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New Alpine Rock Route on Vancouver Island

At the beginning of June 2015, Ryan Van Horne and Mike Morris climbed a new route on the east face of Vancouver Island’s Sutton Peak.

It is the fourth route Van Horne has added to the over-looked, but long-coveted face. His earlier moderate routes were Holy Horseshoes with Aum Song and East Face with Hunter Lee.

The most difficult route on the east face is Van Horne and Mike Loch’s Sutton Express 5.11, which climbs a splitter directly up the centre.

The east face of Sutton Peak with Van Horne and Morris' new route in red.  Photo Van Horne
The east face of Sutton Peak with Van Horne and Morris’ new route in red. Photo Van Horne

Van Horne and Morris’ new route climbs the first two pitches of Holy Horseshoes and then climbs left onto Sutton Express before exiting right into a new right face corner before climbing onto the North Ridge and North Summit.

Looking down pitch-seven 5.9 of Van Horne and Morris' new route on Sutton Peak.  Photo Van Horne
Looking down pitch-seven 5.9 of Van Horne and Morris’ new route on Sutton Peak. Photo Van Horne

In total, the route is around 350 metres with difficulties up to 5.9.

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