Working on the main cliff on Eagle Rock by Carmacks in the Yukon

Started working on a multi-pitch routes on the south face larger cliff bands on Eagle Rock the other day. The line is reasonably free of larger loose stuff, though the top did take some clearing of some significant boulders. The top station and first station down, about 27 metres, on a small ledge, are in place. The climbing back is harder than expected being sustained and mostly on steep slab, small holds. The crux being a small overlap near the top. Interesting climbing, good exposure.

Looking across the cliff, down river, and back up the exit pitch

Looking across the cliff up river, down the potential line of the route and Nic rapping off the top anchor

More potential climbing routes on Eagle's Nest Rock near Carmacks Yukon

Checking out the central feature on Eagle Rock. Lots of karst formation - mostly breakdown but some interesting tubes and small holes abound. Looks possible to link them together to do a route out over the severely hanging roof and end at the uppermost holes. The rock is friable but not altogether falling apart - very sharp on the fingers though. It would be a lot of bolting and should be glue-ins. Rock looks generally bad but is actually fairly variable and goes from moldering to decent. there are several bolts off to the left on the wall, on and just right of the black streak and end above a truly rotten section. I spoke with some people who mentioned doing some bolting out this way - clearly there were coming in from the top but ended up on not a climbable line - abandoned.

we started fixing some anchors to facilitate travel down into the grotto - lots of evidence of fauna or at least their remains and droppings, and a beer bottle or two, of course.

Nic cleaning draws on the one of the three sport routes on the East side of the bluff - nice climbing, good features, All three go to a single anchor. The other image is a slab I'm thinking of bolting. Okish, getting down to it is messy due to the burnt timber. While we were setting up to put the stations in, I glanced across while rapping down and saw a bear grazing just off to our right on the slope; pretty much where we were going to end up. That put an end to route development for the day, and I jumared up and off the line. He was small enough that we were wondering if there was a sow or siblings around.

Catch up post, lakes, cliffs, and caves near Carmacks

Little Salmon Lake which is east of Carmacks - is not a small lake. Looking across at a land slip. Went all the way to Drury Creek -maintenance yard and campsite

Sunset on the way back, or to, the rifle range near town, aka a gravel pit. There are backstops and a shooting bench but very rudimentary

along the trail that circles along the hill and back to the highway - good biking. It goes past the old roadhouse, now heritage building, which has a sod roof.

Back to the cliff east of town. this is the other end, west side, there is some potential here for a one pitch sport area, well to the left of the corner that fell down. The exposed rock actually looks decent. to the right, well right, there is potential for a multi-pitch line or two. Around the corner of this section is the dry tolling area I am developing. Vertical faulting with a layer of fossils. Across the way are the significant, for here, caves, many seem to be inhabited by foxes, so not going near them. others choke off quickly but show obvious signs of water erosion.

and two pics of Frenchman's Lake

Climbing near Carmacks in the central Yukon

There is a lot of plutonic rock right around Carmacks, though unfortunately not of the kind that is good from a climbing standpoint, lots of pyroclastic and low density conglomerates, but there is some limestone bluff of fairly significant import just east of town. I have started working on a few area that are of am manageable size for the moment. Lots of shedding flakes, and chippy rock but there are sections of decent limestone. Good potential from some multi-pitch near the main bowl / caves and perhaps on the steeper lines...which are near a scarred dihedral which had a major collapse, more recent than not.

Was really warm for the end of October - I had brought my mixed gear but the rock was plenty warm enough for rock shoes. This section gets a lot of sun and is near the approach trail. Big views, moderate climbing on high friction rock, room for 3 or 4 lines. Anchors installed.

Down by the main section of the cliff, just to the left of the big bowl. These section has some highly contorted sedimentary layers in variable rock that is no where as bad as it looks. In places the synclines and anticlines are very tight and oriented almost vertically; which makes sense given the local coal deposits are almost at 75 degrees from horizontal. Lots of weathering on blocky features which is great for dry tooling. Potential here but will need some serious cleaning in some sections. This area gets more sun than I thought it would this time of year and the warm temps negated any need for gloves. Just ferreting out some lines are and figuring out the logistics of developing such. Bigger terrain here with plenty of karst features, phreatic tubes - generally to small or too full of fox droppings enter though

..and some shots of the river and the bluff on the way back to town. The top of the corner that has been shedding rock is just visible. A nice potential line could follow the skyline, though assessing those large flakes would be in order.