Thursday, 23 August 2012

Edmonton, The Rockies and Vancouver, Canada (26th April to 28th June 2012)

We arrived in Edmonton for the final stage of our world trip. We were a little tired because some of the other Greyhound bus travellers were rather noisy all night. However our friends picked us up from the station and we were soon feeling relaxed again. We spent the next week being thoroughly spoilt by our friends and their family. Every night we were served delicious dinners and tasty puddings. Every day we had great fun playing with the kids and their toys - especially their new Xbox Kinect. We even managed a trip to the local climbing wall to introduce the kids to the sport - which they loved and took to like ducks to water! I also spent a morning at their school helping out and seeing how things work in a Canadian classroom. We were made to feel very welcome and comfortable, so when it came to picking up our rental car, we felt sad to leave. However we had lots of climbing to look forward to and we were due back for a few more days at the end of our Rockies.
After leaving Edmonton behind, we headed for Jasper National Park. The 3 hour drive begins in relatively flat Edmonton, but by the time you arrive in the town of Jasper you are surrounded by impressive and imposing mountains. Wow! You need a National Parks Pass to enter Jasper, which costs $10 per day or $130 per year. We spent a few days in and around Jasper exploring the outdoors. We stayed at Whistlers, which is a beautiful campground set in the forest, a couple of miles outside town. Every pitch has plenty of space, a picnic bench and a fire pit.
We spent a whole day just exploring the canyons that had been carved out of the rock by the powerful rivers. Maligne Canyon has been formed by swirling and churning water. The water has worn the canyon, only two metres across at some points, to a depth of more than 50 metres. The impressive canyon is made from limestone and some geologists think that it was originally deep caves. We crossed over the canyon several times using the bridges which linked together to form a short hiking route. We also visited Mistaya Canyon, which is another deep, narrow and interesting canyon. The water flows so fast that it would be very dangerous if you fell in.
Then we spent another couple of days visiting the lakes around Jasper. They are all beautiful but unique. Each lake has its own individual colour, different mountains surrounding its shores and exciting wildlife to spot. We visited and hiked around the following lakes:
  • Pyramid Lake - during the winter, an ice rink is created and maintained on this lake. The ice had melted before we arrived.
  • Patricia Lake - notable for its involvement during World War II with Project Habbakuk, a plan to build an unsinkable aircraft carrier from an ice-based material.
  • Medicine Lake - this lake disappears underground in the winter and reappears in the summer after the snow melts. We could see some puddles, but the lake was fairly empty.
  • Maligne Lake - the Charlton, Unwin and Maligne glaciers are visible from this lake. It was completely frozen when we visited.
  • Lake Edith - a glacier fed lake where you can hire boats and canoes.
  • Lake Anette - some of the water that diappears underground at Medicine Lake emerges at this lake.
  • Valley of the Five Lakes - the most spectacular aquamarine and jade colours. Each lakes was a different shade!
  • Beaver Lake - a picnic spot along the way to Jacques Lake. Last time we visited the Rockies, we did an overnight hike to Jacques Lake but there was too much snow this time.
We also wanted to hike some of the longer, multi day routes because when we were in Jasper, nine years ago, the Tonquin Trail (a four day hike) was one of our highlights. Unfortunately we were too early in the season (May) and the higher, longer distance trails were still covered with a couple of metres of soft snow. The snow also prevented us from revisiting Mount Edith Cavell, another beautiful place and home to the Angel Glacier. However there were a few of the south facing mountains which were ready to be climbed. Following the advice of the tourist information man, we headed for Hawk Mountain.

The route we took was a scramble, which means that part of the route involves some easy rock climbing. The warm weather soon had us sweating as we made our way up scree (loose rock) slopes. As we gained height the views were impressive and we were looking forward to standing on the top, but it wasn't to be. When we entered the trees about 3/4 of the way up, we came across snow and sank up to our waists. We tried to battle our way through, but kept post holing and only made very, very slow progress. Eventually we made it out of the trees and onto a rocky platform, but the way ahead was covered with more snow and we were unlikely to make it before dark! So we took a few pictures and made the sensible decision to head down.

