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New Canadian Routes: 5.14 Sport, Alpine 5.10d and Quebec 7-Pitch 5.10

The Big Show north of Squamish has a new 5.14b, as climbers find a big route on Castle Mountain and Gros Bras gets a new moderate

There’s a lot of new-routing that goes on in Canada. Sometimes entire crags are developed, other times new boulders are opened and sometimes tall multi-pitch lines are established.

It’s been a busy summer across the country, with this past week seeing several new climbs being shared. In B.C., Gabe Lawson made the first free ascent of Tim’s Sloper Problem at 5.14b. The steep route is found on the Big Show at Cheakamus and was bolted by Tim Emmett a few years ago.

The Big Show now has 10 climbs: Freewill 5.13c, Divison Bell 5.13d, Heat 5.13d, Patience 5.14a, Pulse 5.14a, Captain America 5.14b, Revival 5.14b, Superman 5.14c, Supermanboy 5.14c and Tim’s Sloper Problem 5.14b. Several climbers had ticked all of the climbs on the wall before Lawson’s redpoint.

Also near Squamish, a new crag called Brohm Dome with sport routes up to 5.13 is reportedly a must-visit – find the beta here. Read what Lawson said about Tim’s Sloper Problem below.

In the Canadian Rockies, Merrick Montemurro and Chris Petrauskas made the first ascent of The Black Labyrinth, a seven-pitch 5.10d on Castle Mountain. It follows a striking corner composed of dolomite above Rockbound Lake.

Montemurro shared the news on social media, saying, “We think the route is generally recommended, offering mostly good corner crack & chimney climbing on solid rock in an awesome setting. Selling features are an exposed steep 5.10+ face pitch and a wild 50m squeeze chimney. Though, the route is adventurous. Loose rock has not been cleaned and there is a distinct lack of hiding places to locate belays for the first three pitches.” Montemurro’s topo:

The Black Labyrinth by Merrick Montemurro

And in Quebec, Péa Paquet, Audrey Julien and Serge Alexandre Demers Giroux climbed a new 250-metre 5.8/9 on Gros Bras called Das ist mir wurst. It climbs next to the classic Hals und Beinbruch, a 230-metre 5.8.

The first pitch climbs a slab and good crack to the anchor and is the crux of the climb at 5.10-. The remaining pitches all check in at 5.7 to o5.9. Find more info and photos from Paquet here.

Gros Bras: Hals und Beinbruch on left, Das ist mir wurst in centre and Pilote de Brousse on the right

 

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