Little Russia
Little Russia is a new sport climbing area developed in the summer of 2018 by group of Edmonton climbers with steep, burly routes on solid limestone ranging from 5.8 to 5.13. Located in the Peskett canyon with only a 15 minute approach; this area is perfect for someone who is looking to work on a hard climb in a beautiful canyon setting.
Approach:
Park on the east side of the David Thompson highway in a big pullout (south side of Peskett creek) 7.4km from the Cline River Bridge. Walk back towards Nordegg ~100m crossing the creek along highway and follow a good trail up the bluff, on the South side of the creek. Follow the trail for 10 min and drop down the creek. Cross the creek and walk for another 200m till you hit “Start of the line” overhang.
Beta
Pitch 1: 20m 10 bolts, 5.12a
Clip the first bolt and pull an awkward move on the short slab that has nothing but side-pulls or under-clings. Climb the slab up and right to the overhang section. Pull trough it and get on the left leaning rail of pockets and crimps. Campus/toe-hook trough it (crux) and finish with a technical face to a good notch, two bolts, rings, belay station.
Pitch 2: 30m 14 bolts, 5.12c.
Look at the monster and breath in Climb up and right on a sick wall above the roaming waterfall. Reach the menacing rotten flake pull trough it (~5.10) and get on a bullet-proof steep yellow streak. Clip from the mono pocket (yes, you read it right) and pull through the first crux to the no hands rest on a ledge. Get into another crazy sequence of side-pulls, dead-points and high-steps and finish on the short tricky slab with a two-bolt belay station.
Pitch three: 7m, 2 bolts, 5.2. Move your belay station left to a big warm ledge. 3 bolts, rings.
Pitch 4: 20m, 10 bolts, 5.12b
Like technical face climbing on a razor sharp limestone? This is for you! Climb up and right on the lichen colored orange wall getting onto mosaic puzzle wall higher up. Crack the puzzle and get on a left leaning ledge with a semi hanging belay under the overhang (3 bolts, rings).
Pitch 3: 7 m, 2 bolts, 5.2
Move your belay left to a big, warm ledge. (3 bolts, rings).
Pitch 5: 11m, 7bolts, 5.11b/c
Maybe THE money pitch. Start under the overhang with an insane exposure below you. Do all points off jug to jug dyno (recommended for full experience) or use your technique to climb to it! Continue higher up on a juggy wall full of cool features ending with a technical mantel to belay station (3 bolts, chains). Look around, have you ever been in location like this?
Pitch 6: 23m, 13 bolts, 5.10b/c
Climb a face to the little ledge below the steep face. Pull through it (crux) onto a positive angled wall and finish with some obligatory moss climbing to a wide ledge with big pine trees. Two bolts, rings. Enjoy the crazy views one more time.
Descent:
Look for possible hikers below you and yell.
Rap from the top of:
- P6 to P5 (23 m)
- P5 to P3 (33 m)* This lands you in the middle of the P3 traverse, pendulum/scramble left to the anchors
- P3 to P1 (28 m)* Again, a little pendulum required to get to the anchors on your right
- P1 to dirt (20-35 m)* 20 m to the anchors where you started (recommended, down climb the fixed line), or 35 m to the base of the second ladder (not recommended, very wet)
0 Comments