Our experience on Hawk Mountain and the fact that it was tick season in the climbing areas helped us to make the decision to leave Jasper and head south. Jasper is a beautiful place and there is lots to do there, but the snow means July, August and September are the best months to visit. So we packed up our tent and headed down the Icefields Parkway. We spent 2 days making the 300km trip from Jasper to Canmore. The Icefields Parkway, also known as Highway 93, is a scenic road which parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies, travelling through Jasper National Park then Banff National Park. The views are spectacular and you find yourself stopping every few kilometres to take photos of the mountains and (mostly frozen) lakes. There were lots of mini hikes (less than 1 mile) along the way to:

Hike/Viewpoint
Length of Hike
Distance from Jasper
Comments
Horseshoe Lake
600 metres
29km
A favourite swimming and diving place, but chilly water! It is a deep lake formed in the quartzite rubble of a rockslide.
Athabasca Falls
1km
32km
The Athabasca River carries more water than any other in the Rockies. At the falls the river thunders over a 23 metre drop.
Buck Lake
500m
53km
The lake is a kettle pond which formed when a large block of ice detached from a glacier and melted into the rubble.
Sunwapta Falls and Canyon
300m
55km
At the falls, the Sunwapta River has been diverted from its original course by a glacial moraine (rock).
Athabasca Glacier
2km
103km
The glacier is 6km long and one of 8 that flow from the Columbia Icefield. It recedes at a rate of 2–3 metres per year and has receded more than 1.5 km in the past 125 years and lost over half of its volume.
Howse Valley Viewpoint
250m
153km
The view from the river terrace overlooks 3 valleys. The Howse Valley was part of the original fur trade route across the Rockies
Bow Summit
700m
194km
The walk to the Peyto Lake overlook at Bow Summit takes you to an elevation of 2100 metres. Bow Pass is the highest point in Canada crossed by a paved road that is open all year. It snowed whilst we were hiking!
Lake Louise
300m
0km
The lake is 2.4km long, 500m wide, 90m deep and 1731m above sea level. It is frozen from November to June each year and even in August the maximum temperature is 80C. It is a beautiful turquoise lake surrounded by mountains, including Mount Victoria.







However the most exciting view of the day was not a mountain - it was a grizzly bear! We spotted several cars pulled over and lots of tourists poking their cameras out the window of their cars. Curious to find out what the fuss was about, we pulled over too and could not believe our eyes. A huge grizzly bear was ambling through the bushes about 15 metres from the road and couldn't seem to care less about the audience. The bear looked like it had just woken up and was foraging for food, fortunately they are vegetarians at this time of year so we were safe. Not wanting to startle the bear, we stayed in our car and took a few zoomed in photos of the magnificent creature.
After it started to snow on Bow Summit, we decided it was time to find a place to camp. We spent the night at Mosquito Creek Campground, which was still almost all covered in snow! We eventually found a small patch which was clear of snow and put up the tent. Then Mr Greenhead dug out a path so we could get to the car safely and I cooked dinner. Our picnic bench was buried in the snow, so I went to the central cooking shelter. This was where I first met the huge crow. I shooed him out the shelter and thought nothing more of it, little did I know the crow was watching closely for an opportunity to steal food. He spotted his chance when I went to find Mr Greenhead to get our penknife. Within seconds of turning my back, he swooped down and snatched our big bag of crisps! Fortunately that was all he took and we still had enough for dinner!

 As you can imagine, the snow on the ground meant it was going to be a pretty chilly evening. Fortunately we made a new friend called Gord who owned a prospectors tent. These tents are sturdy canvas tents which have a special feature - a wood burning stove. The stove meant the tent was toasty warm and we spent a pleasant evening chatting and drinking red wine with our new friend. It was a little chilly when we left his tent and headed for our own, but we were soon snuggled up in our sleeping bags. The heat of the stove had warmed us up and we stayed that way all night.
The next day we continued our journey to Canmore. After the cloud of the previous day, we were happy to see the sunshine. We find that taking pictures of snowy mountains with a blue sky background, always makes them look even more spectacular. Lake Louise looked stunning in the sunshine (although it was strange to see the lake frozen) and Castle Mountain looked as imposing as ever. Just before lunch, we took a break from our journey to pop in and see Tony at the Castle Mountain Youth Hostel. He didn't recognise us at first (it was 9 years since our last visit), but after a bit of a chat he remembered who we were. Then it was on to a park just outside Banff for our sandwiches and a chance to see some cute ground squirrels playing. We stopped briefly in Banff, but were keen to get to Canmore and set up camp for the night, so we didn't stay long.




