Native Stones

CHINOOK CLIMBING

While many non-calgarians think of the city as a cold place from November until April, there are brief periods of relief that come in the form of chinook winds. And when the temperature rises above freezing and the sun is out, Wasootch Slabs is one of the first crags to dry off.

Wasootch Slabs has a number of sport climbs, but most will know the area as a top-roping crag. There’s a big collection of 5.4 to 5.6 routes, but that shouldn’t scare off those looking for warm south-facing walls with sunny exposure. There are some stipple slab lines up to hard 5.11 that will keep

your toes and calves engaged. Most slabs are named after letters and the farther back you travel the less polished the routes. Above the creek is Wasootch Tower, which has a six-pitch 5.9 old-school trad route.

The approach only takes a few minutes along a creek bed and the views of Mount Kidd are stunning. If you’re in the Rockies for some ice climbing late this winter and there’s a chinook, leave the ice gear behind and head to Wasootch for some warm stone.

Getting There

Take the Kananaskis Highway (Highway 40) exit off of the Trans-canada Highway between Calgary and Canmore. Travel past Barrier Lake on your right and Mount Baldy on the left as you are heading southbound. Park at the Wasootch Creek Day Use Area on your left. Follow the faint trail up the creek to A Slab.—gripped

Left: Ingrid Mckibbin at Wasootch Slabs Chinook winds, also just called Chinooks, are föhn winds in the interior west of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet the mountains. A strong föhn wind can melt 30 cm of snow in a day. Chinooks have been known to raise winter temperature from below -20 C to as high as 20 C for a few hours or days.

Ingrid Mckibbin at Wasootch Slabs