Climb Nova Scotia

Introducing a holiday treat for climbers and the best thing to happen to Nova Scotia Bouldering since the last ice age! Click “CNSMOBETA” above to check it out!

Climb Nova Scotia Mobile Beta is a free online bouldering guidebook available at www.cnsmobeta.ca, optimized for your iPhone or Android smartphone. CNS Mobile Beta features short descriptions, GPS coordinates, photo topos, and a concise video for each boulder problem.

Mega boulder, one of dozens of NS boulders featured in the online guidebook

www.CNSMOBETA.ca has over 250 problems listed and almost as many videos. CNS Mobile Beta is an ongoing community project so if you would like to contribute please see the submission guidelines on CNS Mobile Beta.

Special thanks are due to Dave Q for his vision and for spearheading this project!

Columbus clean and climb was super productive! Anchors installed above Coping Retrogressively, bolt added to JP’s Arete, ladder built to go from Keyhole wall to 3D ledge, bench fashioned at Pet Wall, rediculous stumps cut down, deadfall cleared, path created from the top down to Headpoint Wall, GQ scrubbed and ready for climbing again… All in all a good day’s work.

Thanks to Martin for this shot of the new ladder from Keyhole to 3D

Thanks to everyone who came out!

COLUMBUS WALL CLEAN and maybe climb on Saturday, December 17th

In the spirit of the season it’s time again to give back to Columbus Wall for all the joy it’s brought us. The last few years have been hard on the trees surrounding the crag. Many have died or blown over making a general mess of things and a few of the routes could use a bit of scrubbing and maintenance.

On Saturday December 17 we will be holding a clean and climb at Columbus Wall with the objective of clearing up some trees and installing and replacing anchors. It would also be great if a few routes got a bit of a scrubbing and afterward (weather permitting) we can get some climbing in.

Climb Nova Scotia will provide brushes, pre-set anchors and ropes, gloves and safety glasses and helmets. They will also provide coffee and hot chocolate if there are enough volunteers to carry in the water needed (we’ll use snow if there’s any out there, but then probably no one would show up

Join us at the Columbus wall parking area at 11am on Saturday December 17 and don’t block the gate unless you want your car crushed by a logging truck.

RSVP to climbnovascotia@gmail.com so we know how many people to expect. See you there.

A new trail was found and flagged recently to provide access to Grover in Terrence Bay. This was work was done in response to the loss of access via the old route (mentioned in the Halifax Bouldering guidebook) which crossed private land. Please note, climbers are NOT PERMITTED to use the old access path by the rusty milk truck as it now has a house built on the middle of it.The new trail is completely on Crown land and is actually shorter by about 300m than the old way. Access the new trail by parking in the usual Grover pullout, then walking north for about 50 m back toward Lower Prospect Road where you just came from.  The trailhead is intentionally subtle and begins with what looks like an old ATV trail. The first 10m of the trail is swampy and uncleared on purpose. Follow this new trail for 460m until you gain the granite ATV trail system on the other side of the lake and continue along the old route until you get to the river crossing at Quarry Lake as usual.

Although this is Crown land climbers should remember that climbing at Grover is a privilege not a right and we should keep a low profile. Thanks to Dave Q, Seb L, Yasushi K, and Mick L for five hours of backbreaking labor to make this trail happen!

NOTE: This event was listed in the May/June 2011 issue of Profile Halifax as taking place on May 28th. The event has been postponed until further notice due to tick infestation at Admiral Park in Bedford.

Eagle’s Nest is the only rope climbing area in Nova Scotia accessible by bus. Located in Bedford’s Admiral Park with a great view of the Bedford Basin, it sees more traffic from people looking to dispose of old TVs, light fires, and smash beer bottles than actual climbers. The crag is littered with garbage and broken glass and badly in need of a cleanup.

With the help of The Trail Shop, Clean Nova Scotia, and hopefully local MLAs, Climb Nova Scotia is organizing a cleanup of Eagle’s Nest on Saturday, May 28th from 10am – 4pm POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. We will provide trash bins, garbage bags, and a trailer to haul all the junk away to the dump.

You should bring work clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, long pants to protect yourself from ticks, study boots or shoes with covered toes, lunch and water for yourself, and work gloves if you have them (we will have a few extra pairs available).

Join us to help out and make Eagle’s Nest the great climbing destination that it once was! Parking will be here at the dead end off of Snowy Owl Drive. From there walk to the end of the pavement and follow the orange flagging tape for 10m into the park and you’ll be at the top of the cliff. For those wishing to carpool, several drivers will be leaving from the parking lot at Dartmouth Sportsplex around 9:30am. Click here for driving directions from the Dartmouth Sportsplex.

Please RSVP to climbnovascotia@gmail.com if you plan on attending.

