Wakonassin

Wakonassin | N46 39'04" W81 59'23"

From the town of Webbwood, 75 km west of Sudbury, head north along the Agnew Lake Road for 6 km, then turn left onto the West Branch Road. This is a wide, well-maintained logging road that runs north for 159 km. Continue up the West Branch Road and you will reach the AOC parking area at 32.5 kms at marker 126. Continue past AOC for another 7.5 km then take a right at the Y junction onto Charcoal Road. Proceed up Charcoal Road for 8.5 km where on your left you'll see 10 jack pine in a plowed clearing in the replanted trees. In the distance to your left, you'll see Big Knob crag. Turn left onto this road and continue for 1.8 km where you'll then turn right at a smaller camping site road. Head up the hill and all the way to the end, about 0.5 km. You'll see Rainbow Wall up to your left and to your right, Wako. This is the frequent climbers' camping spot. At the camping spot you will find a wide jeep trail that will bring you into the bouldering area and the the base of Embarrassment of Riches. There is a great swimming hole if you don't turn right onto the camping site road but continue to the end of this road for approximately 0.5 km. Park here and hike west down a small ravine to a small rapid at a creek.

A Note on Peregrine Falcons

Be aware of peregrine falcons at Wako. You will likely hear the peregrines screeching away as you climb, Wako being another one of the crags where they nest. They generally don’t bother climbers, however, please be aware that the peregrine falcon incubating/nesting/rearing season can run from April to the end of July/early August and that it’s a good idea to stay far away from their nest, should it be in the vicinity of a climb. Climbing at a different crag is always a safe bet if the birds get agitated.

A Note on Bouldering

There is an abundance of boulders and future problems at the base of Wako. See bottom of page for the bouldering guide. The landings are incredibly flat and safe on many of the boulders. We foresee this as being a premium area for bouldering in the future. If you establish any problems please photograph, document and pass the information on to us as we will compile and create a page for them.

A Note on Ice Climbing

During winter, the West Branch of Agnew lake road is plowed to the Y junction at Charcoal rd turn as described above in the directions. From here it is approximately 12 km to the base of the cliff. It's a haul on skis or snowshoes but an easy jaunt on snowmobile. You can easily snowmobile to the bouldering area down the jeep trail.

Rainbow Wall | N46 39'20" W81 59'20"

This crag can be easily seen from the camping area as you look north up the hill. There is no cut trail going up to this wall, but there is an old overgrown road between all the wild raspberry bushes as you walk uphill in what we call the Valley of the Bees due to the amount of wildflowers and bees enjoying their pollen that we first experienced upon our first ascent of Arc En Ciel Deux.

1 Arc En Ciel Deux | 5.10d | Trad

FFA Marco Foladore/Laura Schmidt August 2017

An homage to the original Arc En Ciel that is found on the Sturgeon River and is considered one of Ontario’s 50 best climbs. Deux is bigger, a tad harder and as much fun. It's climbed from left to right in one long 50 m pitch. Follow the arch on easy climbing until the down climb where the climb gets its grade. Once past the down climb, venture right to your rest ledge and pull the final move to the right to exit the Rainbow.

Brown Wall

Wako | N46 38'57" W81 59' 10"

The main way to access the cliff at Wako and the boulder field is to follow the obvious Truck Trail straight out of camp that parallels the cliff face. It will take you through to the boulder field and then to the base the Main Wall at approximately the start of Embarrassment of Riches.

1 Hand Jammies | 5.10a | 10m

FFA Hudson Mayhew/Maxime Jacques 2017

Beautiful splitter fist-sized crack to a roof with good hands, short but fun.

2 The Wild is Here | 5.10c | 35m

FFA Hudson Mayhew/Colin Shepitka 2017

Done in 2 pitches, start in the obvious corner to the left of the main streaked wall.

Pitch 1, 5.10c, 30m: Climb right out of the corner onto a flake and make your way back left into the corner. Gain the ledge and start your way up a widening, overhanging crack. Mantle up to another ledge to a gear belay.

Pitch 2, 5.9, 5m: Climb up the obvious crack to a bolted anchor.

Descent: 30m Rappel from anchors to the base.

3 Enshrined in History | 5.10c | 8 bolts

FFA John Bolan/Dave Marrone Sept 2024

Climb up into the shallow open book following good holds and delicate feet to the top.

4 Whippoorwill | 5.12c | 9 bolts | 27m

FFA Hudson Mayhew 2021

Start on the little ledge by the Birch tree about half way up the Brown Wall. Go have an adventure!! Stick clip recommended.