We arrived in Canmore in the early evening and headed for the campsite, only to find it was a strip of grass between two main roads. Unfortunately we had arrived to late to find an alternative for the night, so had to put up with the noise until the next morning. Determined to find a better place to stay, we were up early and hassling the tourist information staff. After traipsing round several motels looking for a long term cheap deal, we struck gold at the Alpine Club of Canada clubhouse.
The clubhouse is a beautiful wooden chalet perched on a hillside a couple of miles outside Canmore and it is amazing. In fact it is so quiet and peaceful, a black bear strolled past the balcony one evening. Unfortunately when I stood up to take a photo, it took off into the trees. When we first arrived, we were lucky to find that their dorm room with only a double bed in was available (I didn't like to point out that this was in fact a double room because it was still dorm prices). We also found out that if you booked 6 nights, then the 7th was free. So decided to take the plunge and book 4 weeks at the clubhouse. This worked out at about £30 a night, which was only a few pounds more than the noisy campsite! The only catch was, we had to move around rooms every few nights and we ended up sharing a room for 5 out of the 28 nights.

On the plus side we had a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains from the lounge - including the Three Sisters. This view was enhanced by the huge windows which enabled you to look out from the kitchen table or the comfy sofas in the lounge. The kitchen was huge too and the cleanest one I have ever seen in a hostel. The lady who cleaned took great pride in her work and was very friendly too! Every evening we would cook up a feast (mainly sausages and mash or whatever was on offer at the supermarket), then relax on the sofas with a book or one of the climbing magazines (the back catalogue was huge) whilst the sun went down. Or if we fancied a change we might watch a DVD in the basement with a bowl of microwave popcorn, whilst our laundry was washing next door!
The routine only got interrupted at weekends when groups hired out the main clubhouse and we had to move out to the satellite cabins (Boswell and Bell). This was no real hardship as these were also lovely wooden structures, which had everything the main cabin had (apart from Wifi) and were very cosy too. In fact the Boswell was deluxe with a huge private room. The whole Alpine Clubhouse experience was very relaxing and made us question if we were going soft by not camping. However we soon came to the conclusion that having a sofa to relax on, a hot shower, a warm bed (night time temperatures were still around 0 degrees), a place to hang out when it rained and meeting new people was worth going soft for!

The Alpine Club proved to be a great base to explore Canmore from. The town itself is very picturesque with its mountain backdrop and wooden buildings. However we mainly used the library, supermarket and outdoors shop to stock up before heading into the outdoors. Within 20 minutes of the town centre you can reach about 5 different rock climbing crags and there are multiple mountains to hike up. Our first hike took us up Grotto Mountain (2706m) which involved us following a path straight out of the back of the Alpine Club and up a steep path. The route we were following was from our scrambling book, but we were disappointed to find that there were very few rocks to scramble over. There was however a long and energy sapping scree slope to walk over, but the views over the Bow Valley from the top made it worthwhile. It was amazing how quickly the temperature dropped as we gained height, so we popped our hats on, had a quick mars bar and back headed down. We returned via a different route which took us along an interesting ridge before dropping down onto the path that had been created by Alpine Club workers.
Another pretty hike we completed was up Heart Mountain (2135m). This mountain got its name from the shape of the rock at the top, which does actually look like a heart! The hike was also from our scrambling book and was much better in terms of rocks that could be climbed up and over. By scrambling over as many rocks as we could, we were at the top in no time and enjoying the view whilst munching on our sandwiches.

To make the walk interesting, we took a different route down and found ourselves traversing another ridge. There were still patches of snow to make our way through, but the fantastic views made it worth the effort. It was particularly striking to see the end of the mountains and the start of the flat plains. The sky seems so much higher and bigger in North America than in the UK, which also means you can see the weather coming in from miles away. From the top of the ridge we could see big black clouds and only just made it to our car before it poured down!
The most challenging and impressive hike we completed, was up to the summit of Lady MacDonald (2605m). There are various routes up to the summit - walking, scrambling or climbing. We chose to summit via the East Ridge which is classified as a climb (5.5 or Severe grade). The whole route is not a climb, but you need to take your climbing gear for certain parts (see Summit Post for the route description http://www.summitpost.org/east-ridge-5-5/165166). We set off in the sunshine down Cougar Canyon and after a bit of searching, we found the start of the route.
The first couple of hours were a hard, sweaty slog up a steep slope. As the ridge came into view, the slope became scree and we had to slide our way up. Fortunately this didn't go on for too long and we were soon at the first proper climbing section which led us onto the actual ridge. Mr Greenhead led the way placing the gear and I seconded him collecting the gear on the way. As we reached the top of this section, we could see the ridge stretching into the distance ad were beginning to understand why summiting could take 8 hours.
As we picked our way along and up (scrambling and climbing), I switched my emotions between happiness and fear! The narrow parts with a steep drop off either side scared me, but where the ridge was at least half a metre wide I was exhilerated. Fortunately Mr Greenhead loves being exposed to narrow ridges and steep drop offs, so he talked me across the narrower sections. We made good progress, until I decided to drop my sunglasses off the side of the mountain. Normally you would just leave them, but on this occasion Mr Greenhead abseiled off a bolt (the only fixed one on the whole route) and got them back - they were expensive Oakleys and belonged to his mum!