*Note: Admiral Park has been found to contain ticks. Wear long pants to minimize your chance of contact with ticks and be sure to check yourself for them after the event. TICKS ARE PARTICULARLY BAD THIS YEAR – EVENT IS POSTPONED.

GSpot topo

The G Spot is a mostly-sport crag in Mosquodoboit, visible from the 357 HWY on your right about 1.5km past the RCMP station. Turn right across the bridge at Bayers Mill Road and drive to the dead end where it meets the Rails To Trails path. Walk across the path and into the woods along a narrow logging road for ~10 minutes, crossing a new wooden bridge and passing a pond on your right until you see a narrow path on your right marked by a short rock cairn. Head down this path and break left on a narrower uphill trail opposite the hunting blind.

G Spot Routes to date Oct 14th 2010 – Route descriptions start from far left of crag

0.5. Knowledge Enema 5.8 Trad 13m 2 bolt anchor FFA M. Levin, A. Nette
Stem and jam the featured dihedral corner on the left of Cocksure. Excellent movements and good gear.

0.75. Cocksure 5.7 Sport 13m 2 bolt anchor FFA M. Levin, T.Foster
Follow thin rails up steep face to gain a lower angle arete with fun holds. Starts 5m left of Bye Bye Beep.

1.Bye Bye Beep 5.6 Sport 20m 2 Bolt anchor FFA.T.Foster
Work your way up big holds and cracks to a 2 bolt anchor and lower off. Great first lead for the aspiring sport climber.

2.To Beep or not to Beep 5.10d Sport 30m 2 bolt anchor FA.S.Therien
This route starts on the fractured face right of route #1 climbs up to dripping wet gash the follows bolts up and right.

3.Slice and Dice 5.10a Trad 30m 2 bolt anchor FFA S.Therien,D.Willsie
Stellar climbing up a slightly overhung dihedral on good holds to a terrifying block held in place by magic. Follow crack to roof,bust right and finish up the perfect corner. Great gear, awesome positions, wild finish. Named after first ascensionist nearly severed tip off thumb cleaning the route and the core shot his rap line took from a razor sharp block falling on it.

3.5 Teenage Burnout 5.9 Sport FFA T.Foster.
Pull mini roof to gain sidepulls, delicate climbing leads to two bolt anchor.

4.Exsanguination 5.10b Trad 20m. FFA S.Launcelot,M.Loydd
Scramble up to a bushy ledge then blast off up the crack. Take the pain till the crack ends then bust left to same corner finish as #3.

5.Parade of Whores 5.10 Sport 30m FFA S.Therien, T.Foster
A fun sport route that starts easy and just gets harder and harder til the bitter end.
This route takes you to the big treed ledge and the Upper Tier. Anchor only has 1 single rap bolt due to lack of battery power.

Upper Tier
Access these routes by climbing #4 then heading right thru trees OR rappelling in from the top.

6. Viva Las Vages 5.11+ Sport 15m FFA.J.Bayne aka DJ DYNO
DJ DYNO’S going away present to Nova Scotia a 5 bolt technical crimpfest of pain done in a heavy mist Dig it!

7.Throat Punched 5.10b Trad 15m FA S.Therien
Heinous wide crack with major pump factor. Beware of the guillotine like chockstone midway up.

Hollywood Bowl
***Warning*** These routes start off a bushy ledge and the belay is 1 smaller tree. A lead fall near the start of any of these routes could result in a factor 2 fall and certain injury or worse.

7.5  The Old In-and-Out (aka Baiting Bambi) 5.8 Sport 20m FFA  S. Therien, T. Foster
Follow bolts up a scooped slab between two crack systems, several meters left of the blank overhang under Holloywood Bowl.

8.Shes got a dripping crack 5.6 Trad 15mTree anchor FFA D.Willsie, S.Therien
Climb the nice ramp plugging gear into the crack. A little bit of seepage at the bottom of the crack but a fun easy lead. This climb takes you up into the Hollywood Bowl a nice little wall with 3 routes.

The next 3 routes are in the Bowl.

9.Pimp My Rack 5.10+ Trad FFA N.Smith,T.Foster
This line follows weakness up left side of wall.

10. Glamor Junkie 5.11+ Sport FFA N.Smith
Spicy climbing past 4 bolts ouch!

11.Melrose Place 5.10 Trad FFA N.Smith,T.Foster
Follow weakness up right side of wall.

12.You’re So Hollywood 5.9+ mixed 20m FFA.T.Foster, N.Smith
Mixed climbing leads to a fun roof encounter.

The next 2 lines are 2 of Nova Scotia’s longest routes so make sure you have a 60m rope and at least 14 draws.

13.Flake’n on the Tard 5.9 Sport 55m 2 bolt anchor FFA.S.Therien,T.Foster
Long route with some serious rope drag, sort of like 3 mini routes. (Could even be done in 2 mini pitches. Bring a few big hexes/nuts) Wild.

