labelling as "Cheat Stick 5.8 S" at the base, but climb is no harder than 5.7.

Easy sport climb on the slab a couple meters right of stage right.

Has a sign posted naming it and giving a grade of 5.8 -- but this climb is no harder than 5.5. (It is considerably easier than Phasers on Stun - 5.5.)

A large rock has fallen from midway up the route. The remaining rock is not secure and avoiding it bumps up the difficulty. Still not 5.8 though

One of the most sort after 11's in the Bow Valley. Every hold is a jug with a few sequences gaining the lip and exiting it (crux). Ridiculously fun and pumpy!

Climb up blocky ledges to a slabbier head wall.

(Retro-bolted trad route, with FA's permission.)

Start 3m left of the obvious Ein Kleines Nacht Klettern.

Climb up flakes to and crack to an overhang. Pull over the bulge (crux) and up the headwall to anchors.

(Retro-bolted trad route, with FA's permission.)

Short route at the far right end of the cliff. Nice warm-up for the fairly stiff 5.8 routes on the rest of the cliff.

Perma-draws. Very nice athletic moves.

Start between a pair of trees, just left of Little Flo. Short vertical start, to obtain the slab, then slab the rest of the way.

Climb the right-facing crack and corner system on the right side of the overhangs.

(Retro-bolted trad route, with FA's permission. Was originally graded 5.8.)

Stick clip? 3 bolts for this one. Gym like climb!

flake to intriguing face climbing

The left-most bolt line on Spindrift wall. Opening moves to first bolt are a bit intimidating (consider a stick-clip), but real crux is when the route gets thin between bolts 2 and 3.

Climb to a bolt under a roof, traverse left, up onto the face, then right around the blunt arete and up to the anchors.

(Retro-bolted trad route, with FA's permission. Was originally graded 5.8.)

Generously bolted route; bolts can be skipped and pitches linked. Bring lots of draws or be ok with run out to skip bolts in order to link pitches (all pitches are <25m, last 2 are ~10m each).

Pitch: # bolts (does not include anchors) 1: 8 bolts? 2: 15 bolts 3: 11 bolts 4: 10 bolts 5: 11 bolts 6: 13 bolts 7: 5 bolts 8: 12 bolts 9: 3 bolts 10: 4 bolts

The 3rd bolt line on Spindrift Wall. Climb the face just outside the corner that is Arachnophobia.

A bit to the left of "Phasers on Stun" are a couple new bolted lines, this is the one on the left. It goes up easy climbing to the first bolt, then winds its way through a series of roofs/bulges to anchors on the right side of a prow at the top of the cliff.

Currently (summer 2012) there is a small rock at the bottom with the name (Breakfast Cookie) and a grade (5.10b) on it at the bottom.

Climbs directly above the toe of the slab on edges and pockets

The best of its grade and a must-do at the crag. Sustained, thoughtful face climbing leads to one last puzzle before the chains.

As of May 2021, permadraws have been installed at the anchor.

Left side of a short slab, just north (climber's left) of the easy way down. Base is a bit exposed.

Immediate left of Sidewinder, up a very chunky looking sector of cliff following a zig-zag bolt line to the anchors.Climb up to stance above first bolt, then finesse your way right through the right leaning ramp/corner. Back left to a good stance above second bolt. Straight up the clean rock on positive holds to anchor. This route is 4 stars if you avoid all the big but ugly hold on left.

Start 5m to the right of the "2nd Easy Way Down".

Really low first bolt, climb past one roof, up a slab, then pull another steep section on big holds.

Probably more like 5.8 in modern grades.

There is a cluster of 5 (oak) trees at the base of the cliff. This climb starts just up and left of the cluster of trees.

This climb starts up initially over a series of blocky ledges, following generally easy climbing, and eventually passing left of the bulges near the top of the cliff.

Crag classic with medium to long line-ups on weekends.

Somebody has, apparently, added 3 bolts to this trad climb, making it purely a sport climb.

Just around the arete of 'Vulcan Mind' direct is a series of 4 bolted routes. This is the first of them, going up some overhanging terrain at the start, eases off, then pulls a final small roof.

(No longer needs a few cams or tricams (red, brown, optional black).)

Exciting climbing throughout. Clip the awkward final bolt, catch your breath on the ledge, then make the spooky step out right onto the slab that leads to the anchor. Marker at the bottom of the climb.

Bolt route to the right of "I'm a Doctor, Not a Climber", climb the up past the left edge of the low roof though a slight notch, then up easier ground to anchors.

Run-out from last bolt to anchors, but easy ground or protectable with gear.

Bolt route squeezed in between "Ethics Police" and "Mr Clean". Occasionally borrows holds from each.

Goes at about 5.9 if you wander around a bit. Direct finish, up the smooth slab, probably harder, maybe 5.11ish?

5.7 Slab to right of judgement day to the first anchors and 5.11 to the second anchors.

5.9 climbing to very high first bolt. Find a way over the first bulge, cruise though some easy slab moves to the rightward trending dihedral. When the dihedral runs out get your slab game on for some delicate thin slab up to easy ground and a fun overhanging exit.

