Last week I ran a rock climbing trip for some high school age kids out at Calabogie. While I was there, I took a few pictures of some new routes that have been developed in the past year on the main cliff. I would just like to say that I have not climbed all of these, because many of them are outside my skill level, but they look like excellent routes, so if you are looking for some harder grade climbing, please check these out. The routes are organized from left to right, and basically run from just left of the main overhanging area, to the right side of Vulcan Mind. I have included a few old routes in the topos because they are so close to the new ones, and for reference sake. You can find a more comprehensive list of the routes at Calabogie at thecrag.com.

0. Breakfast Cookie – 5.10d

A sport line with some interesting moves. Took me a few tries to send it because the moves were very different than anything I had done before.

1. Tipytoe – 5.11d

Not really a new route, but close to lots of other fun stuff to climb, so I have included it here.

2. Phasers on Kill – 5.7

3. Homeward Bound – 5.12a

Phasers on Kill has two bolts at the start and then a 5.8+ trad finish. Take some hexes to the top, not great cam placements. I think I saw four bolts on Homeward Bound, but you definitely want to protect the start with some cams, its a bit of a high first bolt. Both of these are on theCrag, but I happen to like Phasers on Kill, and Homeward Bound is still relatively new.

4. Vulcan Mind – 5.10c

5. Lobotomy – 5.12b

6. Vulcan Mind Direct – 5.11b

7. Project – 5.13

Vulcan mind and vulcan mind direct are old school, though vulcan mind direct has only recently been bolted. Lobotomy is the new kid on the block, with some pretty crazy looking side-pulls. Again, I don’t climb 5.12, so this is only my one the ground opinion. The 5.13 project starts the same as Vulcan Mind, but instead of traversing it goes straight up.

Hope you like em.

Its gotten to be that time of the summer where the camp business is booming, and I have almost no time to sit down of have a cold one, let alone think of something creative to write. As it is, here is the latest on the climbing scene.

Had several trips under the belt with Joe, we’ve fired out the Calabogie a couple of times over the last while. There is some really nice development going in there. There are some 5.12′s and 5.13′s that have been bolted, but also a couple of nice 5.10′s and 5.11′s for mere mortals like me. Sent a nice 5.10b called Breakfast Cookie, took a couple of tries so no onsight. The climb is just before the vulcan mind overhang, walking along the narrow path beside the cliff. Currently there is a rock with the name and grade sharpied onto it. A bit of an non-obviousness route, a few blind moves and some slapping. It was different than the kind of climbing I am used to, so it was good to have to push the mental game.

I’ve spent a little bit of time in Frontenac park with my wife Steph. We’ve done some hiking and camping, no intention of doing any climbing (shocking I know). Of course I just couldn’t help but notice the 40 foot deep water solo problems across the lake, so I just had to give it a go.

The second picture is on a decent overhanging roof, with some standing room at the base, but as soon as you’re up, the bottom drops off and you have no fear of hitting anything. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my rock shoes, so I didn’t get very far. I know its a lame excuse. Based on the moves, I’d say the first picture is a V2 and the second is a V3. Fun stuff. Its located on Big Salmon Lake in Frontenac Park. There is a parking lot on the lake, and you canoe about 20 minutes to the rock. Check it out, its a blast.

In other news, I’m about to run a trip at Calabogie for a couple of days, and then half way through we bounce over to Palmer’s rapids and shred some whitewater. Should be a good time, if I think about it I’ll try and grab some photos of the new climbs at Calabogie and through them up on the blog.

Steph and I just took a trip to the Adirondacks. The weather didn’t cooperate for a rock climbing, and everything was pretty soaked through. Instead we hiked around, went gear shopping, and enjoyed Lake Placid. The moral of the story is always have a backup plan. If you like a good breakfast, check out Pan Dolce, or Big Mountain Creperie/Deli.

That being said, here are a few pictures from the trip.

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That’s all for now.

I realized a little while after I posted the Adirondacks trip report that I talked a lot about the trip and not a lot about the rock climbing. As such I’ll be drawing on a couple of trips that I’ve done for this post, so that we can get a more comprehensive view of the area.

