Quebec Gets a New 5.14a Called Shipu
Excellent late season conditions have allowed Benoît Lavigueur to send a handful of hard projects
Benoît Lavigueur has made the first ascent of a difficult new route in Quebec. “November is the new Sendtember,” said Lavigueur about the great mid-fall conditions.
He recently redpointed a steep line found at La Croix, an area with nearly 200 routes up to 5.14, near the town of Chicoutimi. It was bolted by Nicolas Gaudreault and took Lavigueur around a year to send. He’s graded it 5.14a. Previous to Shipu, Lavigueur had climbed Exégèse 5.13d.
Shortly after his first ascent, he travelled to Orford where he repeated Alpha Beta 5.14a, a climb that has seen a few ascents over the years. “The style of the route felt very difficult for me and it was very surprising that it came together so fast this season,” he said.
Other 5.14a sport routes in Quebec, include Cassiopee at Baldy, Super Motocross at Kamouraska and La Patient at Sanatorium. Be sure to follow Lavigueur on Instagram for more hard climbing in eastern Canada.
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