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Goat Lake Area Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Goat Lake Area

L › R R › L A › Z

	Eternal Darkness T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
	Loose Caboose T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Needs More Cowbell T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Patio Seating T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b

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Elevation:	6,824 ft	2,080 m
GPS:	49.02794, -120.17245 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	2,800 total · 61/month
Shared By:	Brent Nixon on Jun 1, 2021
Admins:	Sean Godwin, Mandie Walls, John L, Mark Roberts, Kate Lynn, Braden Batsford, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

Goat Lake is an incredibly beautiful alpine lake surrounded by towering granite walls - complete with mountain goats frolicking in the meadows. Much of the area is completely unexplored with respect to climbing due to it's difficult access and remoteness. Access can be greatly enhanced by hiring the Cathedral Lakes Lodge Jeep to drive you up to the core area. From there, three campsites are a short walk from the lodge, offering amazing lakeside camping in the sub-alpine. You can not camp at Goat Lake but it is only a 4.5km easy hike from Lake Of The Woods camp.

The area has that dry, Okanagan feel, while maintaining lush alpine meadows and lakes full of trout. Buy a fishing license and bring a rod to catch your supper on a rest day. The Lodge is also a very short walk from the campsites if you feel like strolling over for dinner or just enjoying a beer on the patio.

The rock is typically excellent quality granite with corners, slabs, and splitter cracks. Depending on aspect, the rock ranges from completely clean to completely lichen covered. Sunny exposures provide beautiful rock with little cleaning required to climb. You need a sense of adventure considering this is full alpine rock climbing with barely any routes. The climbing presents the full scope of normal alpine rock hazards including, loose rock, rockfall, snow slopes, and vegetated climbing.

Getting There

Cathedral Provincial Park is southwest of Keremeos BC, bounded on the south by the Canada-USA border, on the east by Ewart Creek, and on the west and north by the Ashnola River.

Access is via Highway 3 (Crowsnest Hwy): 4.8 km west of Keremeos, the Ashnola Road leaves the highway and crosses a red covered bridge, 10 km further the pavement ends and the gravel Ashnola Forest Service Road begins, following the river into the park. This road extends 48 kilometres upstream to the south end of the Ashnola Valley. At 20.8 km you will pass the Cathedral Lakes Lodge base area and guest parking. Stop here for the paid Jeep service into the core area or continue another 2.5 km to the Lakeview Trailhead parking.

There are three hiking routes that provide access to the park’s core from the Ashnola River valley: (1) Ewart Creek Trail, (2) Lakeview Trail, and (3) Wall Creek Trail. No vehicles are allowed into the core area except on a private access road via the paid Jeep service offered through Cathedral Lakes Lodge which maintains the road to access their facilities.

The Jeep service, operated by Cathedral Lakes Lodge, provides an easy option for transportation between the Ashnola River valley and Quiniscoe Lake in the park’s core area, a distance of 16 kilometres.

The first step to accessing the Goat Lake Area is to get to Lake Of The Woods campground. It's a 2 km hike (elev 30m) from the core area on the shores of Quiniscoe Lake to Lake Of The Woods campground. Two ways are used to access the core area:

1) Pay for a Jeep ride into the core area saving you a full days hiking uphill with massive climbing packs. The ride is super fun and worth it in itself. In approximately one hour, you will arrive at Cathedral Lakes Lodge smack in the middle of the Core Area on the shores of beautiful Quiniscoe Lake. Three provincial park campgrounds are a short hike from here. Lake Of The Woods is closest to Goat Lake area.

2) Hike the steep, hot, dusty, Lakeview Trail for 16km (elev 1357m) 7-8 hr, crossing the Jeep road along your path. This saves you $120 each but will destroy your body for climbing once you get to camp. It is free though - if you want to save money.