14.Phat Tuesday 5.9+ Sport 50m 2 bolt anchor FFA.T.Foster,S.Therien.
Hard slabbing leads to amazing climbing thru some mini roofs.Beware rope drag on this one. One of the regions finest lines with great views and positions.

Rapping from the anchors will bring you to a ledge where #15 starts and where you can also walk off.

15.Belly Button Window 5.10b Sport 40m shares anchor with #14. FFA S.Therien.
Semi steep climbing leads to some slab and then a little alpine adventure.

Basecamp
#16-#17 are found right where the approach trail hits the wall

16.Skanks for the Memories 5.8 Sport 20m FFA T.Foster
This route is supposed to be good but needs some major cleaning still.

17.Totally industrial Sport 5.11 20m FFA.N.Smith
Vertical climbing leads to a roof …that’s right I said it a roof DO IT!

Thanks to the twenty-or-so people who came out to help at the First Face trail-blaze this weekend. Many hands made for light work and we were done in no time, with all day to climb in the sun. As a result, there is now a second trail to First Face, and this one bypasses the talus field by bringing you right to the top of the cliff. The entrance is next to the telephone pole, opposite the fork in the road on Paces Lake Drive. The start of the path is intentionally unmarked to avoid lots of local traffic, but once you walk into the woods you will see prominent orange flagging tape the whole way – if you can’t see any flagging tape then you are not on the path.

Mosquodoboit Chainsaw Massacre

Stick to the trail and you will find yourself at the top of April Cool. Traditional anchor trees have been labeled with route names written on orange flagging tape – CNS plans to replace these markings with wooden signage and fix webbing and rappel rings on these trees by the end of the season.

Finally, a big thank you goes out to Sean C. for his lumberjack skills and the hospitality he showed by having us all over to his place for a bonfire and BBQ well into the wee hours!

-mick

Saturday, September 18th starting around 10am will be a Clear and Clean and Climb and Toprope day at First Face. The owners of First Face have given Climb Nova Scotia permission to clear a trail on their land that will extend from the old parking area on Paces Lake Drive to the top of First Face, bypassing the lakeside talus-field approach.

Cassidy on Mea Culpa

The trail is mostly covered with deadfall so bring some work gloves and a saw if you have one. It shouldn’t take long with a bunch of us and then we can toprope and lead some classic Nova Scotia sport lines with the man himself, Sean Cassidy. After we are all too dirty and tired to climb, we’ll head to Cassidy’s place for a bonfire, burgers and beverages, courtesy of Climb Nova Scotia!

C’mon out and lend a hand this Saturday. Please RSVP to climbnovascotia at gmail dot com so we know how many hands we’ll have on deck.

I spent the last two weekends on Paces Lake, and on both occasions I came across garbage left behind by people before me. Beer cans, gatorade bottles, a family-size bag of dill pickle sunflower seeds, and other miscellaneous trash. What bothers me about this is that I found this junk at climbing areas, not just on public paths. The people who littered were almost certainly climbers.

Access to First Face is already a contentious issue. Landowners have accused climbers of making a mess and I rebutted these claims vehemently by stating that no one from my beloved climbing community would ever do such a thing. And yet, there I was, confronted by garbage left behind by climbers.

Leave only footprints (And maybe some chalk. And blood.)

When you are out enjoying Nova Scotia please strive to Leave No Trace that anyone was ever there. Pack out your trash and pick up after slobs. I packed out the refuse I found and if you find any kind of garbage in the wilderness, it is your duty to do so as well, whether it’s convenient or not. I don’t know who left their crap behind and I’m not about to start pointing fingers, but it’s disappointing that a fellow climber would think this behavior is appropriate.

Please don’t litter.

-mick

Contrary to popular belief, fixed hardware does not get there on its own. Developing new climbs takes a lot of work. Someone needs to scout out an area, find anchors, clean off the rock and look for holds, remove choss and loose stone, and hope that the line is good enough that others will want to climb it before getting the drill out.

Don't worry, those are safety flipflops

Nette found an area outside of Baxter’s Harbour last winter that showed some promise for ice climbing, so he returned in the spring to see if it had any rock lines as well. The rock was dirty and often loose and certainly would not take any natural protection so the decision was made to place some bolts. Scott and I rolled down to the valley with the drill and spent the day getting soaked in the pouring rain, rapping the lines again and again with a crowbar and wire brush, trying to find good clipping stances and solid holds.

It was more work than we expected and we only got two lines bolted, neither of which we had the chance to climb. “Ash Face” and “Mud Butt” both look like a lot of fun, probably in the 5.9 range, and there’s definitely potential for another 8-10 lines there, some of which could be reasonably hard. Expect to hear more about this area in the coming months.

-mick