Auroraphobia, 13b, 220m

Auroraphobia 13b, 220m

FA: Marc- André Leclerc and Brette Harrington, 2016

P1: 12c 55m

P2: 13b, 40m

P3: 12a, 35m

P4: 13a, 40m

P5: 12b, 40m

P6: 5.10, 25m

Gear: Quick draws and extenders.  20 in total, may want a green alien sized cam and a .5 for pitch 2.

Approach as for Hydrophobia, and walk along the base of the wall till you find the bolts for p1.

Decent: Rapel the route with two 60m ropes

P1. 12c.  Technical face climbing with spaced bolts in a direct line to a small ledge with an anchor.  (At 5’4, struggle to make long reaches, so in the lower half I make some rightward traverses, then back left to avoid big reaches)

P2. 13b. From the belay move left and up on frail flakes. Climb carefully up 5.11 climbing.  Mantle under roof (possible to place green alien and .5 cam). Extend your draws here.  Traverse under the roof and climb a subtle arête, 5.12 climbing. Big moves on good edges lead to pumpy overhang, then onto a perplexingly delicate slab.  Tricky slab moves veer left, then back right to the anchor. (Bring lots of extenders)

P3. 12a. Fun face climbing on solid blue limestone. 

P4. 13a.   Thin face climbing follows the blue water stipe to a small roof.  Tricky moves lead to a pumpy finish.  Belay out right.

P5. 12b. Fun climbing on good edges lead to super thin climbing.  Runout to the anchor.  Spooky.  

P6. Easier terrain to a 10+ crux to mantle over a budging roof and into a water slot.

Decent: Rappel the route with two 60m ropes.  

(Careful rappelling p2, and clip into bolts to get back to the belay. Pendulum may be necessary)

Marc and I bolted this line on lead and on hooks over the corse of a month in March of 2016.  While working on the route we saw the northern lights, hence the name, Auroraphobia, to go along with the other Phobia names in the cirque.  

We red-pointed all of the pitches free, but sadly, never got to climb the route entirely in a day because the day after we finished establishing the final pitch a 2 foot snowstorm hit Southern Alberta covering the route in runoff for the next few week.  For that reason, I have left this line quietly sitting in my mind, unsure if I would like to open it to others, until now. This is one of the most beautiful lines I have ever climbed/ established and it would be a shame for it not to have other strong climbers give it a go.    

Photos by Austin Siadak

The Hammer and the Dance, 5.11rx, 700m

Tony Mclane and I climbed this line over two days, during a short dry spell in early August, 2020. We spent the night on a small bevy ledge about 200m up, and again at the Summit.  We Decended the NW ridge on the 6th of August.

The Hammer and the Dance- 5.11rx, 700m 

Gear: 

Standard double rack

Set of wires

Three beaks, Hammer 

 Start up a low 5th class chimney - about 3 pitches

 Pitch 1- Face climbing with very little pro. (Beaks necessary) 5.10+X 

 Pitch 2- Committing face climbing leads to a rightward traverse into a corner. 10-R  

Bivy Ledge 

Pitch 3- Step left to enter a steep crack system. 10+, 60m

Pitch 4- Difficult stemming moves off the belay lead into a corner.  Climb the corner as it turns into a choosy pillar.  Sling the pillar and make thin face moves to enter into a crack.  Climb up a right facing corner to reach an extremely choosy ledge. Traverse rightward into a corner and make a belay atop a stance.  11-R, 60m.

Pitch 5- Climb easy cracks to reach a technical traverse over clean rock 11- 35m

Pitch 6- Follow easy terrain up, 5.6, 45m

Pitch 7- Traverse left along ramps of extremely loose rock, aiming for the free standing tower.  5.6, 65m

Pitch 8- Easy chimney leads to belay stance behind the tower. 5.7, 30m.

Pitch 9- Crux 1. A few moves of down climbing lead to a tricky leftward traverse.  Place a .5 in the pegmatite band.  Enter a corner with very loose rock and up through an overhang. Make a belay on a shoulder.  5.11b/c rx, 50m.

Pitch 10-  Unprotected face climbing leads to an easy off width. 5.10- x, 30m

Pitch 11- The Red Band.  Climb through the worst rock on the mountain, following an obvious weakness to gain the ridge 5.9 X, 30m

Pitch 12- An easy ridge leads to a pillar. Move left around the pillar and into a corner. 4th class, 45m

Pitch 13- A tricky face move leads to moderate ramps.  Make a belay soon.  15m, 5.9

Pitch 14- Crux 2.  The Limestone Band. Traverse leftward by use of a delicate flake.  When the flake ends, use thin edges to traverse in to an obtuse corner. Climb the corner, careful about pulling off large blocks. Climb the steep face and make a belay just below the large ledge.  11b Runout! 40m

Pitch 15- Traverse leftward across a large shale ledge till the rock looks easy to climb upward and make a belay. 3rd class, 30m

Pitch 16- Climb up Easy terrain and make a belay. 5.7, 20m

Pitch 17- Trend leftward and make a belay in the shale bands, 4th class, 25m

Pitch 18- Trend up and Left to make a belay below a chimney, 4th class, 30m

Pitch 19- Climb through the chimney and up steep rock. 5.9 R, 5.7, 40m

Pitch 20- Step left and climb 45m of Shale to belay below a steep corner.

Pitch 21- A lose corner leads to a belay, 5.9, 25m.

Pitch 22- Continue up loose terrain to reach the summit ridge, 5.6, 25m.

Follow easy ridge to the summit!

Decent: NW ridge.