Page Type:
|
Route |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
|
53.16153°N / 117.9603°W |
Route Type:
|
Trad Climbing |
Season:
|
Spring |
|
Time Required:
|
Half a day |
|
Rock Difficulty:
|
5.10d (YDS) |
|
Number of Pitches:
|
4 |
|
Grade:
|
II |
|
Overview
"Revision Quest" is a 4 pitch climb located on Syncline Ridge, which is in the Rocky Mountains, near Jasper Alberta. This climb was put up on lead, from the ground up, using a combination of bolts and gear – no pitons were used or are required. It’s a beautiful climb in a beautiful setting, but like all limestone climbs, it has some loose rock throughout, so tread lightly in spots and for goodness sake wear a helmet. Each pitch is approximately 20-25 metres in length and the belays are set up with bolts and chains. The entire climb can be rappelled with one 60 meter rope.
Revision Quest
Getting There
There is a large parking area approximately 40 kilometers west of Hinton Alberta that accesses all climbs on Syncline Ridge. This parking lot is located on the south east side of Highway 16 and is found in the middle of the second 60km/hr zone after you pass the east gate to Jasper National Park. From Jasper, the parking lot is located approximately 38 kilometers east of Jasper, and about 4 kilometers east of where the Highway 16 crosses the Rocky River. There is an outhouse located at the west end of the parking area.
Syncline Ridge, as seen from just above the parking area
Once parked, the Syncline Ridge climbing area can easily be seen from the parking lot (see photo). The area is characterized by three large faces that are separated from one another by two large gullies. Follow the obvious hiking trail (located at the east end of the parking area) up over the first steep section, where it levels off somewhat and starts to gently climb up toward the Hidden Valley climbs. Walk another 200 metres and you can see where the main trails heads up through a broken cliff band – turn right here and walk down and up through the large obvious gully. From there you scramble through the lower cliff band and then just pick your way up (no trail) steeply until the first cliff face is reached. The approach takes approximately one hour.
The start of the climb is easy to find (see photo). It located on the first Syncline Ridge cliff band that you walk into, approximately in its middle. The climb follows a broken left facing corner, until it breaks right over the corner and then tackles a series of obvious roof and corner systems. The start of the climb is marked by a bolt line that goes over a roof (right off the ground) and then heads up towards the left facing corner.
Route Description
The Climb
Pitch one (5.9) – The pitch starts with a tricky move through a small roof (see photo). The first bolt is located at the roof. After the roof, you work your way up following the line of bolts (over another small roof) heading toward the left facing corner. Medium sized gear is required once the corner is reached. From there you continue to follow the corner system, primarily protected by bolts, until a short cruxy move is reached just before the belay. It is a hanging belay on the top of a shattered column. A bit cramped.
Pitch 1 - Revision Quest. The first bolt seen in this picture is the first bolt of the climb.
Pitch two (5.10+) – This is the money pitch. It starts with some slabby moves protected by good (small) gear in the corner. This corner is followed for about 6 meters, where you then break out right over the corner (protected by gear). From there you follow the bolt line on perfect rock through the big roof (see photo). The climbing then becomes more sustained and tricky until the crux is reached. Puzzle through the shallow double cracks. Once past the crux, the climbing lets off to enjoyable slab climbing and ends in another hanging belay.
Pitch three (5.10c) – Another very interesting and somewhat cerebral pitch. Not really sustained but there are a number of tricky moves to overcome between good rests. The pitch starts out from the belay heading right and protected by a number of bolts until the corner is reached. From there, you climb steeply over the corner until you are established on the arête. Follow the bolt line on the arête, with one obvious small gear (cam or nut) placement (see photo), until you reach the spot where you need to climb right through the next corner. This is the crux. The trick is to climb up, clip the bolt, and then climb slightly down and traverse straight right. Once established on the arête of that corner (careful of loose rock), climb up again following the bots, with at least one gear placement. From here (see photo), you traverse right again over another corner (protected by a bolt) and become established on the face. Then it’s a very delicate traverse right and up through the last large roof (and bit thuggish). A spacious belay is located right after the roof.
Pitch four (5.7) – The crux is getting past the first couple of bolts off the belay (see photo). From there a large corner is encountered (gear); then you follow an easy slab (a few bolts) to the top anchors.
Getting down
The entire route can be rappelled with one 60 meter rope. The rappel of the third pitch is somewhat traversing, but is easily manageable. Alternately, the route can be rappelled in three pitches if one brings two 70 meter ropes. From the top of the climb, rappel to a station just to climbers right (and 3 meters lower) of pitch three anchors (there is also a small tree here). Rappel this amazing arête (which is bolted) to a hanging belay at the 57 meter mark. From here you can rappel to the ground (just) with two 70 meter ropes.
Pitch 2 - Revision Quest
Pitch 3 - Revision Quest