New Jasper Rock Climbing Guidebook

Francois Laplante has put in thousands of hours over the past few years to produce a new guidebook to the Jasper area.

This is the first modern rock climbing guidebook to Jasper, which many would agree is long overdue. Laplante started from scratch and then met a few locals who had been collecting route info for decades.

The result will be one of the best new guidebooks in Canada next year. Cover to cover, everything from the layout and maps to route descriptions and photos is carefully thought out. It even tells you if there is good cell phone coverage at the crags.

Laplante designed the entire book himself and is self-publishing. He has a kick starter on the go, which has already raised over $5,000. To print the book will coast a lot more, so visit here and help make this much-needed guidebook a reality.

Gripped editor Brandon Pullan visited Laplante to get an early look at the guidebook. He was amazed by the quantity and quality of the rock around Jasper. From 10-pitch 5.7 sport routes to 800-metre 5.10 ridges, this book showcases climbs the rest of Canada had no idea about.

Watch an ascent of Are You Sancho on Mount Throne near Jasper, one of the many routes in the guidebook:

Are you Sancho? Jasper National Park from Patrick Jones on Vimeo.