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Beer Walls

This was the first crag we visited, mostly because it has such a huge number of climbs there. You can climb anything from short cracks to long two pitch faces. There is a very decent spread of grades, ranging from 5.3 to 5.12 and beyond. A personal favorite that I climbed last year was Afternoon Delight (5.6), which was one of my first trad leads. I have to say, this climb is a gem, getting a lot of sun in a relatively shaded area, it has plenty of spots for protection. Also at the beer walls was my first trad lead ever, 3.2 (5.4). This is a beautiful, short crack with no need for foot jamming, there are little ledges all the way, so no toe crunching.

King Wall

This rock is truly a site to behold. One of the more difficult spots to find in the Chapel Pond Slab area, there is no pull out, you merely find a trail near the beginning of a guard rail. Pretty soon you are hiking a creek bed up some pretty full on terrain. Whatever you do, don’t leave the creek bed. I tried to cut up away towards what looked like some promising rock, but it just got ugly. The creek bed follows all the way up the gulley until it plateaus out, and then you see this bad boy looming 350 feet above you. The first time I saw it, the clouds covered the top.

This is one of the spots you can find some dry climbing on a wet day in this area, but only if you are ready to climb 5.11 (and hard at that), or 5.12. If the weather is good, the easiest thing to be had around here is Prince, a 5.7, which has a wonderful rappel after 3 pitches, or apparently a nasty walk off after 4 pitches. The catch is, if you want to rappel, you need two ropes. I cannot speak to the walk off, because I took the rappel. This does hold a few bolted lines, but there are quite a few spinners, so bring the trad rack anyways.

Spankey’s Area

This has the best sport routes in the pass, and by best I mean virtually only. This is the only place I have found that has a bolted route under 5.11, and it goes down to 5.7. Most of the bolted routes here all angle up and left, so watch that your rope ends to come to far off the ground as a result of the traverse. I ended up leaving a quickdraw on a technical 5.10c here, so whoever was lucky enough to find it, congratulations. I guess I was either too tired or too lazy to climb up the class 4 scramble for the rappel down.

Roaring Brook Falls

One of the places you will see a lot of tourists, you can see the falls from the highway. What most people don’t know about is the great campsite that is nestled just on the other side of the creek. Every time I’ve stayed there, we haven’t seen a soul, though I’m sure it gets more use in the summer. A great spot if you love falling asleep to the sound of running water, and it does get some sun in the morning. It even has a commode. So much for wilderness!

Climbing the falls is a fun prospect when it is drier, because the water tends to spray 15 feet on either side of the falls. Considering that the route takes you across the falls, wet rock is definitely in your future if you attempt this in the spring. I must say though, I would almost rather take on the wet rock than the alternate route, labelled ‘cedars corners.’ I love the first half of the 500 foot climb, but the last half was slagging through brush and dead logs on 60 degree slope. The guidebook also labels there being two hidden bolts that are driven down, at about the halfway point. They were smashed by fallen rock years ago. For your own sake, please don’t even think about using them.

Chapel Pond Slab

Saving the best for last, this 850 foot monster is a wonderful experience. All relatively low grade climbing, the only thing I heard people say when I asked about it was the massive run-outs. While it is true that there are some spots with scant protection, you plug it where you find it, and things work out alright. Heck, some people just free solo this slab for the heck of it! (That’s climbing without a rope) This was the highest I have every rock climbed before, and I am just itching to get back. The walk down was very decent, we took the north exit, which had a little rappel that I think we could have avoided, but it was a scant 30 feet and there was a rappel station in good repair there. There is also marked camping at the base of the slab, but I don’t know how comfortable I would feel pitching a tent under it, just in case something comes rolling down. We were watching ice skitter down the slope while we were climbing, and 850 feet is a long way for it to pick up momentum.

So How Do I Get There

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Lat Long: 44.141397, -73.747340

Its a beautiful drive. If anybody has been there and cares to share their stories, drop a comment, or post on the facebook page.

That’s all for now.