New M9 WI5+ in Quebec is a “Dream Line”
The hard new line found in Percé follows a line of weakness up a steep face of rock once thought to be too bad too climb
Quebec has been the scene of a lot of new-routing over the past few months, from monster WI6+ routes like this one to chossy M8+ WI5 multi-pitches like this one.
The most recent difficult new mixed route in the province was just climbed by Jean Francois Girard. Located in Percé, he called the 35-metre pitch Le Gnocchi du Cardinal and it goes at M9 WI5+.
“Last week I had the luck to finish my winter season with a magnificent route,” he said. “My life partner Audrey Banville was kind enough to come and give me a belay.”
Girard said that the rock was cryptic with small potato-like holds. “The upper ice was fractured, melted and in snowy conditions,” he said. “This was a dream line, because we believed for a ling time that rock was too poor to accept bolts and tools; we were wrong.”
Girard also thanks Carl Darveau, who helped on the first day of cleaning and bolting. Watch a short clip by Banville below.
Girard on the First Ascent
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