Gold Mine is New Ontario Bouldering Area Near Elliot Lake
One of many new-ish climbing areas between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie that makes a perfect destination for a weekend trip
Gold Mine is a collection of granite boulders found on crown land near the small town of Elliot Lake west of Sudbury. The camping is free and the boulders are amazing.
Climb Sudbury, which keep detailed records of the surrounding area, said, “Much thanks to Brendan Baars, Aaron Bopp and Charlie Hall for contributing the guide to Gold Mine” which you can find here.
“The highest concentration of large boulders are in the Lower Gold Mine section. Here you will find flat landings, big boulders, and some classic lines. Standouts for the entire area are Performance Anxiety V5, Nighthawk V4, Silhouette V5, and The Color of Time V9. Each area has plenty of potential for development, with the Middle and Upper Gold Mine being the least explored.”
In 2019, Baars made the FA of Slapping the Bass Wood SDS at V10, and it was finally repeated in 2021 by Dylan Elliot who graded it V9 and said on Sendage, “So close to the flash but misplaced an accurate heel hook, and it slipped. Second go. Love this style of climbing. Probably V7/8 into the stand. Discussed with Brendan and feel V9 may be more accurate.” For a full list of the problems, visit Sendage here.
Gold Mine could be a perfect place to plan a late-summer of fall weekend away from the busier crags around southern Ontario.
Gold Mine
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