Evan Hau - Sacrifice Beta
This past June, La Sportiva athlete Evan Hau made the second ascent of Sacrifice (5.15a/9a+) in Echo Canyon...
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Type Sport 40m
Protection 20 bolts and an 80m rope
Bolted By Evan Hau - 2016
First Ascent Adam Ondra - 2018
Location
Sacrifice, 5.15a, is located at The Coliseum in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.
Description
The route is gently overhanging most of the way and culminates in a large roof. There is an intermediate anchor just below the final roof for convenience. Adam redpointed the route on the last day of his month long trip to The Bow Valley where he also established Disbelief, 5.15b.
The Coliseum is a massive imposing wall high up on Grotto Mountain easily visible from Canmore. Routes are typically long, up to 45m, and grades range from 5.11 to 5.15. Climbers who are willing to make the grueling 1.5 hour approach with 650m/2100ft of elevation gain are rewarded with an amazing setting, spectacular overhanging 40m limestone pitches with coral like rock, and a stunning view of the Bow Valley. In the spring, snowmelt off of Grotto Mountain cascades a waterfall down the cliff. An adjacent huge multi-pitch wall adds to the exposure of the amphitheater. Early developers referred to The Coliseum as “Canmore’s Premiere Adventure Sport Crag.”
Sacrifice starts near a bench and is recognizable by an improbable blank looking block feature at the first 2 bolts which is the crux of the route and checks in at about V13. The crux is compression style with heel hooks, knee scums, side pulls and pinches. Following the crux is a V10 section on sloping crimps which then leads into the true redpoint crux of the climb: a 17 move power endurance section. Legend has it that Adam Ondra skipped 3 bolts in a row in this section, representing bolts 6, 7, and 8. Clipping is possible however, it’s just strenuous. Getting through the cruxes and the power endurance section is the main difficulty, but after that, 20m of 5.13c and a large roof encounter still awaits to get to the chains.
Located in Echo Canyon, the Coliseum also contains popular walls Atlantis and The Hideaway, among others. Echo Canyon is aptly named for the try-hard screams that reverberate across the canyon. Park at the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) clubhouse on Indian Flats Road just off Highway 1A. Be sure to park on the west side of the gravel road across from the wood pile. Do not park on the same side as the wood pile and do not park in the upper parking lots which are for guests of the ACC only. The parking can get quite busy, particularly on weekends.
Approach
From the parking, head up the road towards the ACC clubhouse. A signpost marks the trailhead going up the hill on the right. The trailhead offers access to a bewildering array of trails in the area for a large variety of mountain trail users. It is best to head in with someone who knows the area the first time if possible to navigate the maze of forks, junctions, and unmarked trails in the first 10 minutes of the approach. The goal is to trend mostly uphill and rightwards until entering a creek bed, several different pathways will lead to the same spot. Once in the creek bed, keep following trails up the creek bed, ignoring other trails which branch uphill to the right, until the only trail goes uphill to