Ontario’s Lakeside Cabin

The Bon Echo hut

on Mazinaw Lake is one of the go-to destinations for climbers from Toronto. A 100 - metre wall on the lake’s edge is the adventure climber’s paradise. Because of the nature of the rock, most climbs follow weaknesses that angle from right to left. There are routes up to 5.12 and the 5.6s are stout. Let’s just say the grades are old school. The hut on the lake is about a three-hour drive from Toronto plus a lake crossing. There is a wood burning stove, a f ire pit and ever ything else you would expect at an Ontario lakeside cabin.

The Alpine Club of Canada’s Toronto section owns the hut and operates a boat to br ing climbers to and from the climbs. The hut is an excel lent place to meet other climbers and get infor mation on access and the rock routes. The hut has a great place to go swimming and cool of f after climbing, hiking and a wood-f ired sauna. If you are interested in going for a weekend, you’ l l have to cal l the hut custodian to infor m them about the par ticular weekend you are planning by Thursday night to ar range a pickup at the public dock.

Climbing at Bon Echo is intert wined with the histor y of the Toronto section of the acc. The f irst club tr ip was in 1956. Over the next few years, the easy lines were climbed.