A Crag Guide gives an extensive view of all sub areas and climbs at a point in the index. It shows a snapshot of the index heirachy, up to 300 climbs (or areas) on a single web page. It shows selected comments climbers have made on a recently submitted ascent.
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Contributors
Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:
Jeffrey Richard Hunston Cruz Thelonius Pope Clara M Simon Dale Evan W Kai Kynan Shurniak claire xian Hunter Shurniak
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Table of contents
- 1.
Ravens Crag
30 in Crag
- 1.1. Main Arena (Steep Wall) 10 in Cliff
- 1.2. Wild Thing 3 in Area
- 1.3. Solid Wall 11 in Sector
- 1.4. Crystal Cave 3 in Sector
- 1.5. Plutonian Shore Wall 3 in Cliff
- 2. Index by grade
1. Ravens Crag 30 routes in Crag
- Summary:
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All Sport climbing
Lat / Long: 51.161280, -115.589405
summary
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.
description
In between steep and face climbing, the beauty silver, blue and black streaked walls of Ravens is nothing short of stunning. The premier crag of Banff rivalling Acephale for quality of limestone.
access issues
A large portion below Ravens is closed off to all people, due to wildlife. Please use only the entrance and exit trail.
approach
Park at Cave and Basin's new car park (2015). Walk past the information centre, follow the over road up his slightly and walk right around the large Cave And Basin Mikarty barracks. Past the Cafe follow the small asphalt trail known as Sundance Canyon trail. 500ms past the Sundance Canyon map on the right, is a small trail on the left hand side with a large log across the entrance. Follow this trail for another 500ms then look for a Cairn. The trail to Ravens starts here in the left. 20-30minutes straight uphill from this trail. Stick to the path which has plenty of Cairns as to not disrupt the wildlife corridor. Approach is 2.5km's with 300m's elevation. 30-40mins from car to wall. Enjoy!
where to stay
Banff town.
ethic
Lots of Retrofitting and building currently underway. Be vigilante of new routes or building underway. The crag is slowly turning into all glue in's.
history
The legend- Peter Arbics stomping grounds from the 90's, with most routes named after Edgar Allan Poe poems reiterating the gothic theme of the shady wall. The Prowl project looks to be a contender for one of the hardest 14's in the Valley. Respect the wildlife and leave draws on Projects.
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1.1. Main Arena (Steep Wall) 10 routes in Cliff
- Summary:
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Lat / Long: 51.161105, -115.590761
description
The main wall. Called the Main Arena because of the small proximity of climbs and entertainment when hard sends are going down.
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Route | Grade | Style | Selected ascents | |||||
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1 |
★★★ The Masque P1
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 FA: Peter Arbic, 1993 Maint: Jimmy Blackhall, 2016 | 5.12a | 15m, 7 | |||||
2 |
★★ The Masque P2
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. FA: Peter Arbic FA: 1994 | 5.13a | ||||||
3 |
★★ Telltale Heart P1
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 FA: Peter Arbic | 5.11d | 12m, 4 | |||||
4 |
★★★ Telltale Heart P2
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. FA: Peter Arbic Maint: Greg Tos, 2016 | 5.13a | 29m, 14 | |||||
5 |
Telltale Heart Pt 2 Alt finish
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”. FFA: Peter Arbic | 5.13c | 35m | |||||
6 |
★★ Heart Shaped Box
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. FA: Jimmy Blackhall, Apr 2017 | 5.11c | 12m, 5 | |||||
7 |
★★★ Fight Club P1 / The Prow
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. Set: Peter Arbic FFA: Alex Megos, Jul 2016 | 5.14c | 15m, 8 | |||||
8 |
★★★ Fight Club P2
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! Set: Sonnie Trotter, Jul 2016 FA: Alex Megos, Aug 2016 | 5.15b | 25m, 2, 18 | |||||
9 |
Tuckers Proj
Project right of Megos’s “Fight Club” lives it’s evil brother. Set: Sam Tucker | 5.15 | ||||||
