Trad climbing in Welsford

[Guest]

Could somebody please tell me what walls/routes are good for someone to begin leading trad climbs on in Welsford??

Cheers,

Ryan

[martha]

Joes Garage

It's a way of Life 5.4
Pizza 5.5
SnakePeel 5.7(but finish right on the top of Its a way of life instead of finishing up the 5.9 crack top out of snake peel)

Gollums Cave Area

Kit Kat 5.3
Reindeerland 5.6 (start on upper ledge)
Gollums Cave 5.4 (crack with stemming on back wall inside cave. If you don't stem it is 5.9)

Dawn Wall

The light fandango (2 pitch) -be careful when starting the second pitch, that you don't go straight up from the belay as that route is 'Whiter Shade of Pale'. from the top of the first pitch be sure to traverse back right and go up.

Border Wall

Up Up and Away 5.4

there are some other easy trad climbs such as 'mental floss' on Exfoliated, but the gear is iffy. the climbs I've mentioned have bomber gear all over the place, and should keep you busy for a few visits. Have fun!!!

[Guest]

Thanks Martha!

Can most of these climbs be done with a rack of nuts? I am still building my rack up and I haven't gone cam shopping yet
Also, does anybody know if you can get the Mammut 8mm runners/slings in Canada...or can you only order them from the U.S.

Ryan

[martha]

I would say yes, all these can be done with a set of nuts.

If you have other passive pro....

Kit Kat would take big hexes nicely.

Pizza takes a couple bomber tri-cams.

Be careful on 'The Light Fandango' with only a set of nuts. You'll need doubles of some sizes on the second pitch. maybe even the first pitch as they are both fairly long. Also to do this climb you need a 60 m rope in order to rappell off hassel free.

The skinny mammut slings aren't at MEC yet, but you can get them at the 'Taiga' stores in Quebec though they don't have a website. Perhaps you can order by phone.

I think that 'Mountain Magic' in Banff has them, and you can order online.
http://www.mountainmagic.com

[Matt Peck]

I've always liked Mr. Clean, 5.6 and Just tried Mummified 5.6, and both were pretty good for intro leading. Once you feel comfortable on the Welsford 5.6, start top roping higher grades, as a lot of the .6 and below range are on blocky terrain (read as lots of ledges to hit/loose rock), whereas the G rated .7's and .8's (on minkey for example) are harder but have great pro and clean falls. By all means, get in as many of the star rated .6- climbs as possible, but then move a long!

[mathieu]

I second Matt on Mr. Clean (I made a pun, hazzaah). That's probably the next climb you want to do after It's a Way of Life and Kit Kat. "Storm warning" or "Incoming Rain" I forget which is which but either are good also and just around the corner. They all lead to ledges that allow you to set TR for other climbs. A set of nuts and a few hex's (size 6,7,8,) will get you to the top of most of them.

The skinny mammut slings i've found at Monod's in Banff (don't know if they do web services) and also at Wicked Gravity in Calgary.

[martha]

You've prompted me to look in the guidebook Mat. Fred and i were talking about 'oncoming rain' and 'storm warning' yesterday but didn't have the guidebook handy. We couldn't remember which was the 5.7 and which was the 5.5.

in anycase, 'Storm Warning' on pyramid wall is the 5.5 and is an excellent climb just like Mat says it is.

When you are ready to bump it up a notch, 'Pass the Moonshine 5.7' to the left of it is also a great intro climb that protects well but has some interesting moves.

[Ryan]

Besides learning to lead I would like to better my skills by toproping some harder lines (5.9-5.10). Is there any way to setup topropes on some of the climbs on Minky or Joe's Garage without having to lead it first...or having to do the million mile march around?

Ryan

[martha]

Minkey is fairly hard to set up for top rope....but Joes is a cinch. If you lead up 'Its a way of life' you can then traverse across the top of the cliff to set up other top ropes.

Exfoliated is easy to set up top ropes too and there are some good climbs down there to work on like 'Sleeping Beauty 10c', 'The Juggler 10a', 'Chocolate Eclair 5.8' and 'Fern Gully 5.8' It is probably still wet down there right now, at least the bases of all the climbs. Give it a week or two and it will be A-1.

Upper Tier has some good routes in the 5.8-5.10 range also and can be set up for top roping if you walk around. You'll want someone at the bottom guiding you to the proper tree though as you can't really see the ground from where the top ropes are set up. There are also a couple of moderate all sport climbs there.. 'Bugs Bunny 5.9' is a nice route and takes you to the top to set up other climbs.

have fun!!!

