This route could have very well been climbed before as early as the 1960's by any number of very talented people who have climbed in the area in the last 50 years. I'm adding it to the database in case anyone has looked to the right from the original route and wondered what it's like "over there" or if it's been climbed at all.

One summer day my partner and I decided to just go have a look starting from the bottom. What we found was a route that compared, in difficulty, to the original route. The first pitch didn't protect very well due to the compact nature of the slab. The pitch through the big roof I'd describe as traveling through nearly the highest point of the right side on good, protectable cracks. Higher the rock quality worsened, but never to the point that we had to debate the value in continuing upward. Overall, this route traveled through a lot of 5.6-5.8 difficulty loose terrain. It is significantly looser than the standard route for comparison and therefore I can't recommend it. Choss aficionados and seekers of the obscure may enjoy it.

The first pitch was probably the technical crux and we finished by traversing left and off once we hit the large ledge separating the bottom of the face from the upper headwall.

T'es pas game

Charles Wallace the Party Rabbit

Standard Route

Modern Direct

Original Direct Finish

This is a rewarding route, but it requires a cool head, complicated route finding, and experience at working out difficult protection options.

From the top of the pillar where the original route traverses off and left, boldly climb up and right to a vertical KB placement. A fall here will likely result in an injury. Next continue up to a horizontal where you'll probably nest and equalize some TCUs. Good protection point if you work at it a while. Now follow your nose looking for gear going up and generally right towards a feature that on closer inspection is created by blocks protruding from the wall. On the right side of these blocks you might find a small stance with a fixed stopper. A long KB and maybe a lost arrow will help make this belay secure. Consider leaving pins in-situ. I would not do this route without pins and hammer. No fixed pieces except the stopper are present as of this writing.

From the belay, then continue to climb boldly above weaving a little left and right to place gear. This pitch is steeper than the first, but it protects a little better -- still pretty spicy.

This route was conceived while climbing the face via the original direct finish route after staring for too long at the unclimbed clean sweep of quartzite on the left side of the headwall. It remains quite separate from the beautiful original line, often 50-100' left of it. I make this distinction because it would be a tragedy if someone bolted near the awesome and very committing original line up the headwall.

Charles Wallace the Party Rabbit is an entirely bolted line that continues up the left side from the pillar where the original regular route traverses straight left and then up and off. It has about 8-10 bolts per pitch and the rock is immaculate, thin edges with the occasional smear.

Its namesake is a french lop who provided the entertainment at a dinner party.

Pitch 1 (73 m) - Starts in the large right facing corner that meets up with the large roof. Climb using part of the crack and using the slabby face with ledges. Just before the large roof, there will be a belay ledge on climbers left. Carefully place gear to set a belay. Some simulclimbing will be required to do this pitch in one. Much easier with a 70 meter rope. (5.4 pro to 2.5) to a bolted belay.

Pitch 2 (55 m) - Roof Pitch. Climb up the slabby, right leaning face to the base of the roof. If you brought a #4, place it here, otherwise, make a move to a perfect placement for a hand sized cam. Continue up the right slanting crack to a small live tree. Belay for the ledge with the tree. To a bolted belay.

Pitch 3 (35 m) - Traverse Pitch to Piton Ledge. Climb up and slanting to the left, in order to gain a ledge to traverse on. Traverse left, place unobvious pro, until you are under dead tree ledge, a ledge with one dead tree and the obvious right facing corner of the podium. Once you are under the ledge, climb straight up to the ledge. Here you will find two fixed pitons. Set you anchor here. To a bolted belay.

Pitch 4 (30 m) - Podium. Start just left of the large left facing corner to avoid a bushy start. Then, traverse right into the corner. The pro and climbing are great throughout this entire route. The route ends when you get to the top of the podium. Anchors can be a bit tricky here. Use the obvious horn to aid in the anchor. To a bolted belay.

Pitch 5 (60 m) - Traverse to Swooping Crack. From the top of the podium, traverse directly left on a ledge that is about one foot wide.There are decent gear placements, so remember to protect the follower. There is also one or two new bolts. Stop traversing when you reach a left swooping crack that has vegetation growing out if it. Climb using the incut holds on either side of the crack, occasionally using the crack at times. Climb until you can make a short traverse left, to a ledge with a dead tree. Set your anchor here. This pitch can be broken up into two pitches, to avoid rope drag, by belaying at a good stance near the dead tree in the crack. Otherwise use a couple of 4 foot runners and deal with the drag.

From the pillar where the regular route traverses left and off, continue up on bolts following the line of Charles Wallace the Party Rabbit. From a belay at 80-90 feet. CWtPR continues straight up while Modern Direct takes a slanting line to the apex of the headwall.

This route has either gear or a bolt every 10-15 feet. Stopper and small cam placements were excavated from the discontinuous cracks in the wall, but bolts were placed whenever the cracks run out for any distance. It is not a run out route, but you will need to spend some time placing gear to sew it up. Take a nut tool in case the cracks fill in again.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Ojibway Peak