The rest of the route was drama free, though the ridge seemed to get narrower as we reached the top and my progress slowed considerably. A couple of the worst sections saw me sitting on the ridge with a leg either side and shuffling along on my bottom for a few of metres. On rest of the tougher sections, you could scramble a metre down and use the top of the ridge for your hands - which always feels more reassuring. Finally we reached the top, signed the summit register and admired the ridge we had just climbed. By now the sunshine had disappeared, we had had a mini snow shower and the black clouds were gathering, so we took a couple of photos and headed down.

The route down was a straight forward hike and we were down in less than 2 hours - even with a quick food stop on the helipad. It started to rain just before we reached the car (10 hours after starting), but the main downpour held off until we arrived back at the Alpine Clubhouse.

Whilst it was great to get out hiking, our main reason to come to Canmore and the Bow Valley was to climb as much as we could. During the first week, we couldn't believe our luck with the weather (25 degrees or hotter every day) and thought we had come to climbing paradise. We weren't quite so lucky after that (average 16 degrees) and it did rain at least once a week, but usually by that time we were ready for a rest day in the clubhouse or a trip to the matinee showing at Banff cinema. However, we did manage the most climbing we have ever done. I have included the full list of our climbing in Canada at the bottom of the page for the climbing experts but in summary.

Grade*
Number of Climbs**
Lead by KG
Lead by PG
Single Pitch
Multi Pitch
5.4
8
8
8
7
1
5.5
9
8
8
8
1
5.6
18
8
17
15
3
5.7
20
8
19
19
1
5.8
24
8
23
22
2
5.9
27
5
27
27
0
5.10a
27
0
25
26
1
5.10b
8
0
8
8
0
5.10c
3
0
3
3
0
5.10d
1
0
1
1
0
TOTAL
145
45
139
136
9

*USA to French

5.4=3+, 5.5=4, 5.6=4+, 5.7 =5a, 5.8=5b, 5.9=5c, 5.10a=6a, 5.10b=6a+, 5.10c=6b, 5.10d=6b+

** 19% Trad Routes, 81% Sport Routes

However the numbers alone don't tell the whole story. Our climbing improved so much in the time we were in Canmore. I went from timidly leading easy climbs (5.4) to scaring myself silly leading much harder climbs (5.9). Whilst Mr Greenhead started leading routes that I could follow with no problems (5.7) to leading routes that I kept falling off (5.10d). Not only did our confidence soar, our muscles became much stronger and we developed enough stamina to climb for hours on end (though boosting our energy levels with a daily mars bar or snickers did help!).
The setting for each crag was amazing too, so I will attempt to describe each one, starting with those nearest to Canmore:

Cougar Canyon, Canmore (28 climbs) - Our favourite crag!

Distance from Canmore= 1.2 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 20 minutes.

Cougar Canyon, the drainage between Mt Lady McDonald and Grotto Canyon, offers a large number of climbs on some good quality limestone. The climbing is generally technical vertical face climbing, and the rock is edgy as opposed to pocketed. It has 18 cliffs with over 260 routes (at a range of grades) and is a very peaceful place to climb. This canyon flooded during torrential rain whilst we were staying in Canmore and the raging torrent almost destroyed the railway track.

Heart Creek, Canmore (21 climbs)

Distance from Canmore= 11.3 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 20 minutes.

Heart Creek flows through a narrow canyon between Heart Mountain and Mount McGillivray just before it crosses the Trans Canada highway. The cliffs along the west side of the canyon offer a number of climbs, mostly in the 5.10 and 5.11 range. The rock is featured, though not very pocketed, and generally slabby or vertical. It has 10 crags with over 130 routes and has a pleasant walk in over multiple bridges. We completed our first multi pitch routes here on First Rock (very polished) and Runnel Wall.
Grassi Lakes, Canmore (16 climbs)

Distance from Canmore= 5.4 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 20 minutes.

