MN/Canada Border Areas Climbing

You may know of Crane Lake as the gateway to Voyageurs National Park, the BWCAW and Quetico Provincial Park, but it is also the gateway to some great single pitch climbing, all on good granite. Some of it is covered with lichen, but there is quite a bit that is very clean. There is bouldering, sport climbing, top roping and trad routes. There is still plenty of undeveloped potential available.

Much of the climbing here is accessed by water, so a boat or a canoe is a good thing to have.

Much of the established climbing is actually in Canada and is accessed by first clearing Canadian customs at the port of entry on Sandpoint Lake, which is the next lake north of Crane Lake. You can get to the climbing areas on the Canadian side of the border without clearing customs. To do that you have to first obtain a Remote Area Boarder Crossing Permit (RABC). With an RABC permit you can travel within 5 miles of the border without clearing customs. See the following web site to obtain an RABC permit. They take about 2 months to get. (See the link below for updates on the RABC program due to COVID-19.) cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/canpas…

here is a link to a climbing film taking about the area and building some of the routes youtu.be/hvQzhLR84rE