Big New Mixed Routes at Quebec’s Lac du Cap
Quebec has been the scene of a number of big new ice and mixed routes this year.
Serge Alexandre Demers Giroux has reported about six new routes he climbed with Louis-Philippe Ménard at Quebec’s Lac du Cap. They established them all ground up and free.
Some will remember our story about Serge Alexandre Demers Giroux’s report from a summer trip he made to Lac du Cap with friends in 2015. For more that trip see here.
The wall is about 30 km from the car in winter and requires a lake crossing. There were going to be five climbers who would ski in and climb for three days and then ski out, but three cancelled. With such a heavy load to carry, Giroux decided to track down a snow mobile.
On day one, they rode across Lac du Cap and reached the wall, which extends for 1.5 km across. They built a camp and scoped a route for the following day.
On day two, they made the first ascent of La Split du Cap M6 100 m up the centre of the wall. Steep and delicate rock led to thin ice that stopped under a large orange roof. The crux was climbing from the first thin ice smear to the next, which Ménard made an impressive lead on.
After their send, they descended and climbed another new route they called Le Castor M6 WI5 100 m. After 20 metres of mixed climbing, they climbed 80 metres of vertical ice to the top.
On day three, they established YWB Direct M5 WI4+ 110m m. After Ménard led a technical first pitch, Giroux finished up a 70-metre pitch of ice.
They then climbed the new Le Cap au Vif (la Ménard/Giroux) M6+ 100 m. The route pieces together rock and ice mushrooms in one long pitch. The second pitch climbs similar terrain and Giroux said the route is a five-star classic.
On day four, they established two more new routes: Le Cloaque Givré M7 60 m and Cape Elfique M5 50 m. Both route are in the area called Les Folles, which consists of a number of fat ice flows at the right end of the long wall.
After their successful trip, they rode on on gas fumes and barely made it back to where they could fill up.
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