MTL Climbing

Great sight to walk up to Kamouraska is located along the coast of the Gaspe Peninsula. The town is called St-Andre-de-Kamouraska and is about 4 hours away from montreal. You can find some great camping at the SEBKA , which is located a stumble away from the brewery La Tete d’Allumette. At the SEBKA, you can pick up your day ticket and parking and parking too. If you hold a pass at Montagne d’Argent, it’s valid here too. ;) Disclaimer : Climbing is dangerous and anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool or a liar. Climbing has come a long way since hobnail boots and hemp ropes . If you are aware of the risks and have proper instruction, you can manage those risks. There are many ways to start learning to climb safely. Reading this blog is not it; this is not a substitute for professional training nor for common sense. Approach About 30min of mellow approach, even with a pack full of gear...

It’s noon already and my head is pounding. The thirty degree Celsius heat is draining my gas. I just made it off the ground to the first belay ledge. Where do I build an anchor!? I bring my partner, Julien, up. We bail with our tails between our legs. One of the best alpine climbs of the North East, Gothics Arches, spanked me but I will get her back .  Disclaimer: Climbing is dangerous and anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool or a liar. Climbing has come a long way since  hobnail boots and hemp ropes . If you are aware of the risks and have proper instruction, you can manage those risks. There are many ways to start learning to climb safely. Reading this blog is not it; this is not a substitute for professional training nor for common sense.  View from the South Face of Gothics. A good place to prepare for a spanking. The Approach We chose to split the ten kilometer approach up by camping at the Ore Bed Brook lean-to and taking up early the next day to se...

Nothing beats staring down into a void of empty space off the ground but you better be prepared for anything multi-pitch can throw at you because your momma can’t come save you! Here is a short list of things that you need to bring when you are following a leader whether it is trad or sport climbing. One of Quebec’s long easies:  Voie de Rappel at Le Dome. Photo taken by Alex Potapov Disclaimer: Climbing is dangerous and anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool or a liar. Climbing has come a long way since hobnail boots and hemp ropes . If you are aware of the risks and have proper instruction, you can manage those risks. There are many ways to start learning to climb safely. Reading this blog is not it; this is not a substitute for professional training nor for common sense.  Climbing Gear Helmet: You should always have this on when at the crag but even more important when doing multi-pitch as you become even more exposed to risk. Belay device: A tube sty...

Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to meet Santa and get introduced to the backcountry of Gaspesie by my good friend Yannick, a chroniquer for Zone Ski, as well as some of the local professionals. Here's an outline of my trip, including the spots we checked out and some personal tips. Day 1: A Rough Start at Mont Lyall After a long drive from Montreal, we hit up Mont Lyall for a one quick lap. I enjoyed it but it was rough intro to skinning up, partially due to the approach and the difficulty of the runs. The runs range from expert to extreme. It took us an hour to the base and another hour of tricky switchbacks to get to the summit. We rode down one of the newly open wooded runs on the right and headed for Murdochville for a couple of days. Day 2: The Recovery at Mont Miller At Murdochville, we met up the Chic-Chac team. They are the ones who primarily develop and maintain Lyall’s runs. They’re a hardworking team. We enjoyed a mellow day going up and down a t-...

With each new year comes the tradition of establishing new year's resolutions. I personally like to frame them as ongoing challenges. Here is some food for thought for 2018. Hello 2018! Go Outside “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” ― Jack Kerouac Just go outside. Make a campfire. Listen to the snow falling at night outside your tent. Make yourself some pine tea. Breathe. Take Smart Risks “If you die taking a stupid risk, you’re not just dead, you’ve embarrassed yourself.”-Conrad Anker This resonates with me every time I do something a little reckless, so I play on the fine line between pushing my limit and being stupid. This has made me a better climber and skier over the years. Travel Better, Travel More Focus on getting more experience and quality of experience. Good gear can help but too many times we get caught up in getting the best gear instead of getting o...

Do you like hiking and happen to be a glamorous person or maybe you know someone who is? This holiday season don’t spend millions of dollars on gifts. Keep those funds in an offshore bank account where they belong. No no you want to show your loved ones you are smart because you are a glamorous hiker aka gliker . Oh La La Lights Expensive purchase: A $200 generator with a chandelier made for the backcountry Gliker’s purchase: Take your headlamp and bottle and stack them to set the mood. As bonus you can use the bottle for transporting drinking water too. Supreme Drinks Expensive purchase: Vintage wine paired with only the lightest steel wine glass stored in a $200+  titanium bottle . Gliker’s purchase: Nothing. Take your old drinking pouch and fill it with wine. It’s smarter to keep on the move while drinking. Fancy Dinnah Expensive Purchase: How'd you like to make a pizza pie in your fancy back country pizza oven ? Gliker's Purchase: Brea...

Red Rock Canyon is a great destination to head to when it’s too cold to climb elsewhere and its great for multi-pitch. Here is my short list of some my favorite long easy routes there. They all can be done in a day if you plan properly.  Driving through the scenic loop Pine Creek Canyon - Cat in the Hat 5.6 Trad 200-300m In the new guide book , it shows more pitches to top out the tower. Check it out. Pine Creek Canyon - Birdland 5.7+ Trad 200m Consider also doing Big Horn. It shares the first two pitches with Birdland which is another fun 5.8 route. Juniper Canyon - Olive Oil 5.7 Trad 200m Tricky to find start. The first pitch is a little hard to protect. View from Rose Tower Juniper Canyon - Saddle Up 5.9 Trad 180m Tricky to find start as well. Start of Saddle Up Juniper Canyon - Crimson Chrysalis 5.8 Trad 305m Trad route with so many bolts it feel like a sport climb. It’s nice that every anchor is bolted. Sharing a moment on Crim...