Wilderness bouldering area in NE Guysborough Co.

[MarkR]

Did a little exploring in this area last spring. It is in the most westerly of the two barrens wilderness areas on the Canso peninsular (sorry I forget the name, something lake...). It is a stunningly beautiful and quiet place with very few bugs on the actual barrens. Amazing views...
Access is easy. Follow the Queensport hiking trail across the barrens, starting from the 316 highway (east of Chalos cove but west of Port felix). When the trail forks after about 10 minutes, and after you get up the hill, take the left fork. Follow through the shrubby trees for five minutes until you hit the barrens (you will know when you get there!). There are a number of nice boulders spread around...
Gentle giant: As you hit the barrens look left (towards the ocean) and you will see the top of this boulder. It is about 12 ft high. See photos in album. Lichen-wack over to it. There is a very easy problem, Gerome, (the descent) on the ocean side and a shorter harder problem, Rusty, off a boulder platform on the opposite side (V0+/V1?). There is potential for a number of nice looking and sick problems including an overhanging crack.
Follow the ATV track across the barrens for a few minutes and you come across a tall white boulder by some trees off on the right. Steep, clean, with bad landings.
Camel face: Just past the big white boulder on the left is a silly little boulder which looks a bit like a camel's face from the trail. There are some equally silly, little problems on it.
Menhir: If you look across the little gully from Camel face and back towards the ocean (sort of) you will see what looks like a tall thin boulder several hundred yards away. There are two easy problems on one thin end, Obelix and Get-a-fix,and a potential harder problem (Asterix?) at the other end. A neat rock as it is propped up on a few small boulders. I hope they don't fracture...
Ripple rock: From Camel face keep following the trail. Just before you reach a cluster of three largeish, but disappointing boulders break right through the bush to a boulder with a strangly lichen free (anyone?) face with ripples on it. Much potential for tendon ripping variations. I could get on it but not up it. On one end of the boulder is a nice problem (V1?) "TNT".
Bob the boulder: A cool 12ft boulder. Best accessed by following the small cairns that lead off to the right of the trail near Camel face. These lead to a very barren flat area a bit like a playing field. Keep this on your right until it ends. Keep going in that general direction but tend a bit to your right (more cairns maybe) until you see the large square boulder... There is an obvious problem up one corner "Yes I can!" at about V1. Lots of other potential problems including some sick friction...
If you look back towards Ripple rock from here then cast your eyes to the top of the slope on the far side of the treed gully you may notice some nice looking large boulders...
Bog boulder: Go up the slope from Bob then down into a very boggy area. There is a boulder there with some easy problems on the dry side (easy) and a potential problem from the bog itself (SDS not recommended).
I will post some photos in the album.
I only scratched the surface of this area and it goes for miles...
It may not be a great area for an intense boulder session, but if you like bouldering and exploring in a beautiful wilderness area it might be worth your while. If you do go please tread lightly.
Mark

[ben smith]

wow- badass, looks reallly really really impressive- like LOC, psyched!

[MarkR]

)

[MarkR]

Damn smilies...

[MarkR]

Hey I just remebered the name of the wilderness area. It is the Bonnett lake wilderness area...
Bonnett lake boulders?
Bonny Bonnett Boulders?
Enjoy!

[Scooter]

dude
thats sweet!

how far is the total time from hali until you reach the boulders?
i'd liek to see these

[MarkR]

Hey Scooter
I"m glad you are interested.
I was staying near Antigonish, so I don't know how long it takes from Hali.
It is about 1.5 hrs from Antigonads (maybe a tad more) to the pull out. Another 15 mins walk to the barrens.
There is also some amazing potential around Whitehead and Little dover but it is all water access.
Good luck.
Mark

[Zamboni]

Here you go ladies!

http://www.trails.gov.ns.ca/SharedUse/g004.html


CB.

[MarkR]

Thanks Zamboni
That is the place. It looks like the side trail goes off between first and second cow lakes which is kinda how I remember it. The trail leads all the way to the Jamieson lakes.
There might be other access points to other regions of the barrens further along the main trail, but the next one just leads towards bog boulder.
And ladie, laddies is spelt with two 'D's... )
Mark

[Scooter]

i think zamboni is refering to us as a lady, not a young lad
in which case ladies is correct

but anywho im gonna have to check these boulders out
its closer than i thought

[MarkR]

Quite so Scooter, quite so.
Just thought I would try and turn it around on him.
Have fun checking out the boulders.
Looks like you might need snowshoes (at least as far as I can tell from BC...).

[Zamboni]

Ah, thats my boy scooter, always got my back!

[Eager]

I spent three weeks working at a hydro plant in Guysborough about a year and a half ago, we were staying in New Harbour which is along the coast back towards Halifax. Everyday to work we would drive past this hillside way in the distance near Tor Bay, it looked like it was littered with boulders, but too far away to tell how big they were. When I got home Zig and I decided to go drive up and check it out, when we got there we drove up a dirt road that seemed to be going towards the boulders, once we got closer they turned out to be only about six feet high as far as the eye could see, there may still be something there worth checking out if anyone makes it up that way. We then proceded to drive to Canso past Bonnet lake just road scouting never saw anything worthwhile. Glad to hear there is something up that way so that the 8hrs of driving wasn't for naught. Doggie "aka" Brian had also told me about the cliff he and Kirbo had been developing near Sherbrook. We also saw this on the drive as well but as the theme of the scout was bouldering that day we paid no attention.

[MarkR]

Hey Eager
I know the boulder field of which you speak. I hiked into it with a ton of camera gear on my back. A beautiful place but yeah, those boulders were small. LOL! A bit further up the road I noticed some bigger ones around the area of that little monument (on a boulder) to some old french fisherman and decided to explore further. Glad I did...
Mark