Five Hard Sends Across Canada This Week

It’s one week until summer and Canadians have been putting in long days at crags and boulder fields across the country. There have been some big sends in the past week or so and below are only five of the many.

1. Evan Hau sent Flying Ant 5.14a at Acephale, which heads up First Flight after starting up Army Ants. “I did this variation last year as a consolation after getting shut down on the Prime Time crux, but it’s actually quite a nice line,” said Hau. The Calgary climber has all but climbed out Acephale, but he is yet to send Josh Muller’s Kinder Surprise 5.14d.

Not a ton left for me at #acephale but the entertaining Kinder Surprise remains elusive. Undercling beta. @j0ekinder @joshmuller @petzl_official @lasportivana Photo by @brettlantz

A photo posted by Evan Hau (@hauonearth) on May 26, 2016 at 6:31pm PDT

2. Julia Bobak, who sent her second 5.13b a few weeks ago with a tick of Ill Communication at Chek near Squamish, has sent Bottom Feeder 5.12d at the same crag. She said the climb was fun with an obvious thin crux to an endurance finish. Bobak has over 50 sends of 5.12s over the past few years, including a 5.12a onsight.

3. Philippe Bourdon, who has sent a number of V11s, has ticked Ulysse 5.13a at Baldi in Quebec. Around the same time, he made quick ascents of Adenosine 5.12c, Grenouillage 5.11d and Retourne dans ta Falaise. Bourdon works as a coach at Allez Up in Montreal. Follow him on Instagram here.

4. Maddy Mrchuk sent May the Funk be with You 5.13b in Heart Creek. The route has been climbed a number of times over the past week, with sends by Zak Watson and Patrick Thomas Waddington. It was Mrchuk’s first send of the grade and since then he has sent Arm and a Leg 5.12d at Heart and the likely second ascent of Wedding Crasher 5.13a in Echo Canyon, after which he said, “Awesome climbing, thanks to Bonar for bolting this Balcony gem! A wicked variety of technical climbing and powerful cruxes. What’s really cool is the rock character changes three times throughout the route which kept things fresh and interesting. Fourth go and possible a second ascent”

5. Marc Bourguignon has sent The Egg V11 in the Grand Wall Boulders. Chris Sharma made the first ascent of this problem during filming of the 1999 climbing film Rampage. The famous problems has dozens of sends to date. After his top-out, Bourguignon wrote the following, “Whaaat!? I remember walking by this thing my first trip in Squamish and thinking how impossible it looked. So many thanks to Graham for some key beta and awesome support. So psyched for my first 8A!”

Is this real life!? It's been raining for the past week on and off so temps have been low and I thought I'd try The Egg (v11). After a couple sessions and awesome beta and support from Graham @kimstagraham.mcg I was able to send my first v11! I remember walking by this thing on my first trip to Squamish, feeling the holds and thinking how impossible it'd be. It's been such an unreal season so far ? thanks for taking the ? coco @corinne.baril!

A photo posted by marc bourguignon (@thegnarwall) on Jun 13, 2016 at 10:54am PDT