Routes in Canada for selected grade

A classic! Often referred to as an "sidewalk in the sky" for its relatively low technical difficulty but exposed nature. Don't be fooled by the grade... this is still not an easy objective.

Approach this route via Abbott Pass - either via the Fuhrmann Ledges from Lake Louise, or via Lake Oesa from Lake O'Hara in Yoho. Many parties stay at the hut. See the Alpine Club of Canada website for availability and booking.

Climb the ridge above the hut, staying on the ridgeline where possible and bypassing difficulties on the right (north) side. Continue up rock and scree of dubious quality to a snowy ridge. Follow this to a large dip in the ridge (the Sickle). Once past the Sickle, climb up a short step to regain the ridge. Continue up to the next large rock band and head along it, right of the crest to a weakness to (again) regain the ridge. Continue upwards along easy snow and rock to the summit. Retrace your steps to descend.

A long day, with a good variety of terrain to keep you on your toes. Don't be fooled by the low grade... this can still be a serious objective requiring a range of mountaineering skills.

Approach via Lake Louise and the Plain of Six Glaciers trail. Just past the teahouse, head up a scree gully and then a well-trodden trail through the brush to a talus field below Mt Collier. Continue up this to the toe of the Victoria glacier.

From the toe of the glacier, travel up the glacier avoiding hazard from the rognon and from the slopes of Collier above. Cross the bergschrund and climb up to the base of the black band below the Victoria-Collier col. Climb this band (very poor, loose rock) to the col. From here, climb the ridge south of the col to the summit. Either tackle the rock difficulties straight on or bypass them on snow/ice on the exposed right side above the imposing North Face. Descend the same route. Rappel anchors may be found at times, but test them thoroughly before trusting them.

Follow loose flakey ramp at far side of east wall.

Behind hindquarters

The G.O.A.T is an easy diagonal traverse up the White Rock

walk up towards the top half way before the small plateau there will be a boulder on hikers left with dang arbutus in the way. feel free to tie it out of the way but don't hurt it!

"Standard route"

this climb is a very easy way to gain top access or for kids to learn on (technically 4th class grade)

Climb the first two bolts of Lady Writer and finish on Yayiee's anchor.

The leftmost, and shortest of three unknown routes. Follow left-leaning crack past four bolts.

Left-leaning twin hand-cracks -- good pro, good novice lead. Anchors aren't lower-off, but easy walk-off to (climber's) right.

Description The face next to the "Auto Pilot" corner can be climbed at an easier grade. Jug haul up the slab.

While this route appeared to have good pro in horizontal cracks, I don't believe it has been led, only free soloed.

Location 10 feet left of Auto Pilot. Accessed by traversing over the water, which is probably the most difficult part of the climb.

Protection Cams in horizontals, gear anchor up top (if leading)

This routes starts around the right from the main face, and isn't obvious from the base. Walk right from the main base following a foot path until you come to a section of stepped rock about 3m high, go up this, then left through greenery to the first bolt. Continue up and left following ramps.

Finishes at the shared anchor with "Sick Like Dog" and "Hat Shit".

Right of 'Stern Ladder', on slab

Also the downclimb on Julie.

Climb up the corner using whatever is available on both rock faces. Top out!

Hard to find, a possibly un-repeated 5.0.

Alternate ending for The Slab.

Start: about 120m north of the (first) easy way down, at the bottom of a major ramp. The climb generally stays near the outside edge of the ramp.

1. 10m Scramble up the rock spike on the left-hand edge of the slab.

2. 40m Climbing near or on the outside edge, move up to a wide ledge with a good belay.

3. 28m Go more or less straight up.

4. 25m Climb up 3m and move right accross the slab to an obvious crack. Climb up the crack to the pine tree, which turns out to be a cedar (very old -- don't touch). (Variations are possible.)

5. 15m Scramble to the top.

4(a). 5.5 From the end of the third pitch, there appears to be a good crack going diagonally up to the left. It leads out onto the face. Follow the crack up past one cedar to another one. Climb back up and right to get onto the ramp near the end of the last pitch of the regular route. This variation has been climbed accidentally many times over the years.

(Was in the database as "White Pine". There is no such named route at Bon Echo, so guessing the original contributor meant "One Pine", and renamed to that to preserve the ascents.)

An impressive route for beginners.

This is Bon Echo's first route, and remains the traditional introduction for beginning climbers. (There is a 5.0 variant.)

Start: the tree-filled gully north of The Pinnacle

1. 15m (4th class) Scramble up the gully and over scree to a pair of large trees on the left. (If you really want a 5.0 climb, scramble further up the gully on the right to the Saucer Lucy and Thin Nick start, then follow 2 alt.)

