Big New Rockies Alpine Climb

Mark Klassen is one of Canada’s most accomplished new-routers with a number of must-climb lines in the Rockies. Over the past few summers, he’s established a 10- pitch 5.9 on Mount Hector’s south ridge, which he called Apollo. He has climbed the route ground-up with various partners over the years. On some pitches, he rappelled in and cleaned and bolted. “I first envisioned this climb while working at the Lake Louise Ski Area in 1988–1989 but I did not actually investigate the route until a ski tour in April 2014,” said Klassen. “In the summer of 2015, I walked to the base and decided to begin working on it. Although I first envisioned the route I would never have got up it without the help of everyone else who participated.”