FRANCO MC CLIMBER'S GUIDE TO THE OBSCURE AND UNPUBLISHED

 Two , two pitch climbs have been established on the far west end of the west phantom bluffs as the wall wraps up into the Aquarius drainage.   Choss Pirates 5.6   2 pitch  MIXED a couple bolts.  Just as the wall wraps into the canyon you will see a corner with some less than appealing rock at the base.    Solo to the high first bolt ( watch the mank) and follow a kinda cool corner ( avoid the left side..you'll see) to a perch. Make a move right,  up easy stone to the anchors.   Make some funky fun moves off the belay and find the top few bolts of dirty pearl to finish.     Dirty Pearl 5.8 ( with a 10a start)  2 Pitch BOLTED 55m  Steep move off the ground, follow the near perfect limestone to the top ! Rap down.  I also started a.climb in the area and i got shut down.  There is 2 bolts to nothing.   Oh well. Cant win em all.   

 This place is sandstone, small, and a nice place to climb practically year round.   There are a few routes setup for leading but walking around and setting up a tr is the best method.    Approach is about 5 min from the car.  Excellent sun exposure.   Located on the south facing grassy slope above where the 40 and coal camp road meet.   The rock is better than it looks from the road, and better quality than it probably should be.    Although, care must be taken when climbing cuz things do happen.   More routes are likely to be established in the near future with topos !  Winter rock is not a world class destination by any means.  But ease of access and year round climbing make it worth a little stop if you are in the area.   Nice for a pump in the off season.   Could also be a great spot to teach some rapelling.  

5 pitches are installed about 200 foot to the right of butterhole.  The top of the 5th pitch was some of the most downright frightening stuff I've ever led.  Got scared and have not been back since.     Its currently only done up to that point but more pitches certainly await above.  So i gotta wait on a final pitch count.  I dont necessarily recommend it at the moment unless runout, sketchy, barely bolted climbing with little information is your thing.    But its in and 6 pitches are "bolted" if you are feeling bold.   The belay atop the shitty third pitch are behind the big blocks. On the left side.  I'd not go up there without a bolt kit and a bunch of pins.  Wanna help me finish it ?? 

A direct variation has been bolted to the right of the butterhole.   5.9, 5.7, 5.10a .  It is called BUTTERHOLE DIRECT  Fa.  Adam matias and brendan clark and ben strachan.  July 2020.  The start is located about 25 m to the right if butterhole just along a short ledge.   Start in a small corner with a steep step to gain the first bolt.  It carries up 3 pitches and then meets up with the third pitch of BH.   The variation is set up for 30 m raps.  DO NOT KILL YOURSELF.   The raps are about 29.5 meters each.  You better knot those ends son or yer gonna die !  The standard rap for butterhole is always an option as well.  And guess what... its still not a sport climb.   If you are not really solid you might die.   The risk is real.  Big falls, run out.  Dont be a pooner.   There are now 8 pitches established on this fantastic moderate face.    More to come.  

NOTE-  THE GIRL MADE A AN EXCELLENT PDF WRITE UP WITH PICS FOR BUTTERHOLE.     https://drive.google.com/file/d/115KQYqcm8pSxUsI0_qJdEOPUy0wSXCT6/view Pitch 1 -  a rather high first bolt leads up to a short blocky steep wall.   Make somewhat commiting moves and overtake the blocks on the right.  A few short moves back left take you to a small bay (bolt).  Continue up on good rock to a set of rings on a ledge.  5.5 Pitch 2 - follow a short corner up and left of the belay.  Clip the bolt and make your way (runout) right up to a sneaky slab move.   Above this , make your way up great juggy fun rock to rings on the ledge. 5.7. ( this pitch is known to be the most run out )  Pitch 3- off the belay, follow the corner right.   Follow the bolts up and head to the base of a steep wall.  Tackle the steep wall and follow hard to believe holds up and slightly left to a slabby section. There is an intermediate rap anchor just above the steep section.  Ignore these and run it out to the legde

