Crouching Tiger is New 11-Pitch Trad 5.12b+ in B.C.
In 2016, Marc-Andre Leclerc and Brette Harrington climbed the first-ever route up the Chinese Puzzle Wall in B.C. with their multi-pitch Hidden Dragon 5.12c.
Harrington and Leclerc had eyed up Crouching Tiger while on Hidden Dragon and Harrington returned this year with Caro North and Chris Kalman to complete the new 11-pitch Crouching Tiger 5.12b+.
“It is named for its prominent orange stripped corner on pitch four,” said Harrington. “Marc-André and I planned on climbing this line together after we established the first ascent of the wall.”
You need a standard double rack plus wires and triples in #1 and #2 with one #4 and #5. And offset cams in the smaller sizes could be helpful. “The #5 is not necessary if your comfortable running it out on easy terrain on pitch-five,” notes Harrington.
Watch Harrington and Leclerc’s 2016 first ascent:
Harrington has one an amazing year of new-routing. In Alaska with Gabe Hayden, she established two 360-metre routes called SolarSphere 5.12a and Sweet & Spicy 5.11c.
With Caro North in Alaska, she skied the 1,000-metre southeast couloir on Devil’s Paw, climbed a new 500-metre 5.10b M5+ up the Northeast Face of Southern Duke Tower and climbed the new five-pitch 5.10b up Taku Towers.
Before her trip to Alaska, Harrington visited the Canadian Rockies and climbed the new Life Compass with Rose Pearson, a 980-metre IV 5.10a M4+.
Earlier in the year, she led every pitch on the first ascent of Jupiter Shift, a 200-metre M5+ on the north face of Station-D with Leclerc.
“The rock quality was excellent and the climbing was incredible,” said Harrington after the first ascent of Hidden Dragon in 2016. “We are confident this will become a popular wall in the future.”
For a topo and more information on Crouching Tiger, visit Harrington’s blog here.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
