Climbing Near Okanagan, British Columbia

Reliable Ice and Mixed climbing about 15 minutes from Vernon, in a traffic circle.Zero approach, in a somewhat unique setting. From Vernon, take the 97N for about 10 minutes, then take the exit for Otter Lake Cross Rd. Climbs are located around the traffic circle.

The main goliath of Middleton Mountain, this is the heart of new route development. All of these routes have very sketchy downhill falls and would be quite a tumble if you came off, bring lots of spotters of plenty of mats for this reason. Most of these routes are sit starts to improve the length and quality of the climbs. The grades range from V3 to potential V8 boulders. Many of these still awaiting ascents due to the difficulty of the steep roof. The climbs can be practiced with a TR set up on a fence post from above, just be wary of the cactus on the top out, definitely not good for the rope. This is a northwest facing crag, so decide on what you want for temps. The king line is for sure Shitcan right, still an open project, I just felt like naming it, might go at V7. See the photo below to find the partially developed lines, and pick your battle. Put husband road into maps and follow it all the way to the end on the moutain, park at the end of the cul de sac and walk up the trail for 15 seconds before finding the crag on your right.

This mountain sits directly between Coldstream and Vernon and has an abundance of new route potential. The mountain contains some of the best rock and ice quality out of anywhere in the Okanagan, perhaps better than Skaha. Access is superb with residential roads covering most of the lower mountain. And belaying from a vehicle is not uncommon. Not many trees around means this is a great place to climb when escaping the cold. In the winter an ice crag often forms on the north side with a couple of quality routes, with potential for some mixed lines. As of now, there is only 2 developed areas: Shit crag and the ice spot, Choss City(don't let the names fool you). Each of these crags host plenty of untouched lines and other developed ones waiting a first ascent. Hopefully some crushers can finish them off, making this a major venue for ice and rock alike. One thing to note, the Okanagan is a desert, and middleton is no exception. Cactus is common on the approaches and topouts of most climbs, notably Shit crag. In regards to camping, I suggest checking out some of the local campgrounds around. People have set up tents around the bases of climbs near Mud Lake but the local residents will probably get pissed off. Overall I think this is the future of climbing in the Okanagan and it's worth a visit. Middleton is best accessed of highway 6 near the 7 eleven. The bases of both crags can be found off these roads(put them into google maps. For Shit Crag, follow Husband road until reach the end and park at a Cul-de-sac beside the entrance to Mckergow meadows, walk 15 seconds up to trail until you see Shit Crag on the hillside to your right. For the Choss City ice, follow middleton way from the highway until you turn left onto Mt Grady rd, follow this road until you see the lines on your right, park right beneath them.