Whirlpool is one of the corridor’s hidden gems with solid, dolomite rock. Most climbs are bolted and there are also a few fantastic gear climbs, most equipped with modern ring anchors. Climbs range from 15 m to 25 m and 5.6 to 5.10d currently. The crag is tucked in a small wedge in the ridge line and is rather quiet – you can ‘Bearely’ hear the highway! There is also a small boulder field right before the crag on the approach trail, and its development continues.
Approach:
Approach: Drive west on Highway 11 and park on the north side of the highway at the large pullout right before Whirlpool (parking 52.0072, -116.4591). The approach trail starts at the right/east end of the pullout. Follow an obvious trail up as it meanders around to the north east, then back north west into the saddle that slices the ridge line in half. The crag is located right in the centre of the ridge line. It should take about 30-45 minutes to arrive. Fozzie and Yogi Walls are on the left and right sides of the gully as you approach. The Baloo Wall is up the slope and to the right of the Yogi Wall.
The Centre For Outdoor Education should be noted as the original developers in this area with Jay Mills heavily involved in developing the original “COE” routes.
Beta
Fozzie Wall
1Tree Beard mixed 5.9 FA Tim Taylor, Liz Taylor, 22
Climb the beautiful flake to 4 bolts which lead you right of the tree to a ring station. 5.8 if you use the tree and 5.9 without it (2 #4 cams are helpful).
2 Bearly Hangin’ On sport 5.10a FA Tim Taylor, Matt Gow, 22
3 COE sport 5.9
4 Bear With Me sport 5.9 FA Tim Taylor, Brad Kryger, ‘22
5 COE sport 5.9
6 Unbearable sport 5.7 FA Tim Taylor, Deb Wright, ‘22
7 Wright Hand sport 5.8 FA Tim Taylor, Deb Wright, ‘22
Yogi Wall
1 COE sport 5.6
2 COE sport 5.7
3 COE sport 5.7
4 COE sport 5.7
5 Teeter Toddler sport 5.8 FA Tim Taylor, Brad Kryger, ‘22
6 Bear in Area sport 5.9 FA Tim Taylor, Matt Gow, ‘22
7 COE gear 5.6
8 COE sport 5.9
Baloo Wall
To the right of Yogi Wall, up 30 m on the ramp on the steepish, loose path.
1 Bear Bite mixed (.5”, 0.75”) 5.9 FA Tim Taylor, John Killan, ‘22
2 Dream Team mixed 5.6 FA Tim Taylor, John Killan, ‘22
Up and right 30 m more on the ramp.
3 Pawin’ In The Honey Pot sport 5.8 FA Tim Taylor, Ethan Woodside, ‘22
4 Baloo sport 5.8 FA Tim Taylor, Ethan Woodside, ‘22
5 Bear Necessities sport 5.10b FA Tim Taylor, Ethan Woodside, ‘22
6 The Way … sport 5.10b FA Tim Taylor, Phil Bietz, ‘22
7 A Bear … sport 5.10a FA Tim Taylor, Phil Bietz, ‘22
The Following are not pictured, but easily locate them to the right of ‘A Bear’.
Hi. Climbed in Whirlpool. Amazing crag with very well protected routes. Thanks for all the hard work creating this area. On the Baloo Wall the first and second routes have the descriptions partially interchanged.
1. Bear Bite is fully bolted and maybe stiffer than a 5.9.
2. Dream Team only has 2 bolts at the bottom and needs gear above.
Both of these routes share a common anchor.
Thanks for this! I’ll update the data!