Sentinels

On the approach trail the first small outcrops encountered were referred to as the Sentinels as they stand guard to the entrance to the valley. The first marginally climbable rock is The Chimney which is a horrible unprotected squeeze chimney with no belay and few endearing qualities (avoid at all costs). A few additional meters uphill and on the left side of the trail is The Rasp, a 7m high textured slab which was occasionally used as a top rope or boulder climb and sports an old 5/16" self-drive bolt insert with no hanger (c 1980) on top.

Further up the trail you encounter the ladder and rope. The bolt anchors with homemade hangers were placed in the mid 1980s as was the rope which is an old 3 strand laid UIAA approved Nebtex climbing rope actually used for climbing in the 70s. Please stick to the trail that follows the rope rather than exiting left from the ladder as the trail is getting badly eroded here.

First Wall

The longest central part of the wall is up to 55 meters high and most routes are descended by walking off to the right. There are a few multi-pitch routes on the left side of the lowest point with primarily sport routes on the wall facing the trail. The wall gets much smaller as one goes right and the sport routes on the far end are short and equipped for rappels or lowering.

Lower Ramps 5.2 — 5.4 gear 80m

The first routes encountered on First Wall are the easiest and are basically two west facing ramps of light grey limestone that diagonal up and left. Between each ramp is badly decomposed loose stone. Two fixed pitons are still on the highest of the two lower ramps. Follow either ramp up and left for about a rope length. Belay on gear then break against the strata to head for the belay bolts on "The Ramp".

The Ramp 5.6 mixed 65m

Greg Grant, Cyril Shokoples, May 1981
A cool route with an excellent position and good rock once past the initial section. This route begins near the nose that forms the junction of the west and south faces of First Wall. Climb a shattered pillar following a groove diagonally up and left to a ledge and a fixed piton near the start of the solid rock. Continue heading up and left generally making for the solitary tree on the horizon but stopping at two pitons and a hanging belay (5.6, 25m). The second pitch goes up left to a small ledge then left to where a weakness allows you to continue past a piton toward the tree and easy climbing to the belay bolts just after exiting onto flat ground. (5.6, 40m)

Rather than climbing past the tree, two alternate exits have been done, Greg’s Exit just above a fixed piton before the tree and Arnie’s Exit at a weakness halfway between the first belay and the tree. Both are unprotected but on good rock.

Photo Legend:

1. The Ramp
2. EuroSport
3. EuroTrad
4. Ice Milk
5. Daisy Head Maisey
6. Fluff
7. The Route of All Evil

EuroSport 5.10b mixed 50m

Cyril & Sandra Shokoples, c 1989
Climb the first pitch of The Ramp. Continue on excellent rock with golden streaks on a steepening wall above the belay (four bolts). The final section is a bit runout, but on easier ground.

EuroTrad 5.8r mixed 50m

Morgan Neff, Cyril Shokoples, c 1980s
A nice airy runout climb. Climb the first pitch of The Ramp (5.6, 25m). Go up to the first bolt above the belay as for EuroSport. Make an interesting short traverse right then start up following the path of least resistance along the buttress past three fixed pitons. The pitons are hard to detect until at eye level. Bring gear in case you miss them (5.8, 25m).

Ice Milk 5.10b 12 bolts 45m

Stephane Cameron, J.P. Paquette, 1993
Fun and continuous. Start this super line at the bottom right edge of an obvious, smooth, solid slab. Continue on past the slab up steep ribs of darker rock.

Daisy Head Maisey 5.8 11 bolts 55m

Paul Valulius, c1995
This route has also gone by the name "Paul’s Route." Start at the same place as Ice Milk but at the top of the slab climb up and slightly right past a bolt on a steep short wall, then continue almost straight up to the top. (Note: an old traditional gear route started as for Daisy Head Maisey then at the top of the slab traversed right to exit on easier juggy ground to the top. It is now superceded by the sport routes.)

Fluff 5.10a/b 14 bolts, 1 piton 45m

possible FA reported in mid 1980s / sport route Stephane Cameron April 1994
It appears that this route was actually climbed in the 80s as a bold runout lead with almost no gear in the sections. The fixed piton may actually be from that ascent. Start in an obvious corner with a bolted water worn right hand steep slab. Where the wall steepens and the slab pinches out, crank your way out. Cruise a long way up to the top where another short crux can be had by following the bolts directly.

The Route Of All Evil 5.10d/11a 4 bolts 12m

Shawn Elliot, Dale Diduck, June 10, 1993
A short, blank face right of a rotten offwidth. Follow the bolts directly or stay right to make it easier. (The rotten offwidth has been climbed and is to be avoided.)

Little Spain 5.11a 4 bolts 12m

Sean Elliot, April 1999

Dusk 5.10c 3 bolts 12m

Stephane Cameron, 1993
Steep and strenuous on sharp rock.