Description:

Heart Line is a 17 pitch sport mountaineering adventure which takes you from Heart Creek to the mountain summit. The route goes at 5.9 A0 and you gain 1,100 metres. The route was established by Chas Yonge linking old lines with new bolts around 2016-2017.

For gear: 12 quick draws, two long slings.

Pitch 1: Climb the slab (bolt to start) immediately left of the water streak. Move slightly left to gain a steeper, dry water course scoop and up this to a 2-bolt belay. (5.4 9 clips 55m)

Class 4: Scramble on rock up to the base of the large slabby face. (40m)

Pitch 2: Starting at the low point on the slabby face, gain a clean rounded arête ending at a ledge. Leave the ledge and move right above, then go straight up the face to a 2-bolt belay. (5.6 12 clips 55m)

Pitch 3: Climb a faint arête on left and then on excellent light-coloured rock on the right side of a hanging gully. Step into the gully at the top, moving up a few metres up it to a face on the left. Go up this (3 clips) to arrive at a 2-bolt station. (5.6 10 clips 45m)

Pitch 4: Climb the slab above the belay (3 bolts) – take care with loose scree on ledge above – then continue up a discontinuous series of slabs to easy ground then one move up a groove to a 2-bolts stance – a full pitch. (5.6 9 clips 60m)

Pitch 5: Climb a short slab (1 bolt) then move up to a longer slab (4 bolts). A further long slab takes you to easy ground and a comfortable tree belay with flat-rock seat. (5.6 8 clips 40m)

Pitch 6: Climb the slab above (4 bolts) and then scramble up 4m to a comfortable stance at a gnarled tree. (5.3 4 clips 33m)

Class 3 & Hiking: Having packed away climbing gear and shoes, walk steeply up for about 100m to gain the pleasant, level ridge with a small saddle. From the saddle, hike up 50m and take an animal trail diagonally up to the right.

This takes you up to the open ridge. Continue up enjoyably, admiring the spectacular views all around. Scramble the first rock band (class 3) passing two prominent dead trees and continue easily across kinnikinik meadows until the final rock band. Scramble up this for 30m until reaching a pinnacle. (400m with about a 180m height gain)

Pitch 7: Climb the prominent corner to flat top and trees. Walk and end by down-climbing a couple of moves into the notch – protected by a sling on a tree. Confident climbers can readily solo to the notch in hiking shoes. (5.2 2 clips 40m)

Pitch 8: Climb the clean 10m face with nice moves past 4 bolts and scramble up the ridge above to a 2-ring anchor. This is the start of the prow that takes you all the way to the summit. (5.7 4 clips 35m)

Pitch 9: Move left and step up onto the large slab (Black Intrusions Slab – BIS). Continue rising leftwards up past 2 bolts to a 2-ring anchor (to join Black Roll Over – see topo & acknowledgements). (5.2 2 clips 20m)

Pitch 10: Go up the BIS slab to a 2-ring anchor; an excellent pitch on superb rock. (5.6 5 clips 30m)

Pitch 11: Continue up the big slab to a 2-bolt anchor at the top of the slab. (5.5 4 clips 25m)

Class 3: Scramble on up the prow until barred by a prominent buttress. (30m)

Pitch 12: From a belay bolt, step left and climb the left-facing corner, then right to a right- facing corner (loose rock). This takes you to a 3-bolt belay (one new) and face above. (5.7 3 clips 25m)

Pitch 13: Make a steep thin move off the belay and continue up a narrow right-facing corner on good jugs. Going up and slightly left, gain a left-facing corner and at its top make an awkward move to gain a horizontal traverse back right. Then go easily up a right-facing corner to a 2-ring anchor – a good pitch. (5.9 6 clips 28m)

Class 4: After a couple of moves, scramble on up the ridge to the base of the next buttress. (30m)

Pitch 14: Swing up a steep, blank wall using 6 bolts for aid (how many do you need?). Pull out of this via a free-climbing move and easily up to a narrow ledge to a 2-ring belay. (5.7 A0 7 clips 15m)

Pitch 15: Go easily up and pull into a hanging corner/groove. Exit this after a few metres to gain the left face (crux). Go easily up the face and on to a 2-ring belay. (5.8/5.9 5 clips 25m)

Class 4: After a couple of moves, scramble on up the ridge to the base of the final wall. (90m)

Pitch 16: Go up and left (bolt) to gain a traverse back right. At the end of this, pull out onto a sloping, vegetated ledge and up to a 2-ring anchor. (5.5 3 clips 20m)

Pitch 17: Climb rightwards then up to a ledge. Exit the ledge at its right end, then back leftto gain a final ledge and 2-ring anchor. A short scramble and walk from here brings you to the Heart Mountain descent/loop trail, which offers the best descent option, however, a rappel route down is also described below. (5.7 5 clips 27m)

Descent: Hike down the Heart Mt. scramble route. There is an optional rappel - see https://gripped.com/news/new-17-pitch-route-heart-mountain-rockies/ for info