Ascent Notes for: Gooseberry - 5.8 popular Average Rating : 3.86/5

Mostly bolted with a couple pitches where you might place a couple pieces of gear to tame the run out. Fun rockies limestone.

I disagree with the description - it's currently a fun varied 7-pitch climb with substantial fixed gear with an 8-minute approach and mellow half-hour descent that my son did in flip-flops.

Pitch two has some interest to it, but if you want to place less gear you can do the first pitch(5.9 sport) of Tonka and traverse over to the second belay, or even climb the next pitch or two of Tonka(both 10a sport).

Pitch 3 is a bit ambiguous based on the tabvar topo and the proximity of Tonka. This time my son Ben led it so I could try truly avoiding the little corner with its piton, forcing my way through the increasingly rounded layback, but even so we ended up finishing straight up the corner after he found a hidden cam placement and then used the last few Tonka bolts. Whatever way you climb it it's certainly better than bleak.

Pitch 4 has in the last year had a bolt added to protect against a big factor two tumble at what used to feel like the crux of the pitch. Now you could reasonably give the lead over to a 5.6 climber.

Almost everyone now climbs the sweet fully bolted chert pitch 5 of Tonka instead of the original "hideous" Gooseberry pitch. Someday I'm going to have to see how hideous it is, although there's also another oddly placed 5.9 bolted option to the left that I'll likely try first.

Pitch 6 has a fun bit of corner in it, and the final pitch 7 offers three entertaining options, of which only the original turns into an ugly grass and scree scrabble. The middle option gives you a bit more chert, and the left-hand bolted option offers a 5.9 alternate after a tricky first clip.

I'm boosting the overall grade to 4 stars to take into account how easy the access is, and yet how quiet it tends to be up there, facing away from the busy town of Banff.

One bit of amusement on Ben's and my ascent this day was witnessing a raven fly by us high on the route with a golf ball in its mouth!

Basically straight up. The hard sections were easy. The chert band was unusual. But it rained on the easier sections, so some moves were slimy.

i found the climb to be alright,there was loose rock to be found but i feel no need to complain.

My fist Multipitch. Climbed with Yamnuska. Guide James.

With a guide but still...woot

very nice climb, with some loose rock here and there. we did the McKay variation for the first 2 pitches

The main description says it all. Its loose & the climbing not always very good. I wouldve expected more from such a classic.

terrible!

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