Lost In Translation, 11.c, 120m

FA: Louis Julian Roy & Shawn Huisman

This is a new route that Louis Julian Roy and I climbed on July 3, 2005, located on the Bastion Wall just to the right of Curio Emporium. The route was bolted over two days in June and we went and did the redpoint with Shelley on Sunday. It is four pitches long, the first pitch is 30m, 11a, with 10 bolts. The second pitch is 30m, 11.c, with 13 bolts. The third pitch is 30m, 10.d, with 11 bolts and the fourth pitch is 30m, 10.d with 9 bolts. There are some optional gear placements on the route to suppliment the bolts, from 0.5" to 1" (take purple to red camelots). It is set up to rap with two 60m ropes, with Fixe rap rings on belays 2 and 4. You can rap with one 60m rope, but there are only quick links on belays 1 and 3. If you rap with one 60m, be aware that some of the pitches are very close to 30m so watch the ends of the rope! As with all new routes, the grades are just an estimate and will be confirmed later after more groups have climbed it.

The route follows and obvious seam through some roofs to the final arete on the last pitch. The rock quality is very good, the crux pitch has some fantastic climbing and the positions on the arete are quite impressive. Here is a topo of the route. Here is the start of the first pitch, some small face holds lead to a funky lie back. Here is Louis on the second pitch at the crux, this pitch has a bit of everything, some big holds with big moves, to a techincal slab finish that is quite exciting. This is a shot of me on the third pitch, the crux is below the roof, and then you lie back the flake and head up to a corner that is awkward. A final shot of Louis on the fourth pitch, small holds on the left side of the arete, lead to some big holds on the right side and an amzing postion out there.

Devils & Dust 11.c, 140m

FA: Shawn & Shelley Huisman, Louis Julian Roy

We completed this new line in September 2005, it is right of Lost in Translation by about 25m. It is a total of five pitches and has some really good climbing. The first pitch is an easy 5.8, it follows an obvious crack and then traverses left a bit past some bolts to the first belay. The second pitch is around 5.11a, and starts with a few bolts on the face and then gets into this small crack that takes good gear. Follow it up to a roof, pull the roof and climb some easier ground to a belay. The next pitch follows a bit of a corner to a big roof, there are a couple of bolts getting to the roof, pull the roof on big holds, there are some gear placements after this and one more bolt high up before the belay. The fourth pitch is the crux. Lay back on decent holds and head up, clipping a couple of bolts, throw in a small cam (.4) and pull the crux, clip a couple more bolts and follow the corner to a big stance. From here head a bit right and follow some technical ground up, making some devious moves off of small holds. There is a good cam placement before the belay. Bring some long slings to reduce rope drag. The last pitch follows the obvious pillar to the top of it and a rap station, there are no bolts on this pitch but the gear is stellar. The first three pitches of this climb were done ground up, drilling on lead. The fourth pitch was rap bolted and the last pitch was inspected on rap, but lead on gear. This route doesn't quite go to the top, the flakes above the last pitch look pretty dangerous and we didn't want to mess around in them. This is not a sport route like many of the other routes we have put up, but it certainly isn't runout if you have the right gear. Take a good collection of small stuff for the second pitch and up to 3" for the third and last pitch. It can be rapped with one 60m rope, but you will be doing the last 15m rap off of one bolt with a quick link in it, two 60m ropes would make the rap super simple and make rapping over the big roof much better. There is a topo at MountainX.ca