5 Closed Project

6 Brothers Keeper | 5.11/12? | 10 bolts Open Project

7 Open Project

8 Open Project-Trad

9 Embarrassment of Riches | 5.10b | 50m

FFA Colin Shepitka/Cory Black/Bryan Cayouette 2017

After walking over to the overhanging face, where the trail turns left around the corner and starts going uphill is where the climb starts up a slabby-looking crack system.

Pitch 1, 5.9, 20m: Climb up the slab moving left with some funky moves into an obvious corner crack, gain the ledge to a bolted belay with rap rings.

Pitch 2: More of a traverse than a pitch, you'll need to traverse the climber's left with little to no gear placements till you get to an obvious corner with a perfect crack to set up a gear belay.

Pitch 3, 5.10b, 30m: Follow the perfect corner crack, gain the ledge and continue straight up the broken crack/plate system, save cams from #1 - #3 for a gear belay at the summit.

Descent: Walk up then to the climber's right to the main flat lookout, in a tree is webbing and a quick link, a full length rappel gets you to the pitch 1 rap rings, a second shorter rappel gets you exactly where you started this climb.

The next three lines can be accessed from Cannabis Ledge after climbing the first two pitches of EOR and set up a belay on the obvious ledge with a big tree. Or rap down from the tree anchor at the top.

10 Indica | 5.10+ | 16m

FFA Hudson Mayhew/Colin Shepitka 2021

RP's or Ball nuts recommended

11 Sativa | 5.10- | 16m

FFA Colin Shepitka/Andrew Junkin 2021

12 Hybrid | 5.10+ | 16m

FFA Hudson Mayhew/Andrew Junkin 2021

13 Bounty Hunter | 5.11b | Mixed

FA Colin Shepitka/Andrew Junkin 2019

FFA Hudson Mayhew 2021

This is a fantastic right version of EOR following the weakness up the left facing arete for an alternate second pitch.

14 Stumped | 5.11d | Mixed

FFA Hudson Mayhew 2021

A beautiful line following a left leaning series of weaknesses. Start on the stacked logs to a flake pinch to the first two bolts. Work your way up to a series of roofs continuing to the left to the last face set of moves that leads you to the bolted anchor.

15 Fine Mess | 5.6/5.7 | 35 m

FFA Danylo Darewych/Mike Grainger May 20 2018

This route is located at the start of the Wako Back Wall area. There will be a big, wide low-angled slab, followed by a large talus slope at the top of which sits a wide dike in the cliff system. The route climbs the line of weakness on the right side of the dike where a crack system runs up over a series of bulges and treed ledges. There is some good climbing in clearing the bulges, but it is marred by the inevitable loose blocks and/or dirt on the top of them. Bring long slings to sling the 4 cedars along the way. The route follows the crack most of the way, except for a small jog out to the left (to a cedar) and back near the top. The route was wet and muddy at the top; best wait for it to dry after a solid rain. We did not clear most of the blocks sitting on the ledges, because we were trailing a second rope.

Descent: Rappel off of trees further left above the middle of the dike on two ropes (but I think you should be able to rappel on one 60 m rope).

16 Hudson's Climb | 5.12a | ? bolts

FFA Hudson Mayhew 2022

Apparently a spicy top section and bolts need to be counted. Potentially another bolt required on top.

17 Wide Eyes | 5.10d/5.11a | 60m

FA Colin Shepitka/Joseph Trudell May 2018

This climb starts in the obvious corner, traverses right and up then follows the prominent left facing off-width.

Pitch 1, 5.8: Climb the only perfect corner on this wall up and then right along an angled face crack to a gear belay on top of the pitch.

Pitch 2, 4th class scramble/very easy slab: Traverse right and up to a gear belay at the base of the slab, aim up and left to a grouping of trees for the belay of pitch 3.

Pitch 3, 5.10d/5.11a: Find the crack through some brush and move left around a bulge with no feet, move left along the crack as it widens with the same theme of no feet to a strenuous but rewarding exit. Double #4 cams and required. #5/6 an asset.

Descent: Just left of the climb you'll find a tree with webbing and a quick link. Double 70m rope rappel will make get you to the ground, be careful of swing potential on this rappel. If using a single rope, additional webbing and rings will be required to make a 2nd rappel on abundant trees.

18 Flake It Till You Make It | 5.10+ | Mixed

FFA Hudson Mayhew/Colin Shepitka

An alternate line on Wide Eyes. Climb first pitch of wide eyes, climb around the tree on the ledge to a horizontal crack and a gear belay. Work your way up the slab onto the flake with phenomenal lay backing, tricky but good gear, two bolts.