Set in a picturesque canyon between Mt Rundle and Chinaman’s Peak, Grassi Lakes offers a number of excellent, steep routes on pocketed limestone of variable quality. Whilst climbing, you have great views of two beautiful, emerald green lakes and the town of Canmore. There are 10 crags and almost 100 climbs, with one particularly good beginners wall called The Golf Course. The big pockets on this wall make you feel like you are indoor climbing and gave me the confidence to pratise leading again.



Grotto Canyon, Canmore (2 climbs)

Distance from Canmore= 9.5 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 20 minutes.

Grotto Canyon is the drainage to the west of Grotto Mountain, near the Baymag cement plant #2. Grotto is one of the oldest and largest crags in the Rockies, with over 200 routes, however many routes are of poor quality. The climbing ranges from viciously overhanging to slabby, and offers a wide variety of grades (5.6 to 5.13). The rock is generally featured but not pocketed, and tends to polish easily, especially along the base of the cliff which is washed by the creek at high water. Usually wet for a few days after a storm. We only managed 2 climbs due to a combination of wet, polished rock and a shower rain.

Wasootch, Kananaskis Country (26 climbs)

Distance from Canmore= 27 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 5 minutes.

Set in the southwest facing slabs in the valley of Wasootch Creek, this climbing area was used by the Canadian Army years ago. To identify the main rocks, they painted the letters A to G on each separate wall, starting at the north. Further walls have been developed and there are now a total of 11 walls with over 100 climbs. There is a mixture of trad, sport and top rope routes which are fairly moderate grades, receive lots of sunshine and are close to the car park - hence very popular! This is where I tried my first 5.8 and 5.9 routes. We came here on the days after heavy rain because it dried out so quickly.

Barrier Mountain, Kananaskis Country (2 climbs)

Distance from Canmore= 26 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 15 minutes.

One of the larger Kananaskis crags, with well over 100 routes. The north end of the cliff has a number of 2 to 4 pitch gear routes, most at a moderate grade. The south end of the crag is mostly sport, offering a number of great climbs in the 5.9 to 5.12 range. Barrier is one of the best crags in the early season, and occasionally escapes the afternoon showers which plague the mountains in the early summer. Unfortunately we got caught in a heavy rain shower and only managed 2 routes. There were several more we fancied trying, but never got a chance to.

 Lake Louise (6 climbs)

Distance from Canmore= 51.7 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 30 minutes

Perched next to the beautiful, aquamarine waters of Lake Louise is a crag called 'Back of the Lake'. Surrounded by glaciers and ice-encrusted peaks, the back drop is stunning. The rock is very hard quartzite and the tall, slightly overhanging walls demand considerable stamina. The routes have been described as world class, but we tried a few (trad and sport) and were left feeling a little disappointed. The view was beautiful but the rock and air temperature were little chilly.
 Pika spotted whilst walking back from Lake Louise crag.

 Tunnel Mountain, Banff (14 climbs)

Distance from Canmore= 16.9 miles, Time from car park to first crag = 15 minutes

A short drive from the centre of Banff lies Tunnel Mountain climbing area with three walls and about 70 climbs. The walls face east and receive morning sun, which was great on a chilly day. The climbing tends to be thin and technical, favouring good footwork and balance as opposed to brute strength. We struggled to find Black Band initially (very loose scree and a resulting unplanned abseil occurred) and we almost gave up, but were very glad that we didn't! The Scoop Area and its friction climbs, led to our first 5.10c.

Tunnel Mountain crag overlooks the Banff Springs hotel and is next to Bow Falls.

I would highly recommend anyone to come and spend a few weeks climbing in and around Canmore. The scenery is fantastic and each crag has a different type of rock. We feel like we barely scratched the surface and could easily have spent several more weeks here sport climbing. On top of that there are also multi pitch trad areas which we didn't even go to e.g. Yamnuska! The Alpine Club was a great place to base ourselves from, but there are also camping great options for the Kananaskis and Banff/Lake Louise crags. We spent one weekend camped at the spacious Boulton Creek Campground in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park which is near the Kananaskis Lakes and Village. Unfortunately it poured with rain, so we couldn't see all the surrounding mountains, but I can confirm that the coffee in Kananaskis Village is good!
We also spent a week camping in Two Jacks Campground, a couple of miles outside Banff. This was a pretty campground full of trees and spaced out pitches with running water and a cooking shelter. The lack of showers was overcome with a trip to the Banff Centre, where you can climb, swim and visit the gym for just £6.50 per person for the whole day.
Views of the mountains around Two Jacks Campground, including Mount Rundle.
Sadly our 7 weeks in the Rockies came to an end, with one final night under canvas at Bow Valley Campground. It was the perfect end to our trip with a river side pitch and a chance to watch the sun set over the surrounding mountains. Fortunately we still had plenty to look forward to before flying back to the UK.