Stone marker at base of climb reading Neat Cafe 5.11b Belay anchors at the top. Recent hold (key) breakage at crux may have affected the grade / quality.

5.8 to the chains at halfway, with a few 10a moves immediately after. Good warmup climb.

Starts 2m right of Neat Cafe. Head up the crack to a low angle ramp then stroll up the jug haul above.

Bolt line left of "Ethics Police".

High first bolt, but could maybe take gear at start?

Beware the top half of this climb gets hard fast and it can be tempting to travel off route to the sides. Beware, if you travel too far this could result in a nasty swing if on lead.

Large easy slab on the right

Starts a couple meters right of Hakuna-Matata. Crux is low, stick clip 1st or 2nd bolt highly advised.

First bolted line on the ledge to the left of the ground-level belay station. Starts to the left of the bolt line and moves up and right. Can be started from the crack with the tree to the right but makes the start much harder. Shares the 5th bolt and anchors with 'Just a 5.6'.

Climbing the obvious left-facing corner near the left end of the crag; reaching right, sometimes far right, for the a couple of the clips.

Or starts right at the red #25 marker. (about mid-way between Spring Thaw (#19) and "Curved Chimney Descent" (#20A), or about 20m from either.)

Climb the bolted slab on generally good holds to a steeper finish.

Two rings for lower-off.

The line just a few meters right of Zoomba. Rings at the top

Located on the same ledge as, but to the climbers left of, 'Called Out'. Shares the 5th bolt and anchors with 'Called Out'.

~9 bolts to a set of quick clip lower off shuts for anchors.

Around the corner from the Star Trek sector is a mostly less-than-vertical wall with a couple low staggered roofs, with the left one being lower than the right. Start below a notch in the lower roof. Climb up and right bypassing the lower roof to the right, then traverse back left below the upper roof and pass it to the left, then up easier ground to anchors.

New bolt has been installed under the left edge of the 2nd bulge, no longer ground-fall potential.

(Was run-out (ground fall possible) between 1st and 2nd bolt. Optional gear to protect.)

Crag classic. Up the beautiful white face.

Climb three sections of slab past a small then a big ledge.

Start as "Hump Day". At the roof, head straight though on undercling and good sidepulls. Once on the slab above traverse left to anchors.

At the base below the left side of the the left tit are a pair of parallel right-leaning grooves. The climb starts up the right-side one, then up passing a gnarled tree to the right and up past the left side of the left tit.

This climb does not easily top-out.

Start on top of the tree stump. Climb a series of ledges to the top. A layback crack about midway through is the crux.

Climb up along a broken left-facing corner feature.

Climb a thin face (crux) past three bolts to a ledge. Then up a corner, to an arete, a short hand-traverse to a rest, then through a final small roof to the anchors.

Bolt 4 should be extended long to reduce rope drag, or even better, unclipped after bolt 5 has been clipped.

Looking up at the cliff, there are a pair of overhangs/bulges split in the middle such that they look like a pair of breasts. This climb breaks the overhang through the cleavage in the middle. Start at a bolt line directly below this cleavage.

Climb up blocky ledges to the first bulge, pull over this then up the less vertical face above to the notch in the roof. Wiggle your way through the cleavage then up and right in the groove, or on the arete to the right, until the groove ends, then straight up to the anchors.

Note: TnA used to have a bit of a run-out to the anchor, but nowadays, people generally borrow/share the last bolt of "Kate and David's Excellent Adventure" if they're worried.

This is a real rope-stretcher on a 60m rope -- tie a knot and prepare to scramble, or prefer a 70m rope.

The next bolt line right from "Flaming Arete" - climb the face past interesting dikes.

A lovely close-bolted climb that is tough at its grade. From the main ledge, climb the left side of the slab, then angle left-wards, up the face to a ledge on the right, up onto another ledge to its left, then up to the anchors.

An easy classic up the slab with gigantic holes.

Climb the bolt line up the face left of "Pull Up".

A bit run-out from the last bolt to the anchors - a small gear placement might add confidence.

Doesn't use the big edge to the left.

Located on the left side of the arete to the climbers right of the ground-level belay station. Shares an anchor with 'Don't Look, Just Climb'.

Right side of a short slab, just left of the easy way down. Climb the scoops.

Crag classic. Up the slab with holes to a tricky move near the top.

Easy climbing up the bolted face just to the right of the corner.

Immediately right of An Easy Stroll. Stay out of the dihedrals on both sides. Good sidepulls and good but thin crimps to the third bolt. Head right on balancy moves to easier interesting climbing. Top is a bit run out but takes cams. 5.6 if you use the dihedrals.

Near the center of the wall, left of the dihedral.

While historically graded 5.9, most consider the first third (until just past 3rd bolt) to be considerably harder than this grade.

Fun, featured slab, probably a bit easy for 5.9