There are now 50 5.14a or harder routes in the Bow Valley
Top local climber Evan Hau has climbed 31 of them, with 21 being first ascent
The Bow Valley is one of Canada’s most popular rock climbing areas, and for good reason – there are lifetimes amount of rock to develop. Evan Hau, who was Canada’s first 5.15 climber, has kept track of all the 5.14a or harder routes and confirms that there are now at least 50.
The first 5.14 in the Bow Valley was Existence Mundane 5.14b at Acephale by Scott Milton, who was the first Canadian to climb 5.14 with Mass Critique in France in 1993. Existence Mundane was established in 1994 by Richard Conover. Milton arrived and removed the glued-on edges, all but one, and sent it. Sonnie Trotter removed the last glued edge but found another edge beneath and the grade stayed at 5.14b.
Since then, there’s been a lot of development in the Bow Valley, with new 5.14 crags being established, like Planet X, Ravens Crag, Vsion Cave, Echo Canyon and more. The most difficult routes are Fight Club 5.15b, Disbelief 5.15b and Sacrifice 5.15a, Impostor Syndrome 5.14d, Bow Valley Challenge 5.14d, Bunda De Fora 5.14d, Kinder Surprise 5.14d and Full Nelson 5.14d.
Hau said, “After counting again, if we include everything, such as multi-pitch, link-ups, variations, and count Fight Club as two routes (the 5.14b lower part and the 5.15b entire route), there are now 50 routes 5.14a and harder that have at least one ascent in the Bow Valley. Three of those routes are 5.15, so there are 47 routes 5.14a to 5.14d, not to mention numerous projects without an ascent yet.”
He said that the route that notched it up to 50 was his most recent 5.14c/d first ascent called Steep & Sweet in the Vsion Cave in Stoneworks Canyon. Of those 50 routes, Hau has sent 31 of them, and of those, 21 were first ascents or which he bolted 12.
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