Stas Beskin Repeats Ontario Test-piece Metamorphosis M10R

Stas Beskin started the winter season with a rare ascent, with Daniel Martian, of Rocket Man M7+ WI5+ 300m in the Rockies.

The Toronto-based climber just made the second ascent of Metamorphosis M10R at Diamond Lake in Ontario. Martian was on hand for the ascent and noted that Beskin “pinkpointed the second ascent of Metamorphosis.”

For those new to climbing, a pinkpoint is when a climber sends a trad (gear protected) route with the gear already placed. The steep winter route was first climbed by Nathan Kutcher in 2012.

The route gained popularity when a photo of Kutcher on the first ascent made the cover of the 2013 Canadian Alpine Journal.

Beskin reported after his send, “The first pitch is all ice at WI4+ and the second pitch is very well protected with the crack mostly dry.” After Kutcher’s first ascent, he reported here, “I slowly worked my way up the steep headwall.

“The crap gear getting further and further below me and the bolt seeming miles away. Finally nearing the top I found another pod that would take a cam, but the two pieces of the size I needed were far below as I tried to work in the next size up. It finally slipped in just far enough to grab and I continued upward.

“What seemed like spitting distance from the reaching the top of the cliff the ice inside the crack ran out and was replaced by a thick coating of moss.” Watch Beskin on the steep route below.