Routes in Banff for selected grade

Cool, easy climbing up a smooth arête. Route travels between the huge, left-facing boulder and the wall. Fun stemming and optional exposure. A cool climb for beginner climbers.

Roadside Left, fourth from left.

Roadside Right, tenth from left

The Ledge, seventh from left

Paddock Wall Right, thirteenth from left.

Paddock Wall Right, furthest left, where a single tree remains after the flooding in 2013.

Clim the arete directly.

Start in front of Rundle Rock. Gains the Rundlehorn ridge viewed from Banff. Easy pitches with a few fun ones up top. Can be super windy so bring a windbreaker.

There are two options to start.

One option starts with 3 pitches up low-angle slab to gain the ridge from climber's right. This variation keeps the whole route 5.5.

The second options gains the ridge directly climber's left with a 5.6 "slippery, awkward" crux and a plenty of 4th class.

Take the Trans-Canada Highway to Lake Minnewanka Road and drive east for 0.6km to a small paved turnoff on the right side of the road, where an old cadet camp used to be. Hike 0.2km further down the road to a gravel wash-out on the left side of the road. Hike up this and follow the trail, keeping on the right of the drainage gully until you reach a slab with two bolts on it at the base of the route.

1. Climb the slab (2 bolts) to a ledge.

2. Traverse left on ledges then angle left up a broken groove to a scree ledge with trees. Alternatively, climb straight up into the corner (5.7) to a separate anchor.

3. Climb a short crack then traverse right to a steep bowl. Head towards the large corner and then pull out awkwardly onto the face, clipping a piton. Climb past another piton to an anchor.

   If you climbed the P2 5.7 variation, you can either rejoin P3 shortly from the P2 anchor, or you can take a 5.8 variation up the large yellow corner, rather than pulling out awkwardly onto the face.

4. Climb along the ridge to another bolted anchor.

5. Climb series of right-angling ledges to an anchor above a tree. Alternatively, there is a 5.8 variation that goes up the large yellow corner and ends at the same anchor.

6. Either take the left corner or the right corner for two different variations (both 5.5) that rejoin before the anchor. The anchor for this pitch is hidden behind a tree on the left.

7. Climb along the ridge to another bolted anchor.

8. Climb the right-angling corner on gear, or a bolted line on the left. There is an anchor at about 50m, or you can keep climbing to a second anchor at the top (60m).

To descend, take a trail along the top of the cliff heading towards Rogan's Gully. Scramble down, find a rappel station (20m rap) then hike back down towards the Cascade Falls tourist trail. The descent takes about 1.5-2 hours.

Gear: 6 quickdraws, 4 extendable runners, 60-meter rope

Pitch 1: 5.6 - 48-meters - Head up steep wall past two bolts. Make a 5.6 move onto the upper face of the rock. Clip 4 pitons with bolt-on top of the cliff then step across a small stream (dries up mid-summer most years). Follow compact rock protected with a bolt and a couple of pitons.

Pitch 2: 5.5 - 30-meters - Step out right on the compact rock. Friction your way up past three bolts and a piton.

Pitch 3: 5.5 - 30-meters - Step right into a steep corner. Clip 5 pitons to a protection bolt at the 20-meter mark. From the bolt angle up and right.

Pitch 4: 5.6 - 30-meters - Climb up past three bolts and a piton. You will reach the final station up on the wall. This is the ice climbers standard first pitch

Descent: Rappel or walk off climbers left with careful routefinding to the trees

(via Tom Gnyra)

Approach: Park at the airport parking lot base of Cascade Falls. Climb Minihapa or work the lower benches crossing the waterfall on the second bench. Once on top stay on the (right) North side of the waterfall. Follow any one of the braided trails till the rock gets steep.

Pitch 1: 50 meters - 5.3 - 4 bolts Start just left of the Buffalo Hump right of the running water. Follow the comfortable scramble style rock bench to bench. You will find two bolt hangers on the left (waterfall side).

Pitch 2: 30 meters - 5.4 - 5 bolts Continue up and slightly right to the base of that big orange block.

Pitch 3: 30 meters - 5.5 - 5 bolts Move left to the bolt you see 10 meters away. From there continue straight up trending a slight right.

Pitch 4: 26 meters - 5.6 Climb over some exciting rock left of the corner. 2/3rd the way up step right onto the rib. Make the final move or two on steep rock to the anchor.

Descent: Rap off ring bolts to the last anchor. You can go 3 meters lower from last anchor (ring bolts) and walk off lookers right (north). It is also possible to rap two more pitches.

(via Tom Gnyra)

Approach: Park in the Cascade falls parking lot. Cross the airstrip field and follow a well defined trail, proceed 120m after the "avalanche sign" to the mothers day buttress walk off. From here follow the trail which can be quite faint. Continue traversing up and left aiming for the climb Arch Typical. At the drainage below Arch Typical climb the right bank and find a belay bolt and small platform.

P1: 20m 5.4 - From a curved tree move left to a bolt in a shallow grove near the aerate. Climb over the bulge and into a shallow corner. Move up past two more bolts till the station.

P2&3: 60m 5.6 - From the belay move right into a big left facing corner. continue up the corner following the bolts. Stay on the left slab face. There is a mid way station at 30m to facilitate Repelling.

P4: 30m 5.4 - Climb the broken corner past two bolts to a large treed ledge (bring slings for protection). Find the next belay at the bottom of the slab.

P5: 30m 5.6 - Move left onto the broken aerate and follow it to a tree with slings that is the belay.

P5 Var: 25m 5.10c - Move directly up off the belay up the steep slab on small technical holds, move up and left following bolts till you reach the belay.

Descent: Rappel the route, and either retrace the approach or follow the Arch Typical drainage down to the air field.

1. Climb the short crack on the right side on the pinnacle in front of Bass Buttress, then move right and continue up the corner crack to the belay (20m, 5.6)

2. Head up the corner to a large belay ledge between the pinnacle and main wall (20m, 5.3)

3. Find the path of least resistance up the right side of the pinnacle to the summit (5m, 5.5)

Descend via 45m rap to ground