NEW ROUTES: If you have anything to add to this list and the guidebook, please e-mail info@coe.ca
DONATIONS: If you would like to make a donation to the David Thompson Corridor Climbers Association (www.dtcca.ca), please stop by COE or contact via e-mail (info@coe.ca) or telephone (403-721-2208). Your donations go straight towards the purchase of bolts, drill equipment, and trail building tools. Another way to donate is to simply purchase some bolts at MEC and drop them off at the COE next time you are out climbing.
CRAGEDY WALL
This area is the left edge of the main wall where the cliff is only 1 or 2 pitches high. It faces the Cline River. I didn’t write down the details of these routes when I first did them so the following descriptions are admittedly poor.
Approach: hike up the huge trail for about 5 minutes. Shortly after crossing a small drainage, the cliffs should be just visible above. Head up and left through the bush or about 10 minutes to the base of the cliffs. These 2 routes follow the most obvious 2 corner systems and have no fixed gear, no stations, and no bolts. That’s all I remember unfortunately.
A) Cragedy Ann (5.8?R, 70m(?))
FA: J. Mills, Jody Goodwin—May ‘07
The left hand of the two corners.
B) Cragalagadingdong (5.9?R, 70m(?))
FA: J. Mills, Jody Goodwin—May ‘07
The right hand corner.
MAIN WALL
These routes are on the cliff on the end of Mt. Stelfox above the Icefields Helicopters building beside the Cline River. The climbing is sweet. See picture on the next page. Couch Potato Fair is
probably the easiest route to locate due to the red patch near the top. The other climbs are referenced off of it.
Approach: Park at the Coral Creek trailhead about 200m east of the Cline River bridge. Instead of following the main trail, go straight up the grassy hill above the parking lot and look for the trail and some signs about the Via Feratta. Follow this trail until below your chosen route, then head up scree to the base of your climb. About 25 minutes from the car.
Descent: Follow the ridge top down until picking up a trail which is followed all the way to the main trail beside the river.
C) Sans Rebar (5.5, 160m)
FA: J. Mills — May 08
Follows an easy corner system 50m left of the above 3 routes. The easiest looking line on the cliff. Start in a cool water runnel (obvious once you see it) and follow the easiest looking line straight up to the top.
D) Stark Raven Mad (5.8, 160m)*
FA: J Mills, Jody Goodwin, Monique Vigne—May ‘08
Arguably the biggest corner system on the cliff. This route is 2 corner systems left of Couch Potato Fair. Some blue flagging tape may be found on trees at the base.
Protection on this route is fairly good but if 5.8 is your limit, you may find it a bit scary. Bring single sets of cams and nuts.
P1: (5.7+, 33m) Up a left facing corner crack, joining the main left facing corner about 15m up. Some loose rock. Belay at two bolts on a small ledge at 33 meters.
P2: (5.5, 33m) Continue climbing the main corner for about 20
meters then move up and right past a bolt. Belay at two bolts on an other small ledge.
P3: (5.6, 34m) Traverse 5 meters right, almost to a tree, then straight up past a bolt into a nice corner with good rock. Just before reaching the first little trees, look for a two bolt belay on the right.
P4: (5.8, 58m) Scramble straight up over 15 meters of loose easy ground. Continue straight up better rock past 3 bolts to a 2 bolt
station on top.
E) Nordegg vs. Hercules (5.10bR/X, 185m)**
FA: J. Mills, Brent Young, Andy Adamson - May 08
This is the next main corner system left of Couch Potato Fair.
Scramble up a gully to a sloped dirt ledge at the base of the steeper rock. The rock on this climb is quite good but protection is sparse and belays are hard to build. Take a selection of pitons, and don’t bother unless you are comfortable soloing a few moves of 5.10. I plan on adding some bolts and fixed stations eventually.
P1(5.7R, 55m) Up slab into loose corner, find belay in slabby rock on left.
P2(5.9R, 60m) Continue up corner until it starts trending left. Leave main corner into the smaller, steeper, and cleaner corner straight above. Climb face just right of corner until you can find a belay at small trees.
