Video: Sends to 5.14 on New University Wall in the Bow Valley

There are about 40 new routes from 5.11a to 5.14d in the area of the new University Wall, a crag in McGillivray Canyon east of Canmore. The routes will appear in the next edition of Bow Valley Sport, but many can be found on Sendage here.

Uniersity Wall is an impressive southwest facing crag that has a number of difficult vertical-to-slightly-overhanging sport routes. Some lines were bolted in the 1990s, but no first ascent information is known.

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@dexterbateman trying hard on a project at the University Wall. We've got new beta, and a new hold! One broke and revealed a much better edge. Should be one of the best lines in the area once it's complete

A post shared by Miles Adamson (@miles_adamson) on Aug 17, 2020 at 10:07pm PDT

Five Hardest Routes

Impostor Syndrome 5.14d
Smells Like Teen Fascism 5.14b
Feed The Beast 5.13d
Sphinx 5.13c
Carabiners are Forever 5.13c

Smells Like Teen Fascism

Follow Zach Watson and Dexter Bateman as they project Smells Like Teen Fascism 5.14a/b. The route was originally bolted in 2006 by Ross Suchey, only to sit without a first ascent for many years.

“As the area got more attention, so did this amazing line,” said Miles Adamson who made the first of this and many other routes at the crag, including Impostor Syndrome 5.14d.

Smells Like Teen Fascism follows a limestone crack from right to left up the entire wall. The thinnest parts allow for only two fingers in small pockets. Adamson filmed this video for his Choss Media.

Summer 2020

Watch highlights from the 2020 season at University Wall in the Bow Valley. “Thanks to Kelsey Fleming, Matt Hendsbee and Simon Yamamoto for helping with the camera work,” said Adamson.

Routes as they appear: Hot Lettuce 5.12d, Hammerhead 5.13a, Steady State 5.12b, It’s a Ten Right? 5.13b, Escape is at Hand for the Travelin’ Man 5.13a (error in video, oops), First First Ascent 5.11a, Feasting on Flowers 5.13a and a project.