This route up Ha Ling has some very good climbing and surprisingly solid rock for not having been cleaned. The upper pitches are particularly good. On the other hand, creative gear placement skills are required and there is some loose and runout climbing on the easier sections. At least 1 pitch of this route had been climbed before but no details are known.

First Ascent: Jay Mills & Steph Kish – June, 2015

Approach: As for the popular Ha Ling NE Face Route (5.6) but scramble up the slabs to a lone tree about 100m left of the first easy slab pitches of the NE face route.

Route:
P1 (5.7, 45m): From the tree, climb the left facing corner on the left until it steepens, then move up and left to a ledge and build a belay.
P2 (5.6, 45m): Traverse right on the ledge until able to move up a corner, then up and right to another corner, and up and left to a grassy ledge. Move left on the ledge past a big block and belay in the right facing corner.
P3 (5.8, 55m): Move up and slightly left into the nice right facing corners. Climb these to there top and then exit left to a low angle groove/ramp that leads down left to the scree. Use the terrain to belay, or if you aren’t comfortable with that dig around until finding some gear placements (probably would need pitons).

Scramble down the ramp and cross the scree to the base of the right hand of the two big corner features on the upper wall. Start a ways to the right so that the leader can trend left on the next pitch and avoid knocking rocks on the belayer. You can also skip the first 3 pitches and scramble around left up to this point.

P4 (5.8, 45m): Climb up and left over easy but loose rock to an old piton, then step left to another old piton. Work your way up a bit then trend left to a belay ledge with 1 self-drive bolt from an earlier unknown attempt (or possibly successful ascent??).
P5 (5.9, 50m): Up past another self-drive bolt that someone appeared to have retreated from, and into the crux moves above. Continue up the excellent corner above for as long as you want until finding a good spot to belay.
P6 (5.7, 40m): Climb the rest of the nice corner to a small scree bowl.

Continue up 4th class terrain for a rope length or two to the top.

Descent: Follow all the hikers down the huge trail to the road.

Rack: Cams to #4, with doubles to #1 or 2 and some TCU’s. Nuts. Lots of long draws. We had pitons and didn’t use them, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some in case you had to retreat or wanted to reduce some of the runouts.

Another fun new route up Ha Ling that can be mixed and matched with Whatever Floats Your Goat (previous route).  Takes a somewhat harder line on both sections of the wall.

First Ascent: Kris Irwin, Jay Mills – June, 2015

Approach: As for the popular Ha Ling NE Face Route (5.6) but scramble up the slabs to a lone tree about 100m left of the first easy slab pitches of the NE face route.

Route:
P1 (72m, 5.10b): Climb straight up from the lone tree in a small right facing corner.  2 fixed pitons.  At 60m move left to belay on a grassy ledge. 

P2 (55m, 5.8): This is the same as pitch 3 on Whatever Floats Your Goat.  Climb up nice right facing corners to their top and then exit left to a low angle groove/ramp that leads down left to the scree. Use the terrain to belay, or if you aren’t comfortable with that dig around until finding some gear placements (probably would need pitons).

Scramble across the scree bowl to the base of the obvious corner/crack system left of the previous route (see photos).

P3 (55m, 5.9+): Starting from the left, work your way up and right into the corner and follow it until able to follow a crack up and left to a belay ledge.

P4 (35m, 5.8): Climb the right facing corner up and left to it’s top, then traverse and ledge back right to regain the main corner system.  A more direct line looks possible for the upper part of P3 and P4.

P5 (65m, 5.7): Climb the corner until almost at it’s top, then climb up and left to reach scrambling terrain. 

Descent: Follow all the hikers down the huge trail to the road.

Rack: Cams to 4″, with doubles to 2″ and some TCU’s. Nuts. Lots of long draws. A few pitons.  At least 70m ropes.

A fun route with good rock and reasonable protection. Located on the wall across the highway from Mosquito Creek campground and hostel. From the highway the dark left facing corners of the route are just visible to the right of the main waterworn dark streak on the wall. The route currently has no bolts but if anyone climbs it and wants to add anchors that’s fine with me.  Proboscisized is how we felt as the swarms of mosquitos in July had their way with us!

