Granary
Granary | N46 16'48" W82 50'24"
Granary Lake is a beautiful lake in Algoma with two excellent longer ice flows, several shorter routes, and great potential for rock climbing. Photo: The north shore cliffs at Granary Lake below as viewed from the access point on the south shore. Go Go Beavers is the big climb just right of centre in the photo; Breaking All the House Rules is further right.
Granary Lake is located in Algoma north of Blind River, midway between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. From Sudbury travel west on Hwy 17 (the Trans-Canada) towards Sault Ste. Marie to Blind River (approximately 160 km). From Blind River head north on Hwy 557, and keep going straight onto Granary Lake Rd when Highway 557 makes a sharp turn to the left (west) about 3 km north of town. Follow Granary Lake Rd. for 12 km then turn right onto Boat Launch road. Follow this road for approximately one km until the public boat launch down on your left. Park here and hike across the lake to the big cliffs on the north shore. It’s about a 15 min walk to the ice, around a km.
Ice Routes
Routes are described from left to right, using Go Go Beavers as a reference point. Go Go Beavers is the first obvious big flow visible on the cliff as you approach it. If it’s not in, the location of the climb can be identified by the waterfall falling down the face over a Canadian flag painted at the top of the cliff.
Easy Pickings | WI3
FA Danylo Darewych/Ray Rutitis February 16 2013
Located at the left end of the cliff on a short cliff band, some 100 m left of Go Go Beavers.
Pitch 1, WI3, 17 m: Start with a 6 m vertical pillar right off the lake and some easier bulges above, then head left on a snowy ledge and up some more easy-angled rolling ice to a belay at a tree.
Pitch 2, WI2+, 12 m: Tromp 30 m through the trees, heading slightly left to the start of the second pitch. Two variations are possible, a left and right, both heading up a series of steps and bulges. Belay at a tree
V0 | WI2-
FA Chai Molina/Tom Kitta February 16 2013
V0 connects a series of discontinuous ice blobs. Start on short (6 m) ice ramp/step about 5 m right of Easy Pickings, belay off a tree. Plod uphill through the snow, bearing slightly right, for some 20 m, then boulder a short, fat pillar of blue ice (3 m). Walk uphill another 15m, and climb another 4 m step to the top of the cliff band. Walk off to climber’s left.
Hero Worship | WI3-
FA Chai Molina/Tom Kitta February 16 2013
A wide fat flow located on the upper cliff band, some 50 m right of the starts of Easy Pickings and V0. Climb a fat flow (10m), easy angled at first, with a vertical step partway up. Walk over a bunch of boulders to a short 3-4 notch/dihedral to the right. A few easy mixed moves on rock and thin ice bring you to a huge belay tree at the top of the cliff band. Chai and Tom climbed Hero Worship after walking off V0, but the logical start would be from the lake on some easy-angled rolling ice (WI2-, 17 m?) directly below Hero Worship.
Polish Direct | WI2
FA Tom Kitta/Chai Molina February 16 2013
The right-side variation to Hero Worship on slightly easier bulges.
Energizer Bunny | WI3 | 14 m
FA Danylo Darewych/David Britnell February 18 2012
Located at the top of the slope to the left of Go Go Beavers, roughly at the same level as the top of the main cliff. Climb up several meters of easy angled ice, then up the vertical top section.
The Sloth | WI1 5.0 | 45 m
FA Danylo Darewych/David Britnell February 18 2012
Start as for Go Go Beavers, but continue up the rising left-trending ramp along the base of the cliff. More of a scramble with very little ice and technical climbing. An interesting way to take a closer look at the rock and remnants of ice, if Go Go Beavers has disintegrated.
Go-Go Beavers | WI3 | 30 m
FA Danylo Darewych/Tiago Varella-Cid/Daniel McKay January 4 2013
The big ice flow at the left end of the main cliff face (visible over the top of the trees as you’re driving down the final section of Granary Lake Road). Crampon up the easy-angled snow/ice slope for 20 m to the base of the vertical ice. Climb straight up. Easier, shorter and fatter on the left; slightly harder and longer on the right (35+ m).