19 Hazelnot | 5.9 | 28 m

FA Mike Grainger/Danylo Darewych May 20 2018

This route is located at the far-right end of the Wako cliff system. There is a 100m long, 30m high wall here in a small valley with a hidden creek running under the rocks (at least in the springtime). The Hidden Creek Wall is vertical at first, then becomes more easy-angled towards the right end, before making a sharp 90 degree left-hand turn and ending in a short face with 3 cracks in it (Hummingbird Cracks). Hazelnot starts right on the corner of the left-hand turn in the wall.

Climb an 8-9m crack and make an awkward mantle (belly-flop) left onto a ledge. Climb strenuously up the corner above. The right wall of the upper corner is initially made of some very big detached blocks (but we both pulled on them and stood on them and they didn’t move). The crack in the back is thin and the gear fiddly. After clearing the corner, climb easier terrain to the top. Belay/rappel off trees.

20 Hummingbird Cracks | 5.7-5.10- | 25 m

FFA Brent Elliott/Laura Duncan May 20 2018

The Hummingbird Cracks are located just around the corner from Hazelnot.

One route with three start variations of varying difficulty (5.7-5.10-). Crack 1-3 are described left to right. All share the same final 15m up the Y crack at the top up to a belay/rap tree. Good protection, nice crack climbing and fun moves.

Crack 1, 5.9: Start up the dihedral until you can make a tricky traverse move across to the main crack. Continue up the crack to the ledge. Move left to finish up the Y crack to the top.

Crack 2, 5.10-: Start at the thin crack in the centre (probably would get easier with more cleaning). Plug a piece (yellow blue offset works well) before pulling onto the ledge. Continue up the crack to the ledge. Move left to finish up the Y crack to the top.

Crack 3, 5.7: Start at the crack with trees. Move through dirty crack and around the trees to gain the ledge. Move left to finish up the Y crack to the top.

Stumped

Whipporwill

The Wild is Here

Brothers Keeper

Another Fine Mess

Hazelnot

Hummingbird Cracks

Arc En Ciel Deux

Big Knob | N46° 38.645' W81° 58.890'

The Big Knob is composed of very solid, slabby rock with few crack lines. It's the first obvious wall that you see when you get to the plowed clearing on Charcoal road. The major line of weakness on the Big Knob is a big dike that runs up the middle of the knob, angling up to the left. Looking for Crack is located in a smaller, less noticeable weakness up a corner system on the right end of the Big Knob. From the base of the dike head right for about 80 m around a low cliff band and then scramble up a steep slope for 25 m onto a bench with a big corner in the back.

Arc En Ciel Deux

Looking for Crack (The Rob Ford Memorial Route) | 5.7, A0 | 35m

FA Mike Grainger/Danylo Darewych May 21 2018

There are two crack/chimney systems there side-by-side. The route starts on the right one and traverses into the top of the left one.

Pitch 1, 5.7, 16m: Climb an initial somewhat mossy rock step with poor pro and make an awkward traverse step to the right to the base of the wider chimney. Climb the crack up the left side of the chimney, on somewhat shattered-looking, but mostly solid rock. Belay off a big tree on a ledge.

Pitch 2, 5.5, 8m: Traverse left 6m, making an airy step across the top of the left-side chimney system and pull up next to a big cedar tree. Belay on gear.

Pitch 3, 5.6, A0, 15m: Climb the corner above the belay tree. There is a decent ledge off to the left 3m up, but the next 4m of the corner system are friction slab on either side of a thin seam - you can only get your fingers into the seam in a couple of places (we aided this section by pulling on gear). An easier corner crack leads to a slabby top out. Belay/rappel off trees (not sure if you can get down on one 60 m rope; we had doubles).

Northern Knob, Southern Souls | 5.10 | 50 m

FFA Laura Duncan/Brent Elliott May 21 2018

Start at the base of the gully to the left of the dike that splits the cliff. There is a large ramp leading up and left away from you to the left of the start. The route starts at the base of that ramp and heads up a crack before moving out onto the buttress.

Pitch 1, 5.6, 20m: Climb easy ground to a large layback flake you can see from the ground. Move around the flake onto a ledge with a tree. Belay here.

Pitch 2, 5.5, 10m: Continue up the crack around slabby bulges to a large ledge with a couple of small trees and a dead tree and one bolt anchor. Purple Metolius is useful at the end of P2. These pitches could perhaps be combined if rope drag is well managed.

Pitch 3, 5.10, 30m: Start to the left of the thin crack, move up to a ramp before clipping the first bolt and making a tricky move left to right across the thin crack. Clip the second bolt before moving right and up to get on top of the bulge. Move up to the last bolt before gaining easier ground above and continue to the top.