First stop was our friends in Edmonton for another week of relaxation and fine dining. In return all that was required of us was a short presentation on Peru to a class of 9 year olds, vocal support at the kids football matches and another session with the family at the climbing wall. We also went to the kids graduation ceremony, had a water fight, watched the European Football Championships, built stuff with the kids toys (including an 3 metre Eiffel Tower from K’NEX straws) and hung out at their sports club playing squash, bowling, swimming etc. In other words we were thoroughly spoilt with their hospitality and were very reluctant to leave, especially when we had to leave their lovely house and get dropped off in the dodgy part of Edmonton to catch our Greyhound bus.
The 17 hour bus journey back to Vancouver was much quieter than our previous experience, however the Greyhound bus was still very old and the diner we stopped at looked like something from the seventies.  South American buses are far superior and let you sleep through the night without turning the main lights on every half an hour! The only positive thing I can say about the trip was we arrived back a few minutes early and we didn’t have to repack our bags because one was 1kg over weight (this happened on the journey to Edmonton).
Once back in Vancouver, we headed for our friend’s house in Kitsilano.  Ross and Nicole were on their way back from visiting family in England and arrived to find us sat on their porch surrounded by bags.  Fortunately they are lovely people and welcomed us back, despite being weary from their own journey.  Another trip to the delicious Naam restaurant was needed to revive us, then a very early night.  With only 2 days left, we wanted to make the most of every minute, so we headed to Granville Island to soak up the Vancouver atmosphere and enjoy some tasty lunch from the food hall.  Then a long walk back along the city beaches and some more eating with a BBQ on the porch. 

Before we knew it our final day had arrived, so to squeeze as much out of our trip as possible we got up very early to climb.  Ross was off work and keen to try a new trad (with a few bolts) multi pitch climb called Skywalker in Squamish.  We got up just before 6am and were on the climb by 7am.  It was a beautiful day and the climb proved worth the effort.  Paul led pitches 1 (5.7) and 3 (5.7), whilst Ross led pitches 2 (5.8) and 4 (5.6) and I led the final pitch (5.4).  The views over Howe Sound were impressive and the climb very enjoyable.  We had set a cut off time, but were back at the car before it arrived and even had time for some lunch at a cafe in Squamish, then a shower at the flat before Ross dropped us off the airport.  


What a great last day and a fantastic way to end the trip of a lifetime.  Everyone should go and see some of the world at least once in their life, but if you are anything like us the more you see, the more you will want to see.  The list for future travels just seems to get longer and longer – you can never see it all, but we will do our best!



