Mountain Project: Climbing Canada

Alberta is the epicenter (or epicentre) of Canadian Alpine climbing with countless snow and ice covered peaks, glaciers and famous north faces. Alberta is also famous for some of the best ice climbing in the world.

Fortunately, Alberta is also well rounded and has sport and trad rock climbing a-plenty. The limestone and quartzite in the river canyons in the Canmore area probably have Canada's greatest concentrations of sport routes. Trad cragging is perhaps a little more limited than some other areas as the limestone of famous peaks like Yamnuska have great history and great routes but less solid rock; the climbing is more adventurous than a granite-trained tradster might be used to.

Getting There

Calgary provides easy access to Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and all of the surrounding areas. Edmonton provides access if your destinations are further north.

Guiding Services

Yamnuksa Mountaineering

A long-established service employing well-known and highly reputed guides. A progression of courses, semester sessions, guides-for-hire, corporate events -- a well rounded offering.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Alberta:

Nemesis WI6 Ice, Alpine, 4 pitches, 525 feet, Grade V Banff National Park : Stanley Headwall

Louise Falls WI4-5 Ice, 3 pitches, 350 feet Lake Louise : Lake Louise Ice

North Glacier Mod. Snow Trad, Snow, Alpine, 5000 feet, Grade II Icefields Parkway : Mount Athabasca

Moonlight WI4 Ice, 2 pitches Kananaskis : Evan Thomas Creek

Snowline WI4 Ice, 2 pitches Kananaskis : Evan Thomas Creek

Centre Ice Bulge Direct WI3 Ice, Alpine, 5 pitches, 1000 feet, Grade III Valley of the Ten Peaks : Mount Fay

The Professor Falls WI4 Ice, 6 pitches, 900 feet, Grade III Mt. Rundle : Professor Falls Area

Lower Weeping Wall WI4-5 Ice, 3 pitches, 550 feet, Grade III Icefields Parkway : Weeping Wall Area

Polar Circus WI5 Ice, 9 pitches, 2300 feet, Grade V Icefields Parkway : Weeping Wall Area

Sea of Vapors WI7+ R Trad, Ice, Alpine, 4 pitches, 542 feet, Grade V Mt. Rundle : The Trophy Wall

East Ridge 5.3 Mod. Snow Trad, Snow, Alpine, 5000 feet, Grade III Jasper National Park : Mt. Edith Cavell

NE Buttress 5.6 PG13 Trad, 11 pitches, 1500 feet Bow Valley : Chinaman's Peak aka Ha Ling...

Brewer Buttress 5.6 Trad, Alpine, 13 pitches, Grade II Banff National Park : Castle Mountain

North Face - Chouinard/Beckey/Doody 5.7 Mod. Snow Trad, Snow, Alpine, 12 pitches, 5000 feet, Grade IV Jasper National Park : Mt. Edith Cavell

East Ridge 5.7 Mod. Snow PG13 Snow, Alpine, 10 pitches, 5000 feet Valley of the Ten Peaks : Mt. Temple

Grey Waves 5.8 PG13 Sport, 5 pitches, 500 feet, Grade II Bow Valley : Kid Goat Buttress

South Face 5.8 Trad, Alpine, 4 pitches, 350 feet Sentinel Pass : Grand Sentinel

Greenwood-Locke 5.8 A2 Steep Snow R Aid, Snow, Alpine, 20 pitches, 4500 feet Valley of the Ten Peaks : Mt. Temple

Kahl Wall 5.10- Trad, 9 pitches, 850 feet, Grade II Mt Yamnuska : Kahl Wall

Meathooks 5.11a Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet Grassi Lakes : Meathooks Area

Photos of Alberta

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Looking up at the East Ridge of Mt. Temple, one of...	Standing on the Athabasca Glacier with Mt. Androme...	BETA PHOTO: The south face of Mt. Temple showing the east ridg...
You got to love this place, even the routes that I...	Above the morning fog. On the Athabasca Glacier...	On thee Athabasca Glacier.
North Face of Athabasca	Athabasca North Face	BETA PHOTO: North Face of Athabasca on the approach taking the...
Tonquin valley at sunset, Jasper NP.	The Remparts , Tanquin Valley. Wild flowers and t...	Bouldering in Tonquin Valley, Ramparts in the back...
Gavriel J. bouldering in Tonquin Valley. Photograp...

Comments on Alberta

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By Joseph Stover
From: Santa Barbara, CA
Nov 9, 2007

What is the climbing like around Edmonton? I am a warm weather dude, so can I handle it? How is access from the city... drive times for day cragging? Is there a full range from steep sport to long well protected trad of all grades?

There wasn't an International forum, so i'll see if anyone catches this and has info.

Thanks!

By Peter Spindloe
Administrator
From: North Vancouver, BC
Nov 12, 2007

This site has relatively few contributors from Alberta, especially from the Edmonton area. I wish I could help you, but perhaps the best thing will be to check out the local gyms and shops. It would be great if you could post what you find. The climbing I've done in Alberta has been great and it would be fantastic to see more contributed to this site.

By James Steinhoff
Aug 20, 2012

Just found out about this site. I don't think many Canadians know it exists. I'm moving back to Alberta in a few months and will spread the word about Mountain Project /contribute data about the Banff area routes.

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Alberta

Description

Getting There

Guiding Services

The Classics