Bald Face Access: Route C
Approach: From the bend in the road, follow the cart track eastwards to the boundary of Gatineau Park (signposted). Turn immediately north, and follow the edge of the farmer's field to the base of the escarpment. Walk along the base of the escarpment northwestwards.
Pass through a gate, going from an open field into woods. Immediately branch rightwards along an obvious trail, to avoid the marshy area straight ahead. A few meters after the trail crosses a very small stream bed, turn right and start up the hillside.
If you have sharp eyes, you may be able to pick out a faint trail, with some old faded red flagging tape. The trail leads up to the right side of Porcupine Col. (It is much easier to follow the trail going down than coming up.)
If you miss the trail, you are faced with a potentially grueling bushwhack up the hillside. It may be advisable to follow a compass bearing, since it is very easy to lose your sense of direction in this particular area (as many people can testify!).
Character: This is the large convex slab clearly visible from the road. It is quite clean and solid, and gives some very good long pitches, a few of which are poorly protected.
The usual base of operations is a col (Porcupine Col) halfway along the foot of it. To the left of the col, the path at the foot of the cliff drops down quite steeply before leveling out again. The point where the path changes gradient marks approximately the start of September Sundae. Porcupine starts from the col itself, whilst two routes exist on the broken rocks beneath the col.
There are two gullies to the left and right of the main face, which provide easy descents. The climbs are described from left to right.
Almost all of the route descriptions were culled from a manuscript prepared by Ted Whalley in the early '70s.
Arboretus 5.3
Start on a ledge at the top of the first pitch of Far Left Edge.
1. Go up a dihedral between the two ribs above the ledge, then onto and up the left rib until level with a narrow crack in a red wall on the right face of the next rib left.
2. Up the crack onto the rib and up. Friction slabs followed by moderate scrambling to the top.
Far Left Edge 5.3 Start 3m right of left edge of face.
1. Up face and unattached finger, taking care not to dislodge it, to a ledge. This can be reached by a walk from the left.
2. Up the right of two ribs on slabs with small but adequate holds.
3. Either up face behind oak tree or traverse right l0m and up prominent red wall on good holds.
Left Edge 5.5
Start on the left side of the face, 6m right of Far Left Edge.
1. 20m. Up a shallow groove to a ledge.
2. 35m. Diagonally right over slabs.
3. Easy angle to the top.
Left Cheek Direct 5.8
Start at the foot of the left side of the face beneath a slight break in the overhang.
1. 25m. Climb directly up to a piton and move over the overhang. Ascend the flake and then traverse right and climb straight up to a piton belay above another large flake.
2. 35m. Straight up the slabs.
September Sundae 5.7
Start at the lowest point of the left face just to the right of the overhang.
1. 20m. Climb the left-hand corner of the triangular slab and straight up to a poor bolt. Traverse left almost to a bushy groove, move up lm and then gain a groove on the right. Climb the groove and a flake crack to a mossy belay ledge.
2. 35m. A shallow groove leads slightly right. Follow the groove and then a ramp to the left, finishing straight up on easier ground.
Joe and John's Route 5.8
1. Follow September Sundae to the bolt. Step left to a pin. Go straight up the face for a few feet, then slightly right (crux, unprotected), to a flake system and easier ground.
2. Many options are available, up the very pleasant, much easier, but poorly protected slab above.
Porcupine Direct 5.6 Start as for Porcupine.
1. Up Porcupine for 6m. Step left off block behind small tree and then climb straight up small red depression. Rock spike for belay.
2. Up face and shallow groove (thin) directly to the pine tree, or more easily to the left.
3. Slabs to the top.
Porcupine 5.4
Start just left of the summit of Porcupine Col at a diagonal crack.
1.25m. Up the crack, moving to the right to a ledge below a huge flake. Climb up to the flake and around its left-hand edge, gaining a large belay ledge on top of the flake.
2. l0m. Move right across a large scoop and up to a tree belay.
3. Climb small wall behind tree then up easy ground to the top.
Botanical Garden 5.5
Start l0m right of Porcupine Col.
1. 25m. Step up lm into a shallow recession. Move left and climb straight up, to the right of a large juniper bush to beneath another large bush. Step left and climb the wall to the left of the bush, gaining the large belay ledge on Porcupine.
2. 6m. Climb the wall directly above the belay on small holds with no protection.
3. Easily to the top.
Right Cheek 5.3
Start 12m right of Porcupine Col on the right edge of the slabs, immediately left of a vegetated area.
1. 5.2 25m. Climb the slabs moving slightly right to the base of an overhanging wall. Two pins in-situ at the belay.
2. 5.3 15m. Traverse right along the base of the overhanging wall, to its end, then climb up diagonally left to rock belay.
3. 18m. Easier to the top.
Drip Dry 5.4
Start to the right of a watercourse on a broken pillar on the right-hand side of the face.
1. 5.1 Climb the broken pillar to a large slabby ledge. Climb up to the foot of a small right-facing corner. There is a ring pin in-situ at the base of the corner.
2. 5.4 Climb the corner above the ring piton, and the slab above (unprotected), to a (usually wet) niche. Avoid the wetness by climbing to the left of the niche, and continue up the slabs above to a cedar tree belay.
3. Various obvious easy options to finish.
Girdle Traverse 5.5
Start at the left edge of the cliff, 2m left of Far Left Edge.
1. Up face 3m to a ledge with difficulty. Can be avoided.
2. Up right on second pitch of Left Edge for 15m, then 3m left to a tree belay.
3. Up right to ledge with bushes on the skyline.
4. Along ledge and by descending traverse to large belay ledge of Porcupine.
5. Traverse along ledge and drop to ledge beneath a steep wall (lst belay ledge of Right Cheek).
6. Traverse beneath wall and then climb diagonally right to a prominent nose. Easily to the top.
The last two routes are on the rock below porcupine Col.
Porcupine Ridge 5.4
Start at the foot of the ridge below the col, on a block above a small cave.
1. Step right onto the face and up.
2. Up crack to the col.
Maple Mantelpiece 5.6
Start on the face on the W. side of Porcupine Ridge, 20m below the col.
Up groove for 7m. Step right and surmount mantleshelf and wall above.
To the Top Take Me Home