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Jörmungandr is Wild New Quebec M7 WI6

This often-looked at route formed got a first ascent at the hands of two veteran ice and mixed climbers

Stas Beskin and Jean Francois Girard have made the first ascent of a crazy looking mixed climb with animated icicles frozen in imposing ways. They called their new 40-metre line Jörmungandr and graded it M7 WI6 (Girard updated us with an upgrade from M6).

The route is found above the 120-metre La Mer de Ciboire WI5 in Les Hautes Gorges, where ice climbers have been flocking to this season thanks to the amount of ice formed. “Altogether, they make for a great great day out there,” said Beskin who’s considered one of the most proficient ice climbers in North America when it come to thin pillars and gnarly daggers.

Ice climbs in Quebec and Ontario often form yellow or brown due to sediments in the water from the ground above. Southern Ontario has had a slow start to the ice season, so climbers have been heading east in droves to find early-season ice.

When we reached out to Beskin who said that they’re not finished with opening routes in that area this week. We’ll have a full report after they’re done with their end of 2022 ice and mixed project. In the mean time, read this piece by Ian Welsted about Beskin’s unique climbing style.

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