10 |
★★★ Fun Club
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. Set: Greg Tos, 2017 | 5.13a | 30m |
1.2. Wild Thing 3 routes in Area
- Summary:
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description
Far lookers right
approach
First walls on approach
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Route | Grade | Style | Selected ascents | |||||
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1 |
★★ Wild Things
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. FA: Jimmy Blackhall, Jun 2016 Set: Jimmy Blackhall, Jun 2016 | 5.10a | 10m, 5 | |||||
2 |
★ Apollo
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. FA: Jimmy Blackhall, Jun 2016 Set: Jun 2016 | 5.10c | 18m, 9 | |||||
3 |
★★ Arte Zeus
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. FA: Jimmy Blackhall, 2018 | 5.11c | 34m, 2, 13 |
1.3. Solid Wall 11 routes in Sector
- Summary:
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description
The Center wall at Ravens. The Bulges shape the wall like Bells. Also a poem of Edgar's is named "The Bells"
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Route | Grade | Style | Selected ascents | |||||
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1 |
★★ House of Usher
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. FA: Peter Arbic, 1994 Maint: Jimmy Blackhall, 2016 | 5.12a | 14m, 6 | |||||
2 |
★★ Tales of Mystery
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 FA: Peter Arbic, 2001 | 5.12d | 14m, 7 | |||||
3 |
★★ Shame P1
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. FA: Mason Tessier, Aug 2020 | 5.13a | 45m, 2, 11 | |||||
4 |
★★ Shame P2
The continuation of Shame P1. FA: Mason Tessier, Aug 2021 | 5.13c | ||||||
5 |
★★ House In The Sea
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. FA: Jimmy Blackhall & Francois Bergeron, Jul 2018 | 5.12a | 11m, 6 | |||||
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Route | Grade | Style | Selected ascents | |||||
6 |
★★ 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. Set: Jimmy Blackhall & Tak Abe, 9 Aug 2016 FA: Jimmy Blackhall, 2017 | 5.12d | 12m, 6 | |||||
7 |
★★★ The Sleeper
A powerful boulder problem off the ground leads to sustained technical puzzles on interesting holds. Watch the anchor clip! Set: Jimmy Blackhall & Peter Arbic, Oct 2016 FA: Braden Bester, Jul 2017 | 5.12b | 13m, 7 | |||||
8 |
★★ Bittersweet Symphony
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. FFA: Jimmy Blackhall Set: Nov 2016 | 5.12c | 14m, 8 | |||||
9 |
★★ Evening Star
The project line of Bolts above Bittersweet and Op's anchor. Hard future proj! | 5.14+ | 30m | |||||
10 |
★★ Overlooking Paradise
First crux requires a blend of tech and power to overcome. The second requires nothing but burly strength. | 5.12d | 13m, 7 | |||||
11 |
★★★ Nevermore
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. FA: peter Arbic, 2001 Maint: Jimmy Blackhall, Jul 2016 | 5.12b | 36m, 2, 21 |
1.4. Crystal Cave 3 routes in Sector
- Summary:
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description
The Horizontal cave.
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Route | Grade | Style | Selected ascents | |||||
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1 |
★★ The Hermit
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! | 5.13b | 12m, 10 | |||||
2 |
★ One Robe, One Bowl
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. FA: peter arbic Maint: Jimmy Blackhall, 2017 | 5.12c | 14m, 7 | |||||
3 |
★★ Unwritten Law
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 Set: James Blackhall, Aug 2017 | 5.11 | 25m |
1.5. Plutonian Shore Wall 3 routes in Cliff
- Summary:
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description
The Multi Pitches
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Route | Grade | Style | Selected ascents | |||||
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1 |
★★ Plutonian Shores
See map attached. 10 draws, 6 long slings, 60 m rope
FA: Banff Climber's Club, 2012 | 5.9 | 220m | |||||
2 |
★★ Lost Lenore
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 | 5.10c | 7 | |||||
3 |
★★ The Raven
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. FA: Jim | 5.11b | 120m, 4 |