Jones Jon - Sport Climbs in the Canadian Rockies

SPORT CLIMBSIN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES JOHN MARTIN & JON JONES 7th Edition Copyright 2016 by John Martin and Jon Jones Seventh Edition All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, audio recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher or a photocopying licence from Access Copyright. Permissions and licensing contribute to a secure and vibrant book industry by helping to support writers and publishers through the purchase of authorized editions and excerpts. To obtain an official licence, please visit accesscopyright.ca or call 1-800-893-5777. RMB | Rocky Mountain Books Ltd. rmbooks.com @rmbooks facebook.com/rmbooks Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada ISBN 978-1-77160-100-9 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-77160-101-6 (electronic) Cover photo: Evan Hau on Lakshmi (5.13c), Bataan, Canadian Rockies, by Christian Semm For information on purchasing bulk quantities of this book, or to obtain media excerpts or invite the author to speak at an event, please visit rmbooks.com and select the Contact Us tab.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and of the province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit. Disclaimer The actions described in this book may be considered inherently dangerous activities. Individuals undertake these activities at their own risk. The information put forth in this guide has been collected from a variety of sources and is not guaranteed to be completely accurate or reliable. Many conditions and some information may change owing to weather and numerous other factors beyond the control of the authors and publishers. Individuals or groups must determine the risks, use their own judgment, and take full responsibility for their actions.

Do not depend on any information found in this book for your own personal safety. Your safety depends on your own good judgment based on your skills, education, and experience. It is up to the users of this guidebook to acquire the necessary skills for safe experiences and to exercise caution in potentially hazardous areas. The authors and publishers of this guide accept no responsibility for your actions or the results that occur from anothers actions, choices, or judgments. If you have any doubt as to your safety or your ability to attempt anything described in this guidebook, do not attempt it. CONTENTSList of MapsINTRODUCTIONAbout this guidebook In 1995 the authors published the first edition of Sport Climbs in the Canadian Rockies as a guide to sport climbing in the Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, Ghost and Kananaskis areas.

The 7th edition continues that concept, adding Echo Canyon and several other new areas as well as updating the established sport areas. As before, trad (gear) climbs at predominantly sport climbing venues are included. The 7th edition continues to use topo drawings to represent the climbs. The main reason for this is the impossibility of getting adequate images of so many of the cliffs, owing to the lack of useful vantage points: canyon walls are too close together, trees block the sightlines, the only possible view is foreshortened unrecognizably, and so on. In this edition weve added marked photos for the first time. Other relevant local rock climbing guides

Banff Rock (2012)	Chris Perry	trad and sport routes in Banff National Park
Bow Valley Rock (2000)	Chris Perry & Joe Josephson	trad and sport routes in Canmore Corridor; out of print
Bow Valley Sport (2011)	Derek Galloway	selected sport climbing areas in the Bow River drainage
Ghost Rock (2012)	Andy Genereux	trad and sport routes in the Ghost
Guide to Kid Goat (2012)	Chas Yonge	trad and sport routes on Kid Goat Crag
Yamnuska Rock (2011)	Andy Genereux	trad and sport routes on Yamnuska

New route information Send comments, corrections and new route information to the authors c/o Rocky Mountain Books, 414 13 Ave.

NE, Calgary, AB T2E 1C2. Or e-mail us at Updated route information is posted on TABVARs webpage: www.tabvar.org. Route grading The guidebook uses standard North American grading, minus the 5 prefix. Exception: a few of the routes have and + instead of letter grades. equates to a and a/b; + to c/d and d. Key to topo drawings The topos are drawn using standard North American conventions, as shown in the sketch at right. The rock Most of the routes are on limestone, a soft and often highly fractured rock that gives mainly face climbs. The rock Most of the routes are on limestone, a soft and often highly fractured rock that gives mainly face climbs.

Clean protection opportunities are limited and loose holds may occasionally be found even on well-groomed routes. In the Lake Louise area, the climbs are on quartzite, a high quality, hard rock with lots of horizontal holds and a fair number of protectable cracks. Routes have also been developed on siltstone (Spray Slabs), which is like sandstone minus the texture and the holds, and conglomerate (Cowbell Crag), which offers pebble pulling and some crack climbing. GearRope 60 m okay at most venues; 70 or even 80 m for some routes at Echo Canyon and Planet X Quickdraws typically 1216 (plus 2 for the top) on 35 m or shorter pitches; up to 22 for the longest pitches Non-fixed gear as indicated throughout the guide Helmet many cliffs have rockfall hazard Stick-clipper strongly recommended: many older routes are polished and slippery; as well, some routes are set up for stick-clipping Climate and weather The rock climbing season usually starts sometime in April and ends in early October. In warm years it may be possible to climb comfortably as early as February or as late as November. Forecasts Environment Canada Banff, Canmore & Kananaskis (Bow Valley): weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca The Weather Network for Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise: www.weathernetwork.comHazardsWhere are you most at risk during your sport climbing day? On the highway, driving to and especially back from your climbing destination. Other potential hazards at the cliffs or on the approaches: Other climbers Rockfall generated by climbers, tourists or wildlife (usually bighorn sheep) Trying to access route anchors from above to set up topropes (except at designated toprope areas) Flooding: Several of the canyons are subject to rapid rise in water levels in the afternoon during snowmelt season. Forecasts Environment Canada Banff, Canmore & Kananaskis (Bow Valley): weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca The Weather Network for Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise: