Routes as trad in Central Ontario

Climb the easy angled face with the jagged crack in it up to ledges, go right or left around the small roof, then up to the bolts at the top left.

A variant start to "Sam and Frodo go walking", start on the crack around the corner to the right, pull up to the horizontal and (hand) traverse right to join the main route, and of course, not dodge the small roof.

Climb the cracked slabs near the center of the cliff, angling up to the right.

Climb the corner up onto the ledge, then follow the corner upwards.

Start on the left-most crack, eventually switching to another crack further left, up to the ledge 20m up, then up a final crack the last 5m to the (bolted) anchors. (Not a good TR from the anchors, as they are right of most of the route.)

Start on the left crack then instead of going left (for Minas Tirith) follow the central crack up to the anchor.

Start up the crack on the right, and continue up the crack system to the top anchors (shared with "Minas Tirith"). As this climb is more directly below the anchors, it is a more comfortable top-rope.

At the far right of main cliff, just left of the obvious large detached block, climb the slabs.

Climb the very obvious left facing flake and crack system to the top. Old pin and piton can be found, suggest not to clip.

Start just left of the last bolted line on the cliff face. Obvious ramp going up towards the right. Goes up a a now right facing flake system. Follow this to the top.

The first route on the cliff, and a must-climb. Named for local climber Marco Foladore who spotted the cliff while flying for Ornge.

Climbs the obvious, clean dihedral.

Gear to 3".

Climbs the next obvious dihedral, 10m to the right of Agent Ornge. Named after Kielyn "Little Miss" Marrone for her patient belays on this project.

Start up an awkward off-width to a ledge; continue up the corner with lots of stemming opportunities before the final roof crux. Gear to 1", RPs

One of the first two routes on the upper deck.

Climbs the obvious offwidth.

Excellent gear climb, could use some more scrubbing. Start at the right end of the Rolling Stones Area (100m left of the Abbey). Scramble up a couple ledges to easy climbing that lands you under the small roof. Squeeze through the obvious slot in the roof and do a short traverse left to the main crack. Follow the crack to the top. Bolted anchors (2022). Rappel lands you 5 meters to the left of the start of the climb.

For protection, single rack to #5 cam with a double for #4 for comfort.

This climb will leave you smiling. Located in the Abbey. Climb up the dirty dihedral to the large suspended block, traverse left following the horizontal splitter until the far left of the roof and then mount up to Abbey Ledge. Bolted anchors (2022). Gear #0.2 to #5 plus doubles #0.3-0.5, if you want to be cruel to your follower, tricams also protect the crux well.

Bottom section seeps in early season and after rainfall.

Same start as Fancy My Chances. Climb up the dihedral and traverse left on the large suspended block to the horizontal splitter. After placing gear as far left as you can comfortably reach down the splitter, launch up to a couple rails on the lip, and work your way left and up to an incut crimp-dish. Mount the slab and follow the weakness to Abbey Ledge. Bolted anchors (2022). Gear to #5 cam placeable, double of #0.5 recommended.

Bottom section seeps in early season and after rainfall.

This route tops out, but you have the possibility to finish early at bolted anchors of Rocky Racoon. Same start as previous climbs, climb the crack to the right of the suspended block and gain the slab face. Follow the crack up to Abbey Ledge, straying left at the cedars, and continue the weakness to top out, building an anchor at the pine tree.

Bottom section seeps in early season and after rainfall.

Start on the ledge and climb crack through the small roof and around the cedar (crux of the route, once familiar with where the holds are, the grade is more-or-less consistent regardless if you use the cedar or not). Follow the wide crack and finish on easy slab to the top. Double of #3 will be handy, as well as a #0.2 cam to protect the finish, otherwise runout. Large pine for anchor with a seat and great view.

Around the corner from Walrus - start at the arete, follow the diagonal weakness, once you pass the cedar continue up the thin vertical splitter that guides you all the way up to the ledge beneath the headwall. Bolted anchors (2022). This route eats small gear.

Loose rock and dirty. Start up a few detached blocks behind a cedar to the obvious hand width crack, mount the headwall and continue following the feature nearly to the top, straying slightly left at the easy 5th class top. Gear double rack is adequate, triples of 0.75-2 could all be placed. Your choice of pine for anchor. Double rope rappel or gully walk off to climbers right.

Loose rock and dirty. The route has experienced recent (geologically speaking) rock fall at the base. Follows up the right side of the feature beside Here Comes the Sun. Start up the sharp chossy orange rock. Follow the feature to the top, be weary of hollow blocks halfway up. Pass the pine on the cliff and finish at the thick pine up top. Gear double rack is plenty. Double rope rappel or gully walk off to climber's right.

