Wild New Big Walls Climbed in Northern Canada
Several routes up to 650 metres tall and 5.11 were established during a good weather window
The Vampire Peaks, also known as the Vampire Spires, of the Ragged Range in Canada’s northwest have been the focus of several expeditions over the years, including one this summer.
Climbers Sebastian Pelletti, Michael Pedreros, Hernan Rodriguez Salas and photographer Pato Diaz established four routes in August, including the 650-metre Viaje Boreal 5.11+ on Mount Dracula and the 400-metre Flow Latino 5.11 on Mount Dracula.
“The climb seemed to flow amazingly, and we were soon on the vertical headwall pitches, face climbing on fist size quartz crystals wherever the cracks slammed shut,” Pelleti said about Viaje Boreal. “We topped out the wall at sunset, which are fortunately eternal at these northern latitudes, eager to continue exploring this incredible range when the next storm system passed.”
They also established Natural Mystic 5.12 A0 on Dawn Mist Mountain and Pluma de Condor on Tail Feather Ridge. About Natural Mystic, Pelleti said, “The steep face had us on edge for the better part of the day, finally relinquishing its grip at sunset, allowing us to tiptoe across the summit and descend the low angle south west ridge. We feel very lucky to be able to have had such amazing adventures in this magical range, it gave us more than we could have imagined.”
Pelletti said one of the inspirations for the trip was Pat Goodman’s several reports from previous climbs in the Vampire Peaks. In 2012, the American team of Goodman, Jeff Achey, Jeremy Collins, and James Q Martin established Phreenix, an 18-pitch VI 5.11 on an previously unclimbed peak. And in 2015, Goodman and team climbed Fighting Till Dawn, a 460-metre V 5.11-R on Dawn Mist Mountain.
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