This route is super classic, and is likely the best route of its grade in Banff National Park. The climb has an excellent setting, a cool alpine atmosphere, no crowds and brilliant rock quality. The route is very similar in nature and difficulty to Diedre in Squamish, except without the people!
Pitch 1-2 (5.5, 95m): Scramble up the cool, solution pocked rock past two bolted belays.
Pitch 3 (5.6 35m): Climb up over a small overhang into the corner system. Lieback the corner to a bolted, semi-hanging belay.
Pitch 4 (5.7 45m): This long pitch is extremely sustained. Keep your bearings as you stem, smear and lie-back this difficult pitch. Good gear all the way up inspires confidence however.
Pitch 5 (5.5 40m): The angle eases off on the corner and it becomes broken. Traverse around and right of the broken sections and scree to a bolted belay.
Pitch 6 (5.7 45): Climb past another broken section and back into the corner system. There are mollusk fossils in the rock here, take care not to use them as holds as they are brittle. Climb to a two bolt belay and the top out.
Descent: Walk up left off of the top out ledge, then up and to the right until you end up on the ridge system, enjoy the great view of the Banff townsite. Walk down the ridge to a sharp drop off, there should be a boulder with a black chain wrapped around it. Rappel off the chain (double rope rappel) to easier ground. Scramble down the ridge until you reach the approach trail.
Location
The route is the first right facing corner from the left on the upper Norquay slab.
Protection
Rack to #3 camalot, nuts, tricams. All anchors are bolted
Upper Norquay Slab
RSS Feed
