Alpine Soft: Wheat Kings - 5.7, 225m (7 pitches)

Wheat Kings is a newish bolted multi-pitch rock route, goes at a cruisey 5.7, with most of the climbing being about 5.5. Route was equipped and first ascended by the local guide and climber, Brandon Pullan, and Gaby James in July of 2016. Brandon wanted to honour and pay respect to the great Canadian rock’n’roll band, The Tragically Hip, lead singer, Gordon Downie. I totally understand why.

The Tragically Hip, and the voice of Gord Downie, have been part of my enjoyment of music for all my adult life. I have listened to “The Hip” for over 30 years. Poor Gord pasted away October 2017 from brain cancer. I was fortunate enough to see their final farewell tour in the summer of 2016. Thanks Brandon, great memories listening to the Hip and love the song, The Wheat Kings, and a great route. Approach details and a pitch by pitch description is available here.

View up to route from our walk out.

Laurie joined me on May 4 for this short day out, a great pick for the first multi pitch of the year. After our long winter, the end of April and beginning of May have had great hot and sunny weather. We had no problem finding the start of the route, on the approach, turn up hill (right) at the big and fractured boulder that sits on the edge of the trail (picture below).

Head up to base of route at this boulder beside the approach trail, about 30 minutes from the parking area.

The grades described are appropriate for a modern grade. The bolts are a bit spaced apart, but not much, any 5.7/5.8 climber will feel totally comfortable on this route. We didn’t link or combine any pitches as it seemed like there would be a lot of rope drag if we did. I lead the crux 5.7 pitch and it was a blast, great solid, very grippy rock, bolts were basically at a sport climb separation, just fun and cruisey, best part of the route. We had cloudy day that threatened rain, but it stayed mostly dry. We opted for the walk off, but I think the rappel down would be equal time. Walk off was fine, a bit of loose sloggy uphill to exit the top of the route up a gully, but then steep down through light trees back to the approach trail and parking lot. Great fun and no ticks for us. Below is the text for the route details from the Gripped website. Do this route, it is fun.

At base of route, looking up start of pitch 1.

Pitch One: Climb up and left past two bolts and follow a foot rail up and right past a third bolt. Climb the corner to a bolted belay at a tree. (5.5 30 metres, four bolts)

Pitch Two: Climb good rock left of the corner past two bolts and up and left avoiding dirty rock on the right. Angle up and right to a fourth bolt. Follow a crack up and right to a break in the rock and left to a ledge with a tree and belay. (5.6 35 metres, seven bolts)

Pitch Three: Step up and left and then follow fun features to a ledge. Take a faint crack right up to a belay. (5.7 35 metres, eight bolts) Note: There is an endangered whitebark pine far left of the second bolt, don’t damage or remove.

Pitch Four: Step up and left to a bolt. Continue up to a ledge and head left to a belay. (5.4 20 metres, two bolts)

Pitch Five: Up two short walls past two bolts to a ledge. Up and right to a corner that you climb for a few moves and then step left onto pillar. Up pillar to a bolt and then right on low-angle rib to belay. This is the Pretty Things belay ledge where you can see Mount Louis and most of the Bow Valley. (5.6 40 metres, five bolts)

Pitch Six: Up a steep move to a ledge and up the corner above past a hard-to-see bolt. Continue up easy ground to a belay near a tree. (5.6 30 metres, four bolts)

Pitch Seven: Up the rib past bolts to a break in the rock on the left. Up easy climbing to the final anchor. (5.5 35 metres, five bolts)

Descent: Rappel route with 70-metre rope using a rappel-only anchor between the top of pitch five and three. Alternatively walk off a flagged trail by heading up about 100 metres after the route and then left over small rock steps until you take the forest down.