The Mount Gimli South ridge is straight up world class. 5.9 steep, juggy climbing on perfect interesting rock. Pretty crazy really how with such a good route there is really no one in the area! …except lots of friendly goats!.
Here is the abbreviated low down on the approach and the route. Do your self a favor and tag this on to the “to do” list this summer.
Drive: South of Revelstoke to Slocan (2:30h depending on ferries) Head up a logging road for another hour to the trail head. Heads up as the road is pretty over grown so i woudnt recommend driving your new shiny car!
Approach: 700m up over a few km. Pretty damn easy. 1 - 2 hours depending on pack size.
Route: Start up the ridge feature you have been starting at for the last half an hour of the hike. 8 pitches up the 5.9. We climbed the route in 5 with a 70m rope. The first pitch in my opinion is the hardest by a lot so dont be discouraged if it give you a tough time. It gets easier!
Pitch 1: 5.9 (really 5.10) tight corner/hang crack to physical under clinging 45m. Fixed anchor
Pitch 2: 5.7 cruising up jugs and cracks. Lots of good rock horns to sling for an anchor
Pitch 3/4: 5.8 A bit tricky to figure out where to go but up a face move to a pin then either straight up a corner and roof or out right to easier terrain. Here you can either do a shorter pitch and belay off a horn or run it out 70m so a big ledge.
Pitch 5/6: 5.7 Either 2 35-40m pitches up mellow terrain or one long one to obvious corner topped with a roof.
Pitch 7: 5.10 Easy corner to a crimpy roof traverse out left. Good gear in the roof keeps you nicely on top rope! Good jugs just out of sight 😉
Pitch 8: Easy to the summit
Decent: 50 meter from the summit cairn find another small cairn and follow a faint trail down the ridge heading south (right) As the ridge starts to flatten out take a gully out right until you can cross the main bowl separating the S and West ridge. At the bottom right hand you will find a fixed anchor to make a 4m rappel. End up 100m from the base of the route (1 hour)
Gear: Normal rack to 3” doubles of hand sizes Bring lots of runners as the gear is a bit wandering.
http://home/altusmou/public_html.summitpost.org/gimli-south-ridge/538351
other things to climb:
http://home/altusmou/public_html.summitpost.org/4-climbs-in-the-valhallas-gimli-niselheim-asgard-gladsheim/547730
