Annie Chouinard Sends Quebec 5.13+ at Orford

Quebec climber Annie Chouinard has climbed a classic hard route called Taxe Carbonique 5.13+ at Orford for the route’s first female ascent.

Orford is open in the spring and often closes until mid-summer due to nesting falcons, which means climbers only have a few weeks to send their projects.

Chouinard spent about two weeks working on her project before the sent this year after not being able to get it last fall.

She spent time this winter specifically working on the moves, which proved to be the key to the send.

“High five to my friend and climbing partner Gabriel Laliberté who sent Come On 5.14a during that time,” she said.

Chouinard climbed Come On for the first female ascent seasons ago. Visit and like her Facebook page here.

She also made the first female ascents of:
Alpha 5.13a, Orford National Park, Quebec
Nano Gamma 5.13a, Orford National Park, Quebec
On Fire 5.13a, Orford National Park, Quebec (first ascent)
Apoplexie 5.13b, Orford National Park, Quebec
Canicule 5.13b, Orford National Park, Quebec
More Fire 5.13b, Orford National Park, Quebec
Alpha Gamma 5.13c, Orford National Park, Quebec
Scorecard 5.13d, Orford National Park, Quebec
Alpha Zeta 5.13d, Orford National Park, Quebec

La paroi à Orford fait partie d’un parc national : au printemps c’est ouvert 3-4 semaines et ferme généralement jusqu’en août à cause des faucons pèlerins. Après deux semaines sur la roche là-bas, j'ai enchaîné Taxe Carbonique (5.13+). Je suis vraiment très heureuse de cet enchaînement, particulièrement parce qu'il y a un mouvement que je n'arrivais pas du tout à faire l'automne dernier lorsque je l’ai essayé. Et ce printemps, ça a passé! Plusieurs mois d’entraînement spécifique dans le gym ont certainement aidé… Après cet enchaînement je suis embarquée dans une autre ligne exigeante et j’ai essayé très fort de donner le maximum avant la fermeture, mais je me suis fais avoir de quelques jours. Félicitation à mon ami et partenaire d’escalade Gabriel Laliberté, qui a enchaîné Come On (5.14a) pendant ce temps. Maintenant, il est temps d’aller explorer d’autres parois! The cliff at Orford is part of a National Park: during springtime it opens for 3-4 weeks, then it generally closes until August because of the peregrine falcon. After 2 weeks back on the rock there, I sent Taxe Carbonique (5.13+). I'm especially happy with this send mainly because there was a move I couldn’t do at all last fall when I tried the route. And this spring it went! Months of specific training in the gym most likely helped… Right after this send I got on another demanding line and gave everything to try to send before closure, but ran out of time by a few days. High five to my friend and climbing partner Gabriel Laliberté who sent Come On (5.14a) during that time. Now it’s time to go and explore other crags! @allezupmtl @metoliusclimbing @arcteryxmontreal @fiveten_official

A post shared by Annie Chouinard (@annie_chouinard) on Jun 6, 2018 at 5:27pm PDT