Routes in West Kootenays

10b? if you pull the roof direct.

The line obvious from the carpark, and the most popular route. Starts in the corner at the base of the ridge, and stays within 10m of the arete for the entire climb. Cruxy first pitch, with a more exposed move around the roof on pitch 8.

Head up just right of block in middle of slab

The next clean streak to left of Pi

Pitch 1 25m 5.7 - Start from built platform, tracking up and right. Short traverse right where the bolts split. Left leads into The Engagement 5.10b.

Pitch 2 25m 5.6 - right into gully and puppy dodgy looking wooden ladder. Up blocky gully o to arete. Left is a 5.10a variation, right for 5.6 with mossy holds.

Pitch 3 26m 5.10a - start left and then back right and straight up to small roof. Easy climbing other than the roof which gives it its grade.

From block in middle of slab climb brushed streak

Slabby start into a right facing stem corner up high. Step left near top onto head wall

A bit sparsely bolted, but generally the bolt is there when you need it. If you can't spot the next bolt, taking the path of least resistance will generally work out well.

1. 40m 5.8 8 bolts. Mostly easy going with a couple of short 5.8 sections up the buttress to a comfortable ledge belay.

2. 40m 5.7 7 bolts. Similar climbing up the buttress. Finish the pitch with a short right-wards traverse on thin hands but good feet.

3. 30m 5.4 4 bolts. Head left up the blunt ridge between the gully to the right and the main drop to the left. Belay under an overhang.

4. 35m 5.6 4 bolts. Continue up the ridge on mostly easy ground.

5. 50m 5.8 11 bolts. This is not the same 5.8 as pitch 1. Go about 10m more up the ridge watching the wall across the gully for your first bolt. If the rock starts to become mossy, you've probably gone to far. Step across the gully, wish for a stick clip, then head upwards, trending right. Sustained 5.8 climbing. Belay under a small overhang.

6. 40m 5.8 8 bolts. Step right around the corner then head up trending left. at bolt 7 traverse right past one more bolt to the anchor. Long draws on bolt 1 and bolt 7 (before the traverse) will help to mitigate your rope drag.

7. 30m 5.8 6 bolts. Climb the steep slab to a juggy roof.

8. 25m 5.5 5 bolts. Climb the easy slabs to a large tree.

9. 40m. No bolts. Maybe 1 piton. Mostly 3rd and 4th class up the sandy groove and blocks. Short (8m?) steep section, with gear protection options, can be climbed at something from 5.2 to 5.5. Belay on single bolt above steep section.

10. 40m More 3rd and 4th class scrambling before it drops to 2nd class.

Descend by obvious hikers trail, keeping left at the junctions.

Crack on the right side of the main wall.

Scrappy start over block then up slab

Start as per 'Nathan Law' and finish as per 'Scallywag'. One perma-draw now protects the crux clip.

The left most slab route before the big corner

Bouldery start in corner with awkward moves above ledges. Trends hard right to shared anchor with UD

Climb the black rock to slab above, using the right-side edge as needed.

Shares anchor with "Son of a Birch".

Starts a few meters left of where the trail reaches the crag, in front of a birch tree.

1. 23m 9 bolts. Starts up stepped rock and cracks, until the rock gets more polished, the holds get smaller, and the 5.8 kicks in. Anchor on a good ledge beside a larch.

2. 12m 4 bolts. Step right on the ledge past the tree, then angle up leftwards towards the anchor.

Can rappel from top anchor all the way to the ground with a 70m rope.

The right facing corner at end of slab wall

Right on road, up gouged arête, about 50 m from car park just before large slab wall

The right most route on 30 m high bleach slab, mantle up into sinuous groove

Straight up line to anchors 3m left of chimney

Right facing corner starting atop large log reinforced belay stance. Head right uñder roof to chains.

Starts below a right-pointing finger about 15m up.

Climb the jagged edge and slabs, angling left to the anchor shared wit "Smells Like Pine".

Takes the prominent open book corner in the centre of the west face to a roof halfway up, turned to the left. Possible to rap off from top of pitch 4 but not after this. Pitch 1. 35m up left slanting flake then back right to belay at slung boulder P2. 35 m up left slanting flake, passing a rappel station 5 m to the left on ledge. Continue 10 m past this stepping right to ledge with fixed wires. P3. 5.10b 40m Up stacked flakes until just below rooflet and hand traverse righteous corner system and up to small foot ledge and flakes to belay. There is fixed gear 5 m higher but not a good belay spot. P4 5.9 35 m up line to below triangular roof. Turn this to left then trend right up face before stepping left to 2 bolts under large roof. This is last chance to abseil. ( two 70 m abseils will get you down) P5 5.10d 20m traverse left under roof then up P6 5.8 15 m up to ledge P7 5.7 35m move to l side of ledge and up flakes to alcove P8 5.8 50m up from alcove then left to L facing corner P9.5.3 50 m up to summit ridge Descend via east ridge

Climb up the corner past two bolts, trending right until on top of a ledge, then back left again to a steep finish below the bolted anchor.

WKRG gives this a grade of 5.7 -- that's a solidly old-school 5.7. Gear is not plentiful -- you want to be a confident leader at a couple grades above that to lead this one.

Start up terraced slab to a left leaning crack. Shares anchor with "Invisible Man".

Shares an anchor with 'This Way' and 'Black Arrow'.

mixed

Same start as The Date sharing 1st four bolts. Then left most route the whole way up.

P1 26m 5.10b

P2 22m 5.10b

P3 26m 5.10b

1. 5 bolts

2. 9 bolts

Broken corner to steep black rock before the good hanging corner. Small gear helpful.

Start as for "Dont pull too hard baby" but step left, or start on the treed ledge above, and crank juggy wall into another right leaning corner.

mixed

The right-facing corning, starts above the painted rock.

The right hand start to "The Big Easy"

5.10a if you start left instead of straight up

A very slaby climb which slowly traverses to V-20's anchor

Start just left of 'Bucket of Bolts'.

Starts up a dihedral with a crack at the back, then transitions to a broken arete higher up.

Up into shallow right facing corner that slopes left. A rusty stud 1m above ground at start

Starts on the far far right of the wall, past where the trail doubles-back northwards to reach the top of the cliff.

Climbs ledges past three bolts to the anchors.

Very fun slab climbing with a cool stemmy crux above the 5th bolt Beautiful rock up higher on this one!

Right trending route that shares anchors with next 2 climbs

Climb the right-facing corner and ramp near the right-end of the cliff.

Start as per 'Racing the Rain' then goes left of 'Via Escondida' then back right to use the same anchor as 'Via Escondida'.

1. 5 bolts

2. 9 bolts

1m right of 'Salsa Dancing' up face and flake through cruxy roof

The right route on the slab just left of the big corner. Cool easy stemming at the bottom then a thoughtful crux above the midway ledge. Bolted with a beginner lead climber in mind so should be approachable for everyone.