Thunder Bay Climbing

Aric Fishman Prism Publishing, 2017

Expansive views out across Lake Superior, a diversity of rock types and climbing styles, and the sense that you’re exploring lands once travelled by First Nations, f ur traders, Nordic settlers, and prospectors. These are among the aspects of climbing revealed in the new expansive guidebook to the Thunder Bay, Ont. area. Local activist and guide, Aric Fishman has done an outstanding job in capturing the spirit the community that developed and continues to develop the many crags to be found within an hour’s drive of the city that once served as the gateway to the Canadian West. At the same time, he has produced a book to contemporary standards of utility and visual expressiveness. Must-do routes are highlighted with outstanding photos, so much so that they make you reconsider plans to travel more brand-name destinations.

Of note is the layering of climbing styles: trad, mixed, sport, and, more lately, multipitch sport. Also conveyed is the sense that this is a region very much in active development with tremendous potential for new routes. Unlocking sequences and placements on the Shield gneiss is art form that favours the bold. If that’s doesn’t suggest booking a f light to yqt, the emergence of many of the new sport routes profiled in this book will.— at the backs of them again. “Too fucking cold,” he mumbled. I sensed he was slightly pissed off. Later that night we sat down to watch some climbing films. We watched a historical piece about an early expedition to Kangchenjunga with members of the Dyhrenfurth family. “norman!” Fred croaked at one point, startling us all. “Owes me 50 bucks!” he shook his fist at