Descent: Rap down to the gully climber's right of the route. There is one perfectly positioned tree over the edge of a slab but you need a 70m rope to get down to the next decent tree. There are other options if you have a 60m just might not be a clean pull.

Looking for Crack

Northern Knob, Southern Souls

Wako Bouldering

Follow the truck trail in from the camping spot to the boulder field which is found at the base of the main wall of Wako.
Just a preview of some of the problems in the area. Area map to follow in the spring for better orientation.

Look Ma’ No Hands | V0

FA Colin Shepitka

Possibly the most fun thing to try once the granite eats your skin. Why not climb a slab with no hands. Good fun!! This line is on the first massive boulder you arrive at if you follow the truck trail all the way to the camp fire entrance. Its a very slabby V0 and the classic challenge has become trying to send without hands or any elbow or knee dabs. Have fun with it!! Super fun slab

Agoraphobia |V2

FA Colin Shepitka

Lip traverse up this beautiful block. A classic line.

Ropless Gun |V4

FA Curtis Sawatsky

This grade represents the high stand start. The low start is much harder. Both the stand and the full sit start lines cleaned and Fa’d by Curtis Sawatzky.

Ropeless Gun SDS | V6

FA Curtis Sawatsky Sept 14 2021

Start Below Ropeless Gun with a right hand on the second lowest crimp and a left hand on a sloper jug, climb into the start of Ropeless Gun.

Deer Fly Fighter | V5

FA Curtis Sawatsky Sept 20 2021

Start on two small crimps at the base of the arete. Trend right and follow the line of holds just above the arete to top out at the highest point. Alot of great moves to enjoy.

Piston Pump | V0

FA Colin Shepitka

Piston pump is a very classic line on the end of the fin boulder. Stand start and cruise up nice jugs. This line is on the south end of Le fin boulder (with fender bender V4) on the face.

Vine & Dine | V3

FA Colin Shepitka

Vine and Dine is a great arete climb on the first massive boulder if you follow the truck path all the way to the fire pit entrance. The climb lies on the south east arete.

This line is on the SE arete of the Kamp boulder. Which is the first boulder if you follow the truck path all the way in by the firepit

Cutting teeth | V3

FA Colin Shepitka

Cutting teeth is a fairly featureless arete climb, start low right hand on a crimp and left hand hugging the arete. Stand up and find a crimp that seems to blend in get it, and gain the top of the problem. Cutting teeth is an awesome arete climb on “the tooth boulder” which is basically in the main intersection in the middle of the crag. Follow the truck path to the campfire then it will be the 4th boulder in.

Two Faced | V4

FA Matt King

This is a great little dyno problem off of a small crimp and right pinch with less than stellar feet.

Fender Bender | V4

FA Andrew Junkin

Fender bender is an amazing sloper face climb on the most bullet northern granite. The sit start matched on the lowest sloper is the V4. Sit start matched on a bad sloper then work up through slightly better sloper holds to a good top out.

The Haunting |V5

FA Danny Plonka Sept 11 2021

This line is right of “storm haven” and is also a stand start matched on a flat sloped ledge. Work your way up through a variety of holds. Matching the second last hold is the crux. Then a nice high top out.

Switchblade |V5

FA Hilario Gilbuena July 2020

Switchblade climbs the right arete of the boulder closest to the base of the headwall. It's a sit start compression problem and involves alot of heel work and is more beta intensive for the feet than the hands. This boulder is one of the most southern inthe boulder field. Just past the “Ropless Gun boulder”. It sits just below the foot of the headwall. Sit start and compress your way up the right arete.

Cap Gun | V5

FA Curtis Sawatsky

Start hugging the bottom of the fridge like feature and go straight up and top out through the slab, currently the way down is to either down climb the slab or set up a rope to rap.

Storm Haven Low | V6

FA Curtis Sawatsky Sept 14 2021

Start below storm haven on 2 side pull crimps and move through 2 more crimps into Storm Haven

Extraction | V6

FA Curtis Sawatsky Sept 14 2021

Start with a right hand on a big undercling and left hand on a crimpy pinch move up and left into the top out.

Best of the Worst | V7

FA Curtis Sawatsky Sept 14 2021

Belly of the Beast | V7

FA Curtis Sawatsky

Start on the two big underclings and move up through one more undercling and top out on the ledge that is about 5 ft off the ground, no topout was found through the slab so whoever tops it outs can rename and regrade it as their own FA. This climb lies to the left of Ropless gun

Storm Haven | V3

FA Danny Plonka

The first line up on the first of the 3 big boulders as you walk in on the early trail.

