Ontario SUP-Access Bouldering

Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is becoming a popular sport among climbers. It’s a great rest-day activity, plus you can access some amazing off-piste climbing.

In Ontario, rocky outcrops line the shores on many of the thousands of lakes. In the past, climbers have used motor boats or canoes to access them. In recent years, climbers have adopted the newest trend, to SUP in.

In 2012, Ontario-based Leslie Timms accessed some shoreline bouldering by SUPing, an otherwise unreachable area by land. “My first experience with SUP got mixed in with a little rock climbing, for what I would describe as the best day of the summer for sure,” Timms said.

With a couple of friends, she paddled along the Bruce Peninsula and found some worthy rock to climb on, “despite a rather cool and cloudy day, the bay was warm, the climbing we found was awesome and you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face if you tried,” Timms said, “we found a steep cave that we could boulder right off of our boards and riding the huge swells on the down-wind paddle back was amazing.”

Photos by Glen Harris, for more photos see here.

Check out this video about SUP-access shoreline bouldering on the Bruce.