This spring 2019,  some new routing and route-tro fitting has been taking place on WINDY WALL at barrier bluffs.  Continue past yellow wall headed west and find the routes on the right. It is my overall ethic to bolt some new routes, and to re discover old classics.  No old trad routes are to be bolted and bolts only to be placed where necessary. Such as replacing fixed pins with a shiny bolt.  Im certain these routes are not true first ascents as kelly tobey i am sure has climbed every inch of that wall.  But i need to call em something. Piso mojado (5.8) is the second line of bolts after drifters escape.   Kinda steep, juggy and a sting at the end.  New route!  Its short but sweet.   Shortly further on the right is a quality little jug tug called taco time (5.7)  new route !  6 bolts carries you up to the right of the slightly overhanging crack of sounds like sex which is a quality gear line and one that you should try. A foray has been made to clean up square root of p

Hello climbing world.   There is a 2 pitch 5.7 ish route located next to the route, mail order drill.    In fact, they share the same first bolt !  The climb is an easy little 2 pitch endavour thats all bolted.   So the gully has a bit more to offer people coming down.  Its a nice little climb for people starting climbing multis.  Its doable with a 60, and about 12 draws.  Some long ones too .    The first pitch is harder and was rap bolted.  The second pitch is a tad easier and was bolted ground up.   Watch for loose rock, but we did clean it already.  Havr fun and be safe.   RETURN TO SENDER. 5.7 ISH 55 METERS. 

When you first drive into the ghost, this striking crack line can not be missed.   There is a good picture of it in the new ghost river guidebook somewhere. If somebody out there in the climbing world knows if this has been done before, some info would be appreciated. This past thursday, jon and I decided to make an attempt on the east face of phantom tower. The route is to the left of texas peapod and to the right of the Vicia. Likely is the easiest multi in the  south ghost.  5.7 for most of it with the odd section of 5.8. All of the belays were either off trees, or a self drive and a combination of gear. I will try to give an appropriate breakdown of the pitches. Here is a quick shot of High and Dry. The red line is where to climb-ish and the yellow dots are where to belay-ish. .  HIGH AND DRY ( 5.7+) 220 METERS   F.A.  JON PREVOST AND ADAM MATIAS  EARLY SEPT 2017 Approach as for east face of phantom tower.  Scramble up through some trees to gain the base

WELCOME TO WEST PHANTOM BLUFFS This lesser known area started to see development in 2015 with myself and Jon Prevost spearheading most of the development. UPDATE SEPT 2023 -smoother never got the chain added.  Use big caution.  3 new moderates on the far , far left end.  Portuguese thunder has a original and a new direct finish.   I gotta install anchors at the top of a bit of mustard.  Use the ketchup anchors till i get it done.    NEW ROUTE ! OCT 2023   Hot Croissant  10B OR C ish 30m 1 or 2 pitches depends on how ya wanna slice it up.   Located just to the left of BACKWOODS LOVECHILD. ALL BOLTED   The cliff faces almost due south and gets great sun exposure.  There is a waterfall ( malignant mushroom) that is a great way to cool off when it gets hot about 1 min down the trail.  This creek also allows an unlimited water supply if you bring a filter ( recommended)  and it keeps your beer cold ! I often stash beer in the creek so please dont drink my beer if you find it.  