This climb has a consistent, heavy water flow feeding it and faces south, so it falls apart rather quickly after a warm spell. Probably in best shape from mid to late January.
1 The Goot, the Bad and the Ugly | WI3 | 40+ m
FA Randy Kielbasiewicz/Kim Hickman February 15 2014
Start at the far left end of the wide sheet of ice, straight off the lake. Head up to the big ledge and left to a big tree, climb straight up from there.
2 Hats Off to the Sledheads | WI3- | 40+ m
FA Danylo Darewych/Stefan Kloppenborg December 28 2013
Located on the left side of the wide ice flow (on the face 20 m left of the alcove). Climb an initial 7 m near-vertical step straight off the lake to a wide ledge, then follow rolling ice bulges to a final near-vertical exit curtain or pillar.
3 Gong Show | WI 3 | 40+ m
FA Jon Gullet/Graeme Taylor/Randy Kielbasiewicz December 28 2013
Located on the right side of the face (13 m left of the alcove). Start in a small 5 m corner (awkward exit move). An easier ramp to its left is also possible. Head up.
4 Funnilingus | WI 4 | 45 m
FA Joe Palma/Astrid Palantzas February 15 2014
Start a couple of metres right of the corner start of Gong Show. Climb carefully up a steep, thin, curtain (7 m) that spills over a small overhang, then continue on slightly easier ground.
5 Final Frontier | WI5- | 45 m
FA Jon Gullet/David Broadhead February 15 2014
The steepest line on the ice spilling over the face. Climb the straight-up vertical central pillar.
6 Naked Edge | WI4/4+ | 43 m
FA Danylo Darewych/Ray Rutitis February 16 2013
Located on the main wall at the left edge of the alcove (not in the alcove itself). Climb 12 m of off-vertical ice (WI3-) and then up a vertical column (12 m; one decent rest stance) that spills over a roof in the cliff. Finish on some easier angled ice bulges and rolling ice to the top.
7 Speed Bump | WI3+/WI4- | 45 m
FA Chris Talbot/Elaine Taylor February 16 2013
Located in the alcove proper, just to the left of the groove/line of least resistance that is Breaking All the House Rules. Climb a ramp of ice that gets progressively steeper as you get to the top.
8 Breaking All the House Rules | WI3 | 45 m
FA Danylo Darewych/David Britnell February 18 2012
Located in the alcove. Head up over some easy iced-up rock ledges for 10-15 m, then head left up the path of least resistance in a bit of a groove/corner in the ice for another 20 m.
9 …Waive the Rules | WI 3+/4- | 40 m
FA Tiago Varella-Cid/Danylo Darewych/Daniel McKay January 4 2013
The right side exit of the ice flow in the alcove. Start up the easy-angled iced up rock steps as for Breaking All the House Rules, but then head right up an initial 10 m vertical ice section to a ledge, then up another final 8-10 m vertical section to the top.
Easy Pickings and V0
Energizer Bunny
The Sloth
Go Go Beavers
Final Frontier
Funnilingus
Naked Edge and ...Waive the Rules
Speed Bump
...Waive the Rules
1 The Goot, the Bad and the Ugly (not formed in this photo)
2 Hats Off to the Sledheads
3 Gong Show
4 Funnilingus (not quite formed in this photo)
5 Final Frontier (not formed in this photo)
6 Naked Edge
7 Speed Bump
8 Breaking All the House Rules
9 …Waive the Rules
The next two climbs are located side by side another 200-300 m further right (east), past a bit of a point. The lakeside vertical cliff face peters out at this point for a while (it crops up again further along) and is replaced by steep slopes with some broken rock faces. The climbs are found slightly uphill some 50 m back from the lakeshore behind some trees.
Slush Fund | WI3 | 20 m
FA Dave Broadhead/Shaun Parent March 9 2013
Climb a 3 m vertical column, traverse left 12 m to higher 8m flow.
Clueless in Algoma | WI3 | 18m
FA Josh Burden/Danylo Darewych March 9 2013
Climb a tricky, thin 3 m ice step in a corner to a ledge, head left past a small sapling to a fatter, thicker ice flow above.
Slush Fund