Widows Watch | V3

Widows watch is a sit start that turns into a bit of a highball. This line is to the right of spicy meatball V5. On one of the biggest boulders in the middle of the field. Reference map for location

Mustache Ride | V0

FA Colin Shepitka

Climb up under this cool little roof shaped feature. Then gain the lip and top out. You may end up backwards under the roof. Fun little novelty climb or fun for young climbers.

Dino Jr | V1

FA Danny Plonka July 30 2021

This dyno is to the left of the V4 dyno “Two Faced” on the same boulder.

This is a little dyno that is actually to the left of a more difficult V4 dyno. The boulder is very black and produced 2 similar problems. The V1 is a much easier jump and a good warm up for the V4.

A Place In the Pines | V1

FA Andrew Junkin

A great slabby arete climb on the Kamp boulder.

Captain Falcon | V1

FA Danny Plonka Sept 11 2021

Captain Falcon starts low on the SW arete of the bean shaped boulder that doesn't touch the ground in the middle. This boulder is just north of the two biggest boulders in the field. The Archeston boulder.

Saturation Point | V1

FA Collin Shepitka

This is the tallest slab line on the NW corner of the Kamp boulder. The first boulder at the end of the trucktrail.

Mammatus | V2

FA Danny Plonka July 31 2021

This is a sloper problem on the boulder next to the ropless gun boulder near the south end of the crag. It is a stand start but there is potential for a harder sit start.

Mammatus is nammed after a type of round cloud due to the slopper ledges you must climb. Stand start on the lowest sloper ledge then work up another mover or two and either gain a high foot or mantle. Cool little problem. This problem is one to the right of Hair Trigger

Rim Fire | V2

This climb lies on the backside of the Ropeless Gun boulder. Sit start low on a sloper ledge then up to the arete and follow it to the top. Make sure to bring over a down climb ladder or you will have to down climb a big slab.

Hair Trigger | V2

FA Danny Plonka July 30 2021

Hair Trigger is to the left of “Mammatus” and has a low balancey start then up to a small side-pull and top out. Rock up onto a heel or toe and up through one small crimp then into nicer holds. This boulder is one boulder north of the “Ropeless Gun” boulder at the south end of the crag.

Polar Bear Express | V2

FA Danny Plonka Sept 6 2021

Polar bear express climbs the south east arete of the Crystal Crescents boulder. Right hand on the sloped on the right side and left hand on a slopey sidepull. Slap up through another sidepull then to the top. A nice but short rounded slopey arete climb. Take the early entrance off the truck path and its the third boulder on your left. One existing line is on the back of this boulder called “Cosmo Club”

Butter Knife | V2

FA Danny Plonka Sept 6 2021

This stand start line is to the left of “Switch Blade”. It's a one move wonder. Potentially a harder sit start possible to add some moves to this climb. This is a short stand start climb on the “Switch Blade Boulder” which is the last boulder before the headwall.

Crevassier | V2

FA Tom Cvetkovic

This is a short but sweet finger crack boulder. If you take the early entrance off the truck trail in its the third boulder on your left. Other climbs on this block include “Cosmo Club, Crystal Cresents, Jumpin Jim Rivers and Polar Bear Express.

Jumpin Jim Rivers | V2

FA Andrew Q

Jumpin Jim Rivers is a fun dyno on the south side the Crystal Crescents Boulder.

If you enter on the early path off the truck trail this is the third boulder on your left. Cosmo Club, Crystal Crescents are on the west face, this climb is just around the south face.

Shiny | V2

FA Shannon Sept 13 2021

This climb lies on the SW arete of the Crystal boulder. The line is right of “Crystal Crescents and left of the dyno “Jumpin Jim Rivers”. If you take the earlier walking trail cut off from the truck path it will be in a cluster on your left just past the first boulder “Charcoal Boulder”. Starts with a left pinch on the arete of the crystal boulder and goes straight up.

Outside Jokes | V2

FA Shannon Sept 8 2021

Outside jokes is a line on the large bean or arch shaped boulder that doesnt touchthe ground in the middle. “The Archeston Boulder”. This line lies around the SW arete starts low and trends left into the dihedral to a good height topo. Stand start on two opposing crimps just left of Captain Falcon on the Archeston Boulder.

Prefixator | V7

FA Curtis Sawatzky Sept 21 2021

Start with left hand in the top of the crack and a right hand on a crimp rail, slap through some powerful moves and top out the slab.

Moon Go Down | V7/8

FA Matt King

Sun Come Up | V1-2

FA Avery Richer

Parralel Lines | V3-4

FA Matt King

The Tease | V6-7

FA Matt King

A Tale of Two Boulders | V6