Two New Routes on Ha Ling Peak in Rockies

Ha Ling Peak has a number of worthwhile routes ranging from the classic Northeast Face 5.6 to the newer route, A Particular Manner of Expression 5.12. In June, 2015, Jay Mills climbed two new routes.

The routes are left of the Northeast Face route and they both share around 140 metres of low-angle terrain with the Northeast Face before reaching the steeper upper wall.

Both route start from the same area. On June 1, Mills and Steph Kish climbed a 5.7 and 5.6 pitch to reach a good belay. They then climbed directly to the top with difficulties reaching 5.9+ and called their route Whatever Floats Your Goat.

On June 5, Mills and Kris Irwin returned and climbed a direct 5.10b-pitch to the start of the third pitch of Whatever Floats Your Goat. Mills and Irwin then continued up one more pitch before traversing down and left to their new June 5th route.

Both routes climb nice corner systems with solid rock for three or four pitches. The left route had no signs of travel, but the right one had some fixed gear and bail biners on the highest bolts. Chances are good it was never completed.

“If anyone goes to climb them take a big rack, some pins, and an extra nut tool for digging out gear placements,” said Mills. “There are no fixed anchors.”

Visit here for a list and history of all other routes on Ha Ling in a piece we published on March 30, 2015.