Cape Breton climbing

[Kim]

Hi Guys,
I live in Scotland and will be visiting Cape Breton in April. I was wondering if you could give me some information about the climbing on the Cape as I would be keen to get out and do some routes if the weather is up to it.
Cheers for your help.

[john]

Look at cape clear sticky above

Cheers

[Rowan]

John means the post titled 'Cape Clear Info', which contains about a dozen dead links and one which doesn't offer much in the way of information, or inspiration, really. There's lots of developed climbing around Halifax, and climbers too, not sure about Cape Breton. Hopefully somebody will come along who can point you in the right direction!

[allan]

Cape Clear is a bit of a mission - lots of driving about on logging roads and I suspect you'll find a respectable snowpack before you get there (ie. you might need skis). Access to routes requires bushwacking and rappel and generally spending time exploring and being lost... But if you have the time and inclination for adventure go for it.

Lorraine Head is less of a mission and offers less climbing and less adventure, though a very picturesque trail. Some very short trad routes and two very short sport routes, and a reasonable concentration of boulder problems, some of which are decent, and a few of which are inspiring. Check rockclimbing.com for access beta (route/problem beta is useless).

There is a coastal trail from the Louisbourg lighthouse which has a scattered selection of boulder problems to be found along it, mostly next to the water (beware swell).

Black Brook (between Ingonish and Neil's Hbr on the Cabot Trail) offers good climbing on a crag just inland of the highway, and on the nearby sea cliffs. It's in the Highlands Park and I'm pretty sure climbing isn't legit, so low profile required.

In general, the rock in Cape Breton seems to be more weathered and of poorer quality than that further south. I find it worth my while, given limited time for exploring, to drive to Halifax every favourable weekend for essentially unlimited world-class bouldering.