DREAMS OF JAMAICA WI 3 100 METERS F.A  J.PREVOST AND A.MATIAS MARCH 2015 We do believe that this is the newest discovered ice in the North Ghost. Although, Frank Campell is a machine and I would not be too surprised to hear that he did climb it.  If this route has been done before, i will credit the due parties. So after a camping trip at Claw creek, we were wondering what was further up the north ghost valley. .  and off we went We hiked in to the last drainage on the north side of the valley. It was the 3rd ? big valley after claw creek.  There was a very solid flow making its way down to valley bottom. This was all we needed. For sake of a name, we called it jon's canyon.  So, off we went.  The hike in is up a boulder choked gulley, but its okay going.  after about 30 min, we saw the first chunk of ice and it was fat and blue. about a 15 meter grade 3+. not climbed yet. So we headed up the slot and went hunting some more. About 5 min after this first drip (whi

New Route I discovered On Nov 11 2014              Meghan, Jon and I discovered this gem tucked back into k country earlier this week.   It looks wild.   Although, im aware that other people have seen this roof, nobody seemed to mention the crazy ass line that is just waiting to be picked. On an ice climbing flop, we decided to go for a hike instead.   What we found is almost unlike anything i have seen in the rockies to date.   There are hand cracks, finger cracks, thin fingers and what i certainly see as almost an offwidth.  And the angle of the thing is very in your face.  Its up for debate if the climb will go ground up.  The crack is full of dirt and moss in the upper section,  but the crack is almost perfect under the roof.  Needless to say, this will be a future project for me.  I dont think it will need any bolts at all.. perhaps one or two but time will tell.    From what we could see standing under this monster, there is potential for lots of gear.  I do hope this

MY OBSCURE COLLECTION I am certain this post will be ever expanding. 1.  EXSHAW CRAG -  This is a fantastic off season climbing venue.  Literally 5 min to the cliff, all day sun and not too bad rock. It is located just behind exshaw !   its a small scrappy little thing that is easily seen.   maybe a scattering of 10 routes up there.   Never seen or heard of this thing before.  It is a great winter climbing crag if the sun is out. 2.  RATS NEST CANYON -  Went for a jaunt up past the cave.   Found some nice big boulders ( apparently have been climbed before) . .and limited opportunity for rock.  although, some decent patches are there.. In the back ( amphitheater) there is definitly a mixed climbing venue and some waterfalls that are definitly not visible from the road. what is this place called ? who put it up ? i have a feeling, its a local , or an abandoned crag.     and whats up with the bolts around rats nest cave ? 4.  YAM BLUFFS -  Also a good choice for wanti

In for the 8 count 5.6 /R Weclome to Prized Fighter Slab. This Squamish apron look alike is nestled back in Kananaskis Country. I was lucky enough to get the first ascent on this wall with Rick Felber and Meghan.  The first route was done onsight / ground up in the fall of 2013 4 pieces in 50 meters.. not exactly my stlye, but i dont mind too much.. There is a set of anchors for anybody looking to give it a shot. bring half ropes. This wall is located 90 min up rocky creek. cant miss it as one rounds the final corner..  The route we did was on the extreme right hand end where the cliff is smaller.. Potential and a lot of it.  The smallest line we did was 50 meters, and the wall gets much taller than that..   There are cool cracks, corners, runnels and great featured slab all over.  One could estimate there could be over 30 routes on this face.  Anybody wanna help ? Also in the area there is prized fighter wall.  Host to potentially some routes in the 11+ range ?

Mail Order Drill 5.9   John and I completed this route in June of 2014.   It was our first multi-pitch climb.   It is located right in the descent gully between kid goat and nanny goat.     It is steeper than most think.  The rising crack on the first pitch is very cool and not a cake walk for the grade.   The rock is decent, and the climbing fun.  It's been modified to accomodate 60m ropes.    Bring some long runners to minimize the drag on the first pitch.  PITCH ONE - A short 5.3 solo leads you to a self drive.  Head up prickly, kinda tricky but positive slab to a bolt at the base of an appealing angled finger crack.  Clip the bolt and make for the crack.   Some burly and somewhat exposed moves take you to a perma draw.  Make a little move up and left to a good rest.  Follow the insanely prickly slab to an anchor on a ledge 5.9 +  great pitch.  PITCH 2 - juggy and positive moves off the belay lead into a textured and featured slab.  Climb the steepening wall through a fu