New Hard Rock Route on Mount Macdonald in Rogers Pass

Mount Macdonald stands tall next to the Trans Canada Highway near Rogers Pass in B.C. There are a number of routes up the two walls that rise above the steep slopes below, from steep 5.11s to moderate ridge routes. Jason Ammerlaan and Tony McLane have established The Position of Comfort 5.11+ A2 up the 500-metre Little Face. Ammerlaan had climbed the first four pitches with Ryan Thorpe. McLane and Ammerlaan spent two days on the wall, which included an unplanned shiver-bivy.

Their new route is the fourth up the Little Face, which includes the 1974 5.8 A3 North Face, the 2004 Prime Rib 5.11b 550 metres, and a little-known about route right of Position of Comfort called Short Rib 5.10 A1. The Big Face has handful of test-piece lines, including Jon Walsh and Bruce Kay’s 1,000-metre North Pillar 5.11 A0.