Quebec Ice Climbing
Jeff Mercier Climbs Classic Routes
Jeff Mercier is arguably one of the best ice and mixed climbers ever. He currently lives in Chamonix as a mountain guide and rescue instructor with pghm
(the Chamonix mountain police), but has been making annual trips to Canada for the past few years. He joined the French national team at 23, has onsighted 5.13,
climbed WI7 M8R, made the first spur-less ascent of one of the hardest mixed routes in the world, Jedi Mind Tricks M14, climbed A4 big wall routes and countless committing alpine routes. He’s also no stranger to the competition circuit either, winning the 2008 Ouray Ice Festival and having multiple podium finishes in ice, mixed and drytooling events around the world.
“At the beginning I was basically involved in rock climbing, then I started dabbling in a bit of everything,” he said. “Here in the Alps, a lot of routes that were generally climbed with a lot of aid, make for great drytooling lines. They test
the climber’s skills in a environment more serious than a drytooling cave. That’s how we climbed routes like Gabarrou-silvy on the Aiguille Sans Nom and the Dru Couloir Direct. That’s the future of alpinism.”
With sends of routes like The Game M13 in Canada and La Lyre VI WI7, 550 m, at Fer à Cheval, it’s fair to say Mercier knowns his way around big winter lines. He made the first ascent of Ghost Dogs WI6XR M5, 750 m, at Sass Pordoi and Die-hard V/5+ M7 90°, 600 m, on Aiguille des Pèlerins. In Canada, he’s established routes in the Canadian Rockies with Ian Welsted and has climbed most of the classic winter ice lines. “I’m fresh off a two-week trip to Quebec,” said Mercier last winter after his Canadian trip. “It was my fifth adventure in Canada, but my second to Quebec. It’s different from Alberta; less climbers means less beta and no trails to reach the bottom of the climbs. That means a big effort every day.” Mercier’s trips to Alberta have yielded many impressive new routes, including Mix Fix M7, 150 m, that he established with Jon Walsh in Protection Valley, north of Castle Mountain. Mercier also climbed Real Big Drip with a partner from Europe, Ian Welsted and Marc-andre Leclerc. During the same year, Mercier and Welsted climbed a new x-rated mixed climb that links the top of Red Man Soars with Whiteman Falls in Opal Creek. The three-pitch route involved bold and dangerous drytooling.
As Welsted recalled, “I was enjoying watching Jeff’s skilled climbing as he started up the initial layback thin crack, making it all look so easy. But even Jeff had
“Pont Rouge doesn’t have great rock, but it does have some of the steepest bolted routes east of the Canadian Rockies.”
known what yellow rock usually means in the Rockies, and the fine thin crack led only to a chossy roof. Suddenly a stream of rock came cascading down as he made the most athletic moves of the day. He had the presence of mind to take out the piton hammer and swing away at the choss, clearing the way to pull over the roof. Balancy crampon smears gave way to a bit of burliness. I prepared a joke about super strong Frenchmen who tag up half the rack mid-pitch and are sponsored by Totem cams, but the climbing was obviously too serious for that.”
Mercier said that during his first visit to Quebec, “the temperature has been cold, around -15 or -20 C every day.” So instead of chasing narrow pillars, they climbed classics like Pilier Simon Proulx above the Sainte Marguerite lake, Sept Iles. He then visited Le Mur du 51, which is close to the Nipississ River. “To reach it, we had to take the train to Schefferville, and after 51 miles we asked the guys working for the train company if they knew it and they did. We stayed for two days in this place; the routes are not so long but it gives you pleasure to climb in the middle of nowhere. Probably, the next destination to add to your to-do list on a Quebec trip – I highly recommend it.”
He returned in 2018 with a handful of partners and Calgary photographer Tim Banfield. During his visit, he climbed a handful of steep classic routes and new mixed lines. At Pont Rouge, he made the first ascent of Snow Storm M8 WI6, which was bolted by Dany Julien. Mercier also climbed few of Stas Beskin’s newer routes, including Songs of Norway M8 WI6 and Reborn M8 WI6. “Pont Rouge is under going a new route and retro bolt revival bringing life back to an area that has been passed-by since the end of Festiglace,” said Banfield.
Pont Rouge doesn’t have great rock, but it does have some of the steepest bolted routes east of the Canadian Rockies. The climbs
are located in the limestone canyon formed by the Jacques-cartier River. At any time, the big pillars can snap and the river has been known to flood due to down-stream ice dams. One of the most important tools you can bring is a pair of snowshoes to help with the deep snow.
They team also visited Saguenay Fjords National park, Lac Walker and Montmorency, three must-visit ice climbing area. Montmorency was first visited by climbers in 1970 with the first ascents of L’entonner WI3, 110 m, Le Pilier direct WI4+, Super Momo WI4, Super Wet W3+ and La Dame Blache WI3+. In 1975, Claude Berube and Leopold Nadeau climbed Le Pilier Central WI4+ and Le Pilier de Cristal WI4+. A number of mixed lines have been established, including La Decongelee M5+, La Molson Dry Tooling M5+ and Kouba
M6X. The rock around the falls mark the eastern end of the Canadian Shield which formed one billion years ago. Mercier led up the steepest pillar of the famous icefall, running his screws out to a near-groundfall distance.
In Saguenay Fjords National Park, they climbed the famous Les Piliers du Temple WI5. The monster ice route provided ample photogenic opportunities for Banfield to capture Mercier flowing up the climb. And at Lac Walker, Mercier climbed the amazing 220-metre WI5+ called Capteur de Reve. Yan Mongrain and Guy Lacelle climbed it in 2005, but it likely went unrepeated until 2014, when Jasmin Fauteux visited the area. “As we arrived at the head of Lake Walker, Quebec’s deepest lake, we were disappointed to find no signs of passage on the lake,” said Fauteux. “Tales of friends telling me how dangerous and thin the ice can be had us deciding not to venture onto it. I decided to go have a look anyway, not my proudest moment, but returned with the good news. The climb was the most esthetic line any of us had ever seen. All the belays were hanging and our calves were sore for days. The climb of a lifetime.”
Mercier is likely to return to Canada many more times in the years to come, bringing his world-class skills to some of Canada’s most epic and remote winter lines.—bp
“[Le Mur du 51] is the next destination to add to your to-do list on a Quebec trip – I highly recommend it.”