Cara

[mathieu]

To get to the Top of Minkey there is a 5.4 that allows you to gain the top and then set TR for Minkey or the lines on the right (Salt and Pepper and 5.8 for Style)

[Ulysse]

The only problem with climbing easy routes is that if you fall you will get hurt. On these low angle routes your most likely to slam into a ledge or a ramp. Your best bet is to have someone with experience second you on a couple of easy climbs for input on gear placements. Once you got it figured out, get on something vertical hence harder albeit not as dangerous

Salt and peper its 5.7 and the next climb on the right 5.8
Warm and Sultry 5.8
Waterfall layback 5.8+
Snake peel 5.7
Smoking Crack 5.9 (if you can get past the crux the rest is cake) plus the crux is well protected

If you have any problems slam in a piece of gear (before you get too pumped to put it in) and rest. Andy climbed this way and was leading 5.11 fall free in less than a year. Its better to fall of a steep climb than climb at 20% of your limit imho

[Fred]

5.9 for Smoking Crack?

are you refering to the variation past the bolt at the bottom?

[Mountain_Marc]

Has Warm and Sultry been downgraded? I think it was 5.9 back when I climbed it and in the older guidebook.

[Fred]

no. it's still 5.9. Those are Ulysse's grade interpretations.

[martha]

'warm and sultry' is still a 5.9. just the top crux though. the rest is more 5.7/5.8ish. I think anyways....


yes, i think that ulysse means the variation past the bolt on 'smoking crack'.

[Fred]

YDS is based on 'the' most technical grade in a route. You can't downgrade a route because overall it's more like 5.7 ish with only one 5.9 move. The route is still 5.9.

[martha]

yes obviously, Fred. Though there are some people who think that W&S is only a 5.8. I was saying it is not.

[PaulB]

Be careful on 'The Light Fandango' .... Also to do this climb you need a 60 m rope in order to rappell off hassel free.

A 50m rope is fine, you just have to do two rappels, and I don't remember the second one being all that complicated to set up.

I think that 'Mountain Magic' in Banff has them, and you can order online.www.mountainmagic.com

I was in MM two weeks ago, and yes, they have the scary looking skinny slings.

[martha]

A 50m rope is fine, you just have to do two rappels, and I don't remember the second one being all that complicated to set up.

No, but the tree for the second rappel is on its last legs. Probably fine for this summer, perhaps next. There were two trees there, but Mat and Dan pushed one of them off as it was standing rotten. It pushed easily.

A rap station will be going on that ledge soon.

I was in MM two weeks ago, and yes, they have the scary looking skinny slings.

hehe, they are scary looking, but are rated at 22KN. a regular spectra is rated at 24KN. the difference is worth saving weight and space on your rack. I have a few of them and love them.

[Fred]

A 50m rope is fine, you just have to do two rappels, and I don't remember the second one being all that complicated to set up.

Do you mean two rappels on Upper Dawn then one extra rappel to get off of Lower Dawn? If I remember correctly, it's quite close to rap in one 60m where "Whiter Shade of Pale" is. I could be mistaking though.

[PaulB]

Do you mean two rappels on Upper Dawn then one extra rappel to get off of Lower Dawn? If I remember correctly, it's quite close to rap in one 60m where "Whiter Shade of Pale" is. I could be mistaking though.

No, I only recall doing one rap to get down to the big ledge at the base of WSoP, and another off a big tree to get back to the ground. Of course, it's been 10 years or so since I've climbed TLF or WSoP, so perhaps I'm thinking of a different ledge. I know that I only ever had a 50m rope when I climbed in Welsford, and there were only a handful of routes that you couldn't get down from in two rappels.

BTW, in my opinion, going through the open book at the top of WSoP is one of the best positions in Welsford. It's a good lead for someone looking to ratchet things up a notch.

[Fred]

WSOP is the shizo for sure. But will certainly test your lead head if you are begining lead climbing. I learned this the hard way a few years ago when I ventured up what I thought was the Light Fandango. Turns out it was WSOP. hehe

It's possible it can be done in one rap with a 50m and the stretch but from what I remember it seemed darn close to a full 60m (30m rappel). Anyone else?

[mathieu]

I don't remember it being a rope stretcher, to rap off the top of The Light Fandango. Two 25 metre rap will get you to the ground.

I agree with you Paul, the top of Whiter Shade of pale is great, protects well and has bail out options for those who want to bypass the open book.