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Newfoundland

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About Newfoundland:

THE ROCK - NEWFOUNDLAND

Newfoundland has a nick-name in Canada, "THE ROCK." With a nick-name like that there has got to be spectacular climbing in this place. The whole island has a population of only about 500,000 so there's heaps of wide open space and unclimbed areas. It's waiting for those who want to.........
GET OUT THERE AND BREAK NEW GROUND FOR CLIMBING IN NEWFOUNDLAND.


The Island sits off the East Coast of Canada happily keeping it's best secrets often hidden in a shroud of fog. Not many people....lot's of potential
Getting Here
By sky via one of the commercial airports in St. Anthony, Deer Lake, Stephenville, Gander at it's International Airport, or St. John's at it's brand spankin' new International Airport. Or you can come by sea on one of the ferries via North Sydney (Nova Scotia) with Marine Atlantic, via Blanc Sablon (Quebec) on the Apollo, or via Cartright or Happy Valley Goose Bay Labrador on the Sir Robert Bond.

Newfoundland is actually quite amazing when it comes to rock. Our Geology is very interesting and very diverse. The image below was modified and borrowed from Newfoundland and Labrador Traveler's Guide to Geology. Click on the title to the left to visit the website and obtain more detailed geological information about the different regions of Newfoundland.
Newfoundland (the lower smaller landmass on this map) is divided into three main geological zones:

  1. The Western Zone
    This zone has been attached to the North American plate for the last billion years. It is composed mostly of limestone, granite and gneiss in the north, sandstone and shale in the south, and mafic (gabbro & diabase) to ultramafic (peridotite) as well as volcanic rocks around the central Corner Brook area. On the map above, this zone essentially includes everything west of the central green area. That is, the whole the west coast and northern peninsula.

  2. The Central Zone
    The rocks from this zone had collided and joined with The Western Zone by about 400 million years ago. They consist mostly of volcanic and metamorphic rocks. On the map above, this zone is everything within the green central area of Newfoundland.

  3. The Eastern Zone
    The rocks from this zone were also finished joining the North American Plate by about 400 million years ago. The rocks are most sedimentary sandstones, shales and conglomerates


    Established Locations
    In terms of sport climbs with bolted protection...... there's not much around so make sure to bring your trad gear or find good top rope locations.
    There has been some development. Flatrock consists of over 100 routes from the Main Face to Bloodbath. You can boulder, TR, Sport or do some Trad in this area. Stiles Cove has some classic routes if you just want to boulder. Also known for it's ice climbing.

    THE LAND GOD GAVE TO CAIN - Labrador

    "The Land God Gave to Cain" was how Jaques Cartier described Labrador on his first voyage to North America in 1534. The rugged and often barren coast is absolutely breathtaking and can be a climbering or mountaneering dream. That is if you don't mind lot's of isolation and often cold conditions. Despite having a bad rep for weather, Labrador can be a facinating location any time of the year. The Torngat Mountains contain some of the oldest rocks in the world at Mount Razorback in Nachvak Fjord where the rocks date to 2700 million years old. Most of the rock in Labrador are metamorphic rocks of gneiss and schist with some igneous granite.