First Ascent: Steph Kish & Jay Mills – July, 2015

Approach: From the parking lot cross the highway and follow a trail along the left side of mosquito creek. Once you are close to the wall leave the trail and aim for the route. Scramble up gullies for about 100m to the base of the dark corners (4th class if you weave back and forth on the easiest line). About an hour from the highway to the start of the route.

Route: Follow the main corner for 2 pitches, 5.8+. There is one fixed pin at a good belay ledge on the left 50m up. On the 3rd pitch continue up the right hand corner until many options present themselves. Go up and right following a series of corners to nice belay spots on grassy ledges. Choose your own adventure for the 4th and final easy pitch, but we went back up and left and easily found a belay in the limestone above.

Descent: We walked left along the scree ledge and rappelled a steep line as marked in photo wth small arrow. Not recommended, we were just looking for other potential routes. Descending to the right via scrambling and rappelling off trees looks easier. Rappelling the route wouldn’t be too bad either.

Rack: Set and a half of cams to 4”, nuts, a few pitons recommended. Two ropes also recommended.

Makes a good linkup with Wasootch Tower.  Has some fun climbing but also some very runout and loose sections.  Could clean up nicely with some traffic.  Better than the route to the left (Limber).  It follows the largest and most obvious corner system on the wall, which is visible from the Kananaskis Highway up and right from Wasootch Tower.

First Ascent: Jay Mills, John Wilson – July, 2021

Approach: Either climb Wasootch tower and traverse over from there or use Wasootch tower’s descent trail to access the wall.  Scramble to the right along the base of the wall to a patch of trees that is right of the big upper corners.

Route:
P1 (35m, 5.6): From the left edge of the tree patch climb the obvious water runnel type feature.  Where it steepens go left up easy but loose & runout slabs.  Belay below a small overhang at a fixed pin.

P2 (55m, 5.6): Pass the small overhang on the left then head up and right over lots of loose rock to a tree ledge.

P3 (30m, 4th): Scramble left along the treed scree ledge to a horn belay below an overhang.

P4 (50m, 5.7): Up the short chimney then into to the huge corner system above.  Follow the corner until the second cave feature and belay with large cams.

P5 (50m, 5.7): Continue up the corner until it splits into three corners and then belay out right at a flake/crack on a grassy ledge.

P6 (50m, 5.7): Traverse left to the leftmost of the three corner options then follow it to the top.

Descent: Either scramble to the top of Wasootch peak and use it’s scramblers route to descend towards the Nakiska turnoff or descend the ridge towards the highway from the summit with more difficulties.  Alternately go down the unpleasant scree gully from the top of the route.

Rack: Cams to 4″ with extras to 2″, nuts, LA’s and Angle pitons.

A rambly route up the prow of the wall facing Wasootch Tower.  Not much real climbing but a nice setting and it gets you to a summit!

First Ascent: Jay Mills, Eammon Walsh – Aug, 2021

Approach: Either climb Wasootch tower and traverse over from there or use Wasootch tower’s descent trail to access the wall.  The route starts on the prow of rock directly above the ridge connecting the wall to Wasootch Tower.

Route:
P1 (40m, 5.5): Climb up the prow going right to avoid some steeper spots.  Belay in a crack on mossy ledges just right of center.

P2 (65m, 5.5): Move up an right, then straight up, then up and right again following the easiest line to a larger grassy ledge by some trees.

P3 (45m, 5.4): Move around right to easy terrain and inta a groove/water funnel.  Belay on the left part way up the runnel.

P4 (50m, 5.4): Finish up the last part of the runnel to easy terrain.

Either walk up a gully on the right or:

P5 (30m, 5.6): Climb a nice right facing corner crack to the top.  Best pitch of the route.

Either scramble to the top of Wasootch peak and use it’s scramblers route to descend towards the Nakiska turnoff or descend the ridge towards the highway from the summit with more difficulties.  Alternately go down the unpleasant scree gully from the top of the route.

Rack: Cams to 4″ with extras to 2″, nuts, 1 piton was used but could do without.