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Kananaskis Country extends along the eastern fringe of the Canadian Rockies,
south of the Bow Valley. Unlike the climbing in the Bow Valley which is
mostly in canyons, the climbing in Kananaskis is generally on the many
cliffs on the foothills of the Rockies. The bluffs are not as steep or
pocketed, and the climbing tends to be more technical than strenuous.
Most
of the crags offer primarily single pitch routes, though Yamnuska, the
first major wall seen driving west from Calgary has a number of outstanding
multi-pitch routes of a few hundred metres.
Access
Most of the crags in K-country are accessed from highway 40. Yamnuska, Kid Goat and Nanny Goat, on the north side of the Bow Valley, are accessed from highway 1A. Moose Mountain, Prairie Creek and White Buddha are all accessed from highway 66 (the Bragg Creek road). Burstall Slabs is on Spray Lakes Road between the Kananskis highway (40) and Canmore.
Weather
The crags in Kananaskis are among the best early and late season crags. Although they are subject to the same unpredictable weather patterns as the rest of the Rockies, it is often possible to start climbing in early April, as soon as the snow melts enough to make the approaches reasonable. Barrier in particular is one of the best early season crags.
The Climbing
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Yamnuska |
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Well known for it’s many excellent multi-pitch routes, the 500 metre south facing wall of Yamnuska has been one of the hot spots of climbing activity for many years. Note that the climbs on Yam are not sport routes, they are long, serious climbs. Due to rock fall hazard a helmet is strongly advised on Yamnuska. |
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Kid Goat and Nanny Goat |
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Two crags on the southeast face of Goat Mountain, both offering a number of decent climbs at a moderate grade. Note that for Nanny Goat some gear is required for most of the climbs. |
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Barrier |
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One of the larger Kananaskis crags, with well over 100 routes. The north end of the cliff has a number of 2 to 4 pitch gear routes, most at a moderate grade. The south end of the crag is mostly sport, offering a number of great climbs in the 5.9 to 5.12 range. Barrier is one of the best crags in the early season, and occasionally escapes the afternoon showers which plague the mountains in the early summer. |
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Cowbell Crag |
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An anomaly amongst the limestone crags of the Rockies, Cowbell Crag is on a conglomerate bluff 10 km north of Highwood Junction. The crag is characterized by thin to medium sized cracks, and nearly all of the climbs require gear. The grades are generally 5.10 and below. |
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Prairie Creek |
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Well worth the 40 minute approach. Steep, featured limestone cliffs look down on Prairie Creek flowing through the valley bottom. Most of the good climbs are 5.11 and above. Because it faces north and often gets a breeze, Prairie is a good place for hot days. |
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White Buddha |
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A bouldering crag one valley south of Prairie creek. Park in the parking lot just past the Prairie Creek pullout and head up the dirt road for a couple kilometres, then head up the steep hill to the north to reach the cliff. The problems do not generally top out, but finish at a line of huge jugs half way up the cliff. A number of problems from V1 to V7. |
