climbing near Calgary

[ybatom]

Hi. I'm going to be in Calgary for a week at the beginning of June and I'd like to do some climbing while I'm there. I'd appreciate any advice about convenient places to climb (sport or trad) in the area. Or if anyone could point me toward the right guidebook, I'd be grateful.

[Off_White]

Yamnuska if you're feeling a wee bit stout and bold. Grotto Canyon near Canmore is alright short sportish limestone. The slate slab climbing on the golf course in Banff is worth it just for the ambiance, though many of the bolts were for shit when I was last there over 15 years ago. Lots of other stuff in the area too.

 

You can always just go hike around with your mouth hanging open. Seems like most of the hordes never venture more than a hundred yards from their vehicles.

[AlpineK]

Yam looks like da bomb. I stopped and checked it out and it looks cool. We made the mistake of trying to get info on climbing there from some gym in Canmore. They were no help. They told us to go do all the bolted sport routes. I hear there's a ton of good sport climbing, but Yamnuska is the place to go if you want to be cool.

 

I'm not sure how to get route info on it. I had a really old guide, but we couldn't even figure out the approach hike. (guess we were dumb)

[G-spotter]

Yam is like 100km from Calgary (1 hour drive). Big Rock in Okotoks is the closest climbing to Calgary. A massive quartzite erratic with problems from V0-V10++

[wfinley]

Another vote for Yamnuska! Grassi Lakes just out of Canmore is really fun as well; short overhanging pockety limestone routes. Also above Canmore you'll fiund some fun multi-pitch sport route on EEOR. If you have time the climbing at Lake Louise is also excellent. The guidebook you want is "Bow Valley Rock".

 

Yamnuska; slimy rock and big runouts!! Yee haw!

[glassgowkiss]

your closest option from calgary is prerie creek. it's about 45 minute drive (depends on time of the day and your location in town). grassi lakes in canmore would be also possible to climb in the afternoon. you can get all the info from several guidebooks (Bow Valley rock, ghost, sport climbs in canadian rockies). june it's usually mixed bag, sometimes it's possible to do some mixed alpine riggs (n facing and high up). there are 2 or 3 climbing gyms in town (calgary climbing center is one of them). mec will have a good selection of guides. you can also check www.live-the-vision.com and possible look for partners there.

[DirtyHarry]

Finley - those red Aces suck.

[wfinley]

Finley - those red Aces suck.

 

So you're saying it was my shoes that were slick and slimy... not the rock?

[ken4ord]

Here is my quick picks

 

 

Yam, trad, 1000ft, 5.7-12 :tup:

Grotto, sport, 1P (though I think there is some multi),

Grassi, sport, 1P :tup:

Rundle, sport/mixed, 1-15P, :tup:

Chinaman, mixed, 10-15P, :tup:

Mt. Louis, trad, 10-15+P, 5.7 and up :tup:

[AlpineK]

I wasn't really counting Mt Louis as a crag area, but yes there is some good climbing there.

[G-spotter]

I wasn't really counting Mt Louis as a crag area, but yes there is some good climbing there.

 

Hehehe but according to the latest posts in "rock climbing vs. mountaineering", since it doesn't have glaciers, it must be cragging

[AlpineK]

Well if we're going way beyond crag climbing then Castle Mountain has some cool climbing on it and a nice hut too.

 

We did a long 5.9 buttress divided into 2 sections, Brewer Buttress I believe.