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