Description:
These routes are on the thumb shaped tower just above Abraham Slabs and before the routes on Upper Abraham. Make sure to start with your belayer out of the way of rockfall. Look for fossils in the rock!
Approach:
Park as for Abraham Mountain (52.2441, -116.4387). Take the main Abraham Slabs trail, and take the left fork. Walk past the Slabs, then stay low and backtrack up the ridge line with the tower on your right.
Descent Note: The route can be descended via the Abraham descent route (preferred), or rappelled via Rockies Ringlock and then back down the Abraham Slabs trail.
Beta
P1: 35m, 5.7, 7 bolts
Climb up past 5 bolts and good gear. After bolt 5 continue trending up and right on bolts. A good .3 will protect the crux move just before you gain the chain station, which requires a bit of a move back up and left.
P2: 35m, 5.7, 5 bolts
Strike out right using good gear at the height of the station if desired. Clip four bolts to gain a ledge. Climb the weakness above the ledge with good gear to gain a second ledge. Climb right in easier terrain and gain one bolt which protects the 3 metre traverse back left to the chain station.
P3: 36m, 5.9, 3 bolts
Actually a finger crack! Climb placing excellent gear and clipping two bolts along the way. At the top take care for loose blocks which will fall directly towards your belay. The second should do some cleaning if possible. Belay from a sheltered stance in the top of the dihedral.
P4: 25m, 5.8, 4 bolts
Clip a bolt leaving the station and trend up and more left than you want following four bolts and good gear. This keeps you in the more solid rock. At the top there is a good placement for a 3 inch cam in a right facing corner before you climb over the crest. The chain station is 5 metres forward around the corner to the right. Ignore a bolt just up and left as you crest the top.
Walk-off Descent:
Scramble or pitch out the short 4th class section above the ring bolt belay to the two bolt anchor ten metres above. Continue until you cross onto the Abraham Shoulder route. Head down the buttress and locate a lone tree with a chain station right of it. Rappel 20m down and slightly right to find a ring bolt anchor hidden in an alcove. One more rappel down and right takes you to 3rd class terrain and scrambling down the Abraham Shoulder. There are numerous fourth class steps on that portion of the descent.
Rappel Descent:
Rappel down the face from the top anchor in 4x 35m rappels following the route Rockies Ringlock.
Excellent climb, still quite a bit of loose rock but adds to the adventurous character. Beware of the very hollow flake on the end of P1, a delicate dance of “Holy fuck i want to grab onto this but i really shouldn’t”
Had to bail from P3 due to the weather but can’t wait to come back to explore what the area has to offer.
The slog up to the base of the climb is worth the sweat and tears
Great vision from the FA Team.