2. 35m (5.2) Climb the break in the boulders and follow the ramp leftwards up to the ridge. Work your way right up a crack to a ledge covered with loose boulders. Round the nose on the skyline and climb the easy angled wall to a large stance by a silver birch tree (with a 2 bolt belay station).

3. 25m (5.0) Move left up the slab above the the birch tree to a groove which leads to a ledge by some Juniper bushes. Climb left to the ridge and follow it to a ledge with a small strong cedar tree where the angle of the ridge eases. This tree is a good example of the ancient cedars on the cliff. Don't sling -- there's a bolt. Belay here, or continue to the top.

4. 15m (5.0) Prance on up to the top. Belay at the two bolt rap station. Two ropes are needed for the rappel.

2a. 30m (5.0) Climb corners and ledges up and left to the silver birch belay at the end of the standard 2nd pitch.

(Was in the database as "The Birthday Route". No route with that exact name existed, this seemed the most likely match.)

Massive rock fall has obliterated this route. Description is in guide only for posterity.

Where the trail first meets the cliff at the north end is a large boulder which recently (geologically speaking) fell off the cliff. Start just to the right of this boulder at a right-facing dihedral, initially using an obvious jam crack. Climb to the top of the dihedral (8m) to a nice ledge and anchors to the right. Well cleaned as of June 2021. Shares anchors with Proboscis. Dihedral sounds hollow so treat placements with suspicion.

A variation to "An Easy Stroll". Climb up the dihedral on the left side of the column-like ridge. Exit as for "An Easy Stroll". Top anchor.

Start 6m to the right of "Crack and Jugs", at the base of a column-like ridge. Climb up the right side of the ridge in a wide dihedral to a small maple tree (8m). Face climb straight up to anchor.

Start 2m right of "An Easy Stroll", 1m to the left of an obvious sloping roof. Move up to a V-notch, then past an overhang and up a small right-facing easy-angled dihedral to the top.

Start 4.5m right of Cedar Hollow. Follow a small gully up and slightly right from a clearing to an overhang. Proceed up to a pine tree, then up slabs to the top.

Start at a short left-facing dihedral with an obvious foot-jam crack. Climb 4m up the dihedral, traverse right along a sloping crack, then finish.

A quick route with a fun little hand traverse.

Stand at the first dihedral to the right of "Calabogie Sunset". On the left face, use big holds to climb up and slightly left for 6m. Do a short hand traverse to the right, using a horizontal finger crack. Follow a steep gully up to a large roof, and exit to the left underneath the roof.

Start just to the right of "Buck's First FA". Climb up and right on loose blocks for 6m, then continue up an obvious line to a large red pine tree.

Climb the open easy-angled face up a crack (just to the right of the bolts) to a small right-facing corner.

Protection is scarce and poor for the first 2/3 of the climb, but easy to find at the top.

Follow the grassy area up and to the right of 'Shanti'. Often used as a top out to take the upper trail back to the road.

There is a fixed rope to assist climbers here to provide easy access to to the base/top of the cliff.

If you hike all the way to the Eagles Nest Lookout, you have overshot this way down. It is about 200m back along the cliff, and down one scramble band.

Start as per 'It's 4:20 Somewhere' then immediately turn right and follow the mellow slabs up to the vegetated ledge. From this ledge, climb straight up over a few loose stacked blocks (the Scary Monsters). Continue up the corner (dirty as of Aug 2020) to the left where you may encounter more Scary Monsters (loose blocks). There is no bolted anchor at the top of this climb.

Alternatively you could also finish on the bolted upper face of 'Hawt for Hilti' for a more difficult, but bolt protected, finish.

Climb face, right side arete is in.

The obvious crack that angles up leftwards on the left side of the main face. Follow this up to blocky ground, then angle up rightwards following the crack to a pair of bolts for an anchor.

Generally a good trad lead, taking good gear. Opening moves into the corner are far far harder than the rest of the route, perhaps 5.6 or higher. Can be avoided by a bit of slab climbing up the face just to the right, until reaching the good hand ledge & traversing left into the corner at about 5.3.

On the face to the right of The Wedge is a jagged crack that angles up and leftwards. Climb this leftwards, then back rightwards to anchors above "Irving's Overhang".

Climb the open book to the overhang. Escape left onto the ramp, head back right onto the face and then follow the bolts over the bulge and to the anchor above.

Only the face above the overhang is protected by bolts. Bring a couple small cams for the open book and ramp.

Eliminating the left ramp and pulling the overhang directly is a fun and more challenging variation.

Start on the good edges and good feet under the roof. Move right to the big edge and top out.

Several Variations exist VB-V1, a good place to warm up if the other boulder is busy.