P3(5.6R, 30m) Straight up to the big ledge with trees above.
P4(5.10bR/X, 50m) Head up a faint break in the steep walls above,
fixed pin, this is the crux and the gear is very poor...very. Once above the initial overhang head up and then way left until it is possible to
continue up to trees at the top. It is possible to traverse right or left on the big ledge to easier lines instead of climbing this pitch.
F) Couch Potato Fair (5.9R, 210m)*
FA: J. Mills, Jody Goodwin - May 08
Find this route by locating the prominent red patch of rock near the top of the cliff. This route climbs the corner systems directly below this red patch. Not as scary as “Nordegg vs. Hercules”, but still quite run out. Pitons required. I plan on adding some bolts and fixed stations eventually.
P1(5.4, 30m) Climb through the initial dirty rock band wherever suits your fancy.
P2(5.7, 50m) A long pitch up the corner leads to a hard to get belay out left.
P3(5.9R, 50m) Climb the clean, but thin and hard to protect, corner above then continue up the easiest line until you can find a belay.
P4(5.7R, 50m) Another long easier pitch leads to trees and broken ground. Numerous variations are possible.
P5(5.2, 30m) Easy ground leads to the top.
MEGA WALL
This wall is located about 500m further right (rough guess) of the main wall climbs. It is divided from the main wall by a large bowl and prominent drainage.
Approach: Start as for main wall but 5 minutes after crossing a drainage (usually dry and just a bunch of small boulders), traverse right until re-crossing the drainage. Hike up the edge of the drainage until just below the rock, then work your way right to the base of your climb.
Descent: Traverse down and left on nasty dirt/scree slopes for about 15 minutes to the trees. Somewhat sketchy, take care. Follow the ridge-top down through the trees until reaching the trail.
G) Stealthy Fox (5.10a, 415m)**
FA: J. Mills, Mike Adolph, Jody Goodwin - May ‘08
This excellent route is found about 200 meters right of the waterfall/ice climb
“Good Luck and Bad Dreams” and at least 500m right of the previous routes. Start almost directly below a huge open book corner at the very top of the
cliffs. The first pitch moves into a corner with a tree half way up and is a good landmark. At the spot where you start, if you were to continue further right, you would have to either go down below some slabs, or up on a scree ledge above the slabs. There is a skinny dead tree at the base of the first pitch but it probably won’t last for much longer before falling down. The first bolt is visible from the ground and is about 8 meters up.
Many of the pitches on this route are somewhat runout and may deserve an “R” rating. We plan on adding more bolts at some point. Despite the run-out
nature, the rock is excellent and this is perhaps the best multipitch limestone route in the corridor.
P1(5.7, 55m) Climb up a face past one bolt into a left facing corner with a tree in it about 25 meters off the ground. Follow the corner above to a two rap ring station on a ledge.
P2(5.7, 45m) Follow the easiest line above, up and right, to another 2 rap ring station on a ledge.
P3(5.10a, 55m) Diagonal up and right, passing through a few different corners as you move right. There are three bolts to help show you the way. Somewhat runout but the rock is quite solid. Two rap ring station.
P4(5.10a, 55m) Continue straight up above the belay past 3 bolts. Belay on a small ledge with one bolt (backup with gear) on the right at 55 meters. A very spicy pitch, you had better be comfortable climbing thin 5.10 with minimal gear.
P5(5.9+, 55m) Head up the crack line just left of the belay and follow it straight up to a bolt and piton belay on a ledge. Protection is good and the crux move is right at the end.
P6(5.7, 50m) Move right and follow the obvious corner line up to scree ledges. Grovel up to the top of the scree, taking care not to knock off too much rock. Build a belay with a single bolt and some gear in a loose crack.
P7(5.6, 50m) Start left of the belay and after head straight up for about 30 meters then move right into the huge corner. Continue up to a belay (one bolt and gear) below a large roof.
P8(5.6, 50m) Step out right then choose your line through the roof into easy ground. Get a piece of gear as high as you can before reaching the rotten shale band. Instead of climbing the death shale, traverse up and right for a long ways on the bench until reaching a boulder to belay at on top.