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Watch Climbers on the Pumpkin Route on Yamnuska

The pumpkin was painted in 1968 and has been left over the years, but you should never graffiti or paint on rock

Thee Pumpkin Route (listed officially as Unnamed) on Yamnuska in the Canadian Rockeis is a 220-metre 5.7 that was first climbed in 1961 by Brian Greenwood and Jim Steen.

The orange pumpkin on the last pitch was painted in 1968 as a way to navigate the routes on the west end. It’s common for locals to climb the route on Halloween. And it goes without saying that you should never paint or graffiti natural rocks or rock climbs.

In this short video of raw clips from their day out, pro-runner Adam Campbell joins Gripped editor Brandon Pullan for an October day lap of the classic multi-pitch.

There are over 150 routes and variations on Yamnuska from 5.4 to 5.14. If you plan on climbing Pumpkin on Halloween, be sure there are no parties above you as there’s plenty of loose rock that can be knocked off.

Climbing the final pitch on the pumpkin route on Yamnuska while working on a story for @grippedmagazine – ????️ Thanks @brandonpullan for a really fun morning. The weather forecast was variable, but we were rewarded for sticking with it. A bit of snow, but mostly sun and another new to me route on this amazing feature. We had the whole mountain to ourselves which is a special feeling and as always I learned a tonne from Brandon and just moving through unfamiliar terrain. Mostly I learned that polished chimneys in almost freezing temps while wearing a pack can be a wee bit more challenging than advertised… In other news, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be writing a bi-monthly column for @canadianrunning on the more adventure side of the sport called “The Trailhead” – I’m looking forward to sharing that journey with you! ? by Brandon

A post shared by Adam Campbell (@adamo1979) on

Pumpkin Route

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