Five Fun Val-David Trad Routes to 5.10

Val-David is one of Canada’s most historic crags. Nestled into the Laurentians north of Montreal, the granite walls are made of ancient stone that have been providing generations of climbers with fun and adventurous lines. You can see where Val-David is on Google here. Below are five fun trad routes up to 5.10 to add to your tick-list this fall.

Arabesque

A three-pitch 5.4 up the most obvious wall on Mont Césaire right off the trail. The belays are bolted and there are a number of variations. Start up a left-facing corner and head up fun climbing to the final crack. The rock is as solid as it gets, and you walk off from the top.

l’Amphithéâtre

This is one of the most old-school feeling routes in Val-David found on Mont King. It’s a three-pitch route that gives you an airy vibe when traversing out onto the main face. You head up a long slab first-pitch to a ledge. Then up and right through steep ground, following the curving wall and crack to a ledge. Then straight up to the forest.

Sceptre

One of the most obvious cracks found at a popular section of Mont King. The one-pitch 5.9 climbs a splitter crack with small features on the edges and face that make the climbing less intimidating. You can continue up and left into The Crown, a pumpy 5.9 that takes you to the top of the crag.

The Crown

You can rappel in from the top or link it with Sceptre, but this is one of the most exposed pitches at Val-David at the grade. It follows a steep and crooked crack up the featured headwall to the top of Mont King. The final moves before the lip are some of the best jams you’ll get this high above the forest in the area.

Bastard

First climbed by John Turner in 1960, this 5.9 is one of the most stout and classic in the park. This stiff-for-the-grade route follows a nice line for about 30 metres up the Staircase Wall. You get great jams and awkward face moves throughout.