Originally graded 5.5, the route requires scrubbing, repeating and consensus on modern grade. Top section variations exist. Start right of Day Tripper, climbing underneath and around the protruding block and continue the ascending right diagonal weakness. The main line continues up the hand/ fist size crack past another smaller cedar. Here continue straight up to a large mossy ledge and then gain the final easy short headwall to top out. Your choice of pine for anchor.

Route name refers to the pop culture theories that arose regarding the meaning of the “O.P.D.” patch found on Paul McCartney's uniform on the inner gatefold of Sgt. Pepper’s album - in reality it was just a standard O.P.P. (Ontario Provincial Police) patch he acquired while on tour in Canada in 1966.

Starts just right of the large, black chimney known as the Dirty Harry ice climb were there is a ledge 3m up. Climb the face to a bolt, continue on the left leaning crack that cuts the side of the Dirty Harry gully (mid way up) traverses back to the ledge higher up shared with Dave's Route (anchors) or continues Dirty Harry to top out (no anchors).

Starts just right of the large, black chimney known as the Dirty Harry ice climb where there is a ledge 3m up.

P1 (25 m, 5.10c mixed, 1 bolt): Climb the face to a bolt, continue on the left leaning crack to a finger crack that splits through the bulge, directly up to the ledge and anchor. One of the finest finger cracks of its grade in the area.

P2 (15 m, 5.8 sport, 7 bolts): Fun variety of rock features and anchors at the top of the cliff.

Start just to the right of Dave's Route. Climb up a flaring finger crack that heads straight up then trends to the right side of a large bulge, to a ledge with an anchor shared by Dave's Route. The 2nd pitch of "Dave's Route" is a 15 m, bolted 5.8 with anchors that takes you to the top of the cliff.

Start 4m right of Dude, I Think She is the King.

P1 (27 m, 5.7 trad): Climb the obvious weakness on gear trending left past shrubs to a corner with a pin in it. Climb above the leaning cedar to a bolted belay.

P2 (25 m, 5.8 sport, 10 bolts): Continue up, following a nice hand crack through a small bulge, past a fist crack to a bolted belay. Bolts added in 2018 rendering this second pitch a sport route. Bolts are very close together. What was once a slightly runout but fabulous 5.8 mixed route is now super “safe”.

Start as for Balk and Chalk but climb straight up on big holds through a well protected right facing crack onto runout easier slab above. Head straight up to FIXE rings at the anchor. Gear to 4"

Start 7m right of The Agony of De-feet at the top of the hill. Shares the same start with Freudian Slipper and Lichen It.

P1 (25m, 5.9, mixed 4 bolts): Climb up a steep slab past 2 far apart bolts to a large dirty ledge. At the large dirty ledge move left up a dirt ramp past two bolts to a chain anchor.

P2 (33m 5.10R, mixed 7 bolts): Starts up the bolt line shared with Freudian Slipper, and after the third bolt, delicately traverse left to the dihedral feature. Follow a couple more bolts and slim gear to top anchors. P2 will be great once additional bolts are added and lichen scrubbed.

Descent: 60m does not reach P1 anchors, rappel slightly climber’s right to P2 anchors of Freudian Slipper, or use one of trees to the left in the gully. 70m rope just long enough for P1 anchors.

P1 (25m, 5.9, mixed 4 bolts): Same as Father’s Day Slab. Climb up a steep slab past 2 far apart bolts to a large dirty ledge. At the large dirty ledge move left up a dirt ramp past two bolts to a chain anchor.

P2 (10m, 5.9, sport 3 bolts): Follow the bolt line, after the third head up and slightly right to a ledge with anchors.

P3 (15m, 5.9, mixed 2 bolts): Climb straight up past the two bolts and around the left side of the small roof to anchors shared with Lichen It. Linking pitches is possible.

Shares start with Father's Day Slab.

P1 (25m, 5.9, mixed 4 bolts): Climb up a steep slab past 2 far apart bolts to a large dirty ledge. Move up and right past 2 more bolts, then follow the right leaning hand/fingers crack to an anchor.

P2 (30m, 5.8, mixed 2 bolts): Continue straight up past 2 bolts, then pick your line leading up through the right side of the roof to anchors.

Alternative first pitch to Lichen It. Scramble up a brush gully with a fixed line 5m right of Lichen It to a dirty ledge. Climb up past 2 bolts, plugging excellent gear between them, keep right after the 2nd bolt. Shared anchors with P1 of Lichen It. Stick clipping first bolt highly suggested due to the dangerous fall zone and crux of route gaining the initial flake.

Climb a short, slightly overhanging left facing corner, up the face to the right side of a large flake under a roof. With style traverse the flake left using underclings to a handcrack in the roof. Climb through the roof and up to a large tree with slings on it. Gear to 3". Rappel off.