Crag
Wall
Climb
Type
Grade




Heart Creek 
Runnel Wall
Light at the End of the Runnel
Sport
5.4




Heart Creek 
Runnel Wall
Runnel in the Jungle 
Sport
5.4




Heart Creek 
Runnel Wall
Runnel Vision
Sport
5.4




Heart Creek 
Bunny Hill
Simple
Sport
5.4




Murrin
Sugarloaf
Magnet
Trad
5.4




The Smoke Bluffs
Burger and Fries 
Unnamed Crack 
Trad
5.4




The Smoke Bluffs
Fern Gully 
Fern Gully
Trad
5.4




Lake Louise
Outhouse Wall
Graveside Humour
Sport
5.4




Grassi Lakes 
The Golf Course 
Elk Don't Golf 
Sport
5.5




Grassi Lakes 
The Golf Course 
I'd Rather Be Golfing
Sport
5.5




Grassi Lakes 
The Golf Course 
Tiger
Sport
5.5




The Smoke Bluffs
Channel Road (Feret's Folly)
Earth Trip
Trad
5.5




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A15
Sport
5.5




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A19
Sport
5.5




Cougar Canyon
Cosmology Wall
Milk Run
Sport
5.5




Lady Macdonald 
Ridge
South East Ridge
Trad
5.5




Lake Louise
Outhouse Wall
My Little Pony
Sport
5.5




Grassi Lakes 
The Golf Course 
Chip Shot
Sport
5.6




Grassi Lakes 
The Golf Course 
Birdie
Sport
5.6




Heart Creek
First Rock
Trio
Sport
5.6




Murrin
Sugarloaf
Jump Start
Trad
5.6




The Smoke Bluffs
Channel Road (Jug Slab)
David's
Sport
5.6




The Smoke Bluffs
Neat and Cool
Cat Crack
Trad
5.6




The Smoke Bluffs
Neat and Cool
Corn Flakes 
Trad
5.6




The Smoke Bluffs
Ronin's Corner
MCM
Trad
5.6




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A16
Sport
5.6




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A18
Sport
5.6




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A20
Sport
5.6




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A21
Sport
5.6




Wasootch Slabs
B Slab
B34 Steps Pinnacle, Far Right
Sport
5.6




Wasootch Slabs
B Slab
B35
Sport
5.6




Wasootch Slabs
F Slab
F2
Sport
5.6




Heart Creek
First Rock
A Dream of White Schnauzers
Sport
5.6




Lake Louise
Outhouse Wall
Pub Night
Trad
5.6




Lake Louise
Outhouse Wall
Men With Brooms
Sport
5.6




Heart Creek
First Rock
Heartline
Sport
5.7




Grassi Lakes 
The Golf Course 
Hole in One
Sport
5.7




Cougar Canyon
The Flintstones Wall
Pebbles Has Her Groove
Sport
5.7




The Backside of the Chief 
Raven's Castle
Joe's Dyke
Sport
5.7




Murrin
Sugarloaf
The Mechanic
Trad
5.7




Murrin
Sugarloaf
Lieback Crack
Trad
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Pixie Corner
The Locker
Trad
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Channel Road (Jug Slab)
Hamish's
Sport
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Channel Road (Jug Slab)
Stepladder
Sport
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Neat and Cool
Corner Crack 
Trad
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Burger and Fries 
Burger and Fries
Trad
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Burger and Fries 
Dusty Eyes
Trad
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Burger and Fries 
Wisecrack
Trad
5.7




