We are pleased to announce that in late June 2017, Oli Ouellette made the first free ascent of Monoceros (5.12a – 4 Pitches) in North Walls of the Stawamus Chief. Details below.
Monocero (5.12a – 4 Pitches)
Pitch 1: Climb the first pitch on New Life.
Pitch 2: Traverse right for 10 meters. The anchor is on the other side of the gap. It is recommended to clip the first bolt of the next pitch to belay the second, but it should be fine anyway. No gear needed for this pitch. The pins are bomber, clip them short. They will be replaced with a bolt eventually.
Pitch 3: 50+ meters, midway gear anchor is possible. 12 bolts and single cams from 0.3 to #1 Camalot. Straight up the arête
Pitch 4: 30 meters. Mostly steep hands plus an horizontal finger traverse. Ignore the hanging belay station, go to the top. Same gear as New Life’s P1.
Descent
Update: Comments on facebook suggest that a 70 meter rope just makes it with suggestions to use 70 meter rope and tie knots.
Rap the route Nanook to Blackalicious (single pitch to the right of Tall Skinny People). Just go straight down.
Gear summary : Whatever you’d take for New life’s first pitch plus a few more quickdraws (12 minimum, 14 or more is best).
Notes:
The climb is interesting : going over Tall Skinny People, long sporty arrête climbing, good steep crack. The difficulties in p2 and P3 are sustained, but not strenuous. The harder parts are bolted, the trad climbing is 5.10 at the most. Impossible to get lost on it. The climbis in the shade until later in the afternoon. You will prefer a cooler day for better friction. But don’t worry, it’s not slaby 🙂
Thanks to M. Blais and Sébastien Tanguay who helped a lot with the cleaning. Also to Jean-simon Grenier for coming to check it out 8 years ago. Thanks to Trevor MacDonald for leaving a fixed line on the top for 10 years ! Thanks to Jeremy Blumel who told me it was lame to pendulum to it and made me find a way to get to the arrete free. Thanks to Eric Young who came getting my rope back. Thanks to Éliel Bureau-Lafontaine who came to try it and proved that anyone 5 foot 4 or taller can do it. So there you go Logan Barber. Thanks to Tony McLane for trying the onsight! Thanks Jon for the gun and the stokes! Matthew Waring, there you go, a new arrête to climb!