The prominent hand crack up the buttress. Gear to 4".

P1 (25m, 5.6): Follow the right of two crack systems (the offwidth) up and through a blocky overhang (crux), continuing up to a small ledge and anchor.

P2 (15m, 5.5): Either climb straight up from the belay (harder) or traverse right around a large block and up a hand crack to a large ledge with Metolius rap hangers. Rappel.

Start 3m right of Killer Pillar, up a rock step and around the corner. Climb the right leaning dihedral to a bulge with a finger crack through it, around a small roof to anchors.

One of the finest finger cracks in Ontario. P1: Climb the first pitch of Stairway (5.8, 15m); P2: Traverse left and climb up and left along a diagonal crack until you are at the roof below the headwall crack. Layback and stem strenuously over the roof and climb the finger crack to an anchor (5.11b, 20m). 70m rope rappel or climb up to the top (5.4, 15m)

Located 10m right of Spine of the Dragon. P1: Climb the blocky, black and grey streaked corner. Pull the roof to the belay station at the tree - anchors on the left (5.8, 15m). P2: Climb the steep flaring groove and traverse right across a cracked slab to the off-width base of the giant flake. Climb the offwidth crack and continue up the large easier flake to an anchor (5.8, 35m). Rappel to the new anchors some distance above the ledge and again to the ground. The anchor at the ledge is rusty. Bring doubles of large gear to 6".

Alternative start to Plumber's Crack, start just right of Stairway to Heaven. Climb up and left to a bolt, then up past another bolt to a large ledge with shared anchors.

Start 5m right of Face Climb at the chimney-like corner.

P1 (10m, 5.8): Climb up past a piton and bolt to a large ledge, to shared anchor with Face Climb.

P2 (35m, 5.8+): Climb up the namesake crack and through a tricky face climb. Continue through the easier climbing past your rappel station, and eventually follow the thin diagonal crack up left, gain small roof, and into a larger crack leading to finish with Stairway to Heaven. Old school 5.8 grade.

Starting from a ledge 3m up just right of Plumber's Crack is a bolted face leading to an anchor.

Slab region between the plaza and the ice gully.

Start in an offwidth and fight your way up an awkward hanging chimney and dihedral facing left. Exit up large detached flakes and a short headwall.

Right of Santa Claus. A very dirty rock route, named for the poison ivy on the route.

Right of Ivy League. Take a gully in an open book past an overhanging lip to a ledge. Climb the rock gully past a large pine tree to the right.

Start beneath the table overhang in the washbowl gully at the south end of the cliff. This route tends to be wet, dirty and vegetated.

(Zip A Dee Doo Dah M4)

Finishes on ring anchors.

Wafer Area.

(Spectre M5)

Two well-situated pitons on this route which aren't necessary as there is plenty of room for gear. There is also a loose handhold towards the top but it is wedged in and unable to be removed. Brown painted chain-ring anchor. Gear single rack #0.3-1 cams.

Wafer Area.

(Wafer Thin M8-)

Often dripping through the early summer and after rainfall.

Stickclip the bolt and climb the fun but tricky boulder problem to gain the shelf. Enjoy excellent 5.9 stemming and crack climbing to the top. There is also a second bolt after passing the large roof (bolted for winter use). Gear single rack cams #0.3 to #6. Use the large pine for tree anchor.

Wafer Area.

Just to the left of Wafer. Start at the cave entrance (or deep in the cave if you want to make a statement), climb up and left to a crux bouldery mantle. After a rest on the ledge, follow the crack to the ring anchors.

Wafer Area.

(Naked Soul M5+)

Mixed trad, 1 bolt low down, lower off tree anchor. Name of this slab is Face That Launched A 100 Awes

Wafer Area.

(The Streets Cry Freedom WI4+)

Trad, center line up the wall.

Wafer Area.

(Sticks and Stones WI4-)

Trad, left side of wall, follows dihedral.

Wafer Area.

(Madawaska Shuffle WI4)

Smaller slab face around the corner from Face That Launched A 100 Awes.

Wafer Area.

Mixed Route First piece of gear is good, second piece is good, climb out from the roof and directly over the peak. Hardest part is the start.

Nice beginner trad climb. Just a short slab, 5 placements plus the anchor at the top. One rack on nuts will work.

Nice little trad route about two meters right of Moose Knuckle, gear is well spaced out. Top out and use the same anchor as Moose Knuckle.

Climb the obvious crack on slab. I did not put in any anchors so I down climbed to retrieve gear.

A variation of 'Naughty and Nice'

Danylo Darewych,Christian Theoret,Anna Grant

Preferable to the original finish

Pitch 3 is yet not freed and cleaned: Closed project, please don’t climb yet.