The Smoke Bluffs
Burger and Fries 
Gollum
Trad
5.7




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A6
Sport
5.7




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A12
Sport
5.7




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A17
Sport
5.7




Wasootch Slabs
F Slab
F1
Sport
5.7




Wasootch Slabs
F Slab
F8
Sport
5.7




Lake Louise
Outhouse Wall
Blue Valentine
Trad
5.7




Grotto Canyon
Hemmingway Wall
Cakewalk
Sport
5.8




Cougar Canyon
House of Cards
Dreamcatcher in a Rusted Malibu
Sport
5.8




Grassi Lakes 
White Imperialist
Gizmo
Sport
5.8




Grassi Lakes 
Gardener's Wall
Horrorculture
Sport
5.8




Heart Creek
First Rock
Less Than Zero
Sport
5.8




Grotto Canyon
Hemmingway Wall
Nymphet
Sport
5.8




Heart Creek
First Rock
Potentilla Pillar
Sport
5.8




Heart Creek 
Runnel Wall
Runnel You Want
Sport
5.8




Cougar Canyon
House of Cards
Slowpoke
Sport
5.8




The Smoke Bluffs
Pixie Corner
Pixie Corner
Trad
5.8




The Smoke Bluffs
Channel Road (Jug Slab)
Moominland
Sport
5.8




The Smoke Bluffs
Crag X Lower
Easter Island
Trad
5.8




The Smoke Bluffs
Penny Lane
Quarry Man
Trad
5.8




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A9
Sport
5.8




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A10
Sport
5.8




Wasootch Slabs
B Slab
B18 Orange Arete
Sport
5.8




Wasootch Slabs
F Slab
F4
Sport
5.8




Wasootch Slabs
F Slab
F7
Sport
5.8




Cougar Canyon
House of Cards
Kim and Murray
Sport
5.8




Cougar Canyon
Cosmology Wall
Cosmic String
Sport
5.8




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Dude
Sport
5.8




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
The Force
Sport
5.8




Lake Louise
Outhouse Wall
Neverland
Sport
5.8




Cougar Canyon
The Flintstones Wall
Skywalker
Trad/Sport
5.8




Cougar Canyon
The Flintstones Wall
Bam Bam Got His Funk
Sport
5.9




Grassi Lakes 
White Imperialist
Fred
Sport
5.9




Grassi Lakes 
Gardener's Wall
Lawyers, Guns and Money
Sport
5.9




Grassi Lakes 
Gardener's Wall
Lumpy Lane 
Sport
5.9




Grassi Lakes 
Roadhouse
Pothole Alley
Sport
5.9




Grassi Lakes 
Gardener's Wall
Roadhouse Grill
Sport
5.9




Grassi Lakes 
Gardener's Wall
Rock Garden 
Sport
5.9




Cougar Canyon
House of Cards
Rocky Road
Sport
5.9




The Smoke Bluffs
Burger and Fries 
SPF P1
Sport
5.9




The Smoke Bluffs
Fern Gully 
Bilbo Baggins
Trad
5.9




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
Rampage
Trad
5.9




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A8 Fossil Wall
Sport
5.9




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
A13
Sport
5.9




Heart Creek
First Rock
A14
Sport
5.9




Heart Creek
First Rock
Back to Zero
Sport
5.9




Heart Creek
Blackheart
Cavebird
Sport
5.9




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Half a Heart
Sport
5.9




Tunnel Mountain 
Scoop Area
Farrago
Sport
5.9




Barrier Mountain
Yellow Wall
Los Pinos
Sport
5.9




Wasootch Slabs
Metaphor Wall
Drill of a Lifetime
Sport
5.9




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Mixed Metaphor
Sport
5.9




Cougar Canyon
Catamount Wall
Rocket Surgery
Sport
5.9




Cougar Canyon
Catamount Wall
Rainy Day
Sport
5.9




Cougar Canyon
Catamount Wall
Open Season
Sport
5.9




Heart Creek 
Bunny Hill
Abilene
Sport
5.9




Heart Creek 
Bunny Hill
You Oughtta' Know
Sport
5.9




Cougar Canyon
House of Cards
Rough but Well Groomed 
Sport
5.9




Cougar Canyon
Casino Wall
SPF P2
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Cat's Eye Wall
Black Jack
Sport
5.10a




Heart Creek 
Bunny Hill
Cat's Paw
Sport
5.10a




Grassi Lakes 
Gardener's Wall
Chip Butty
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Cat's Eye Wall
Holes to Heaven
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Cat's Eye Wall
Iguana Moon Trek
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
House of Cards
Impulse
Sport
5.10a




Grassi Lakes 
White Imperialist
Innuendo
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Casino Wall
Johnny Mnemonic
Sport
5.10a




Heart Creek 
Bunny Hill
King of Clubs
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Casino Wall
Rat in a Cage
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
The Flintstones Wall
Wild Card
Sport
5.10a




The Smoke Bluffs
Blind Channel
Wilma
Sport
5.10a




The Smoke Bluffs
Neat and Cool
The Zip
Trad
5.10a




Wasootch Slabs
F Slab
Flying Circus
Trad
5.10a




Heart Creek
Blackheart
F6
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Crowbar Wall
Kiss and Tell
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Crowbar Wall
Sleeping Dog
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Cosmology Wall
The Devil You Know
Sport
5.10a




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Octavius and His Magic Trumpet
Sport
5.10a




Tunnel Mountain 
Scoop Area
The Missing Link
Sport
5.10a




Barrier Mountain
Yellow Wall
Scoop Route
Sport
5.10a




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Shadow Play
Sport
5.10a




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Welcome to the Jungle
Sport
5.10a




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Dab Hand 
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Bufflehead Wall
Number One Stir Fried
Sport
5.10a




Cougar Canyon
Casino Wall
Bufflehead
Sport
5.10a




Wasootch Slabs
A Slab
Straight Flush
Sport
5.10b




Tunnel Mountain 
Scoop Area
A11
Sport
5.10b




Tunnel Mountain
Black Band
Heat
Sport
5.10b




Cougar Canyon
Bufflehead Wall
Walk the Line
Sport
5.10b




Cougar Canyon
Catamount Wall
Bafflegab
Sport
5.10b




Heart Creek 
Bunny Hill
Cabin Fever
Sport
5.10b




Heart Creek 
Blackheart
Contemporary Cuisine
Sport
5.10b




Heart Creek
Bunny Hill
Braveheart
Sport
5.10b




Tunnel Mountain 
Scoop Area
Savoir Faire
Sport
5.10c




Tunnel Mountain 
Scoop Area
Stick to What?
Sport
5.10c




Wasootch Slabs
Metaphor Wall
Science Friction
Sport
5.10c




Shannon Falls
Gobsmacking Wall
Glued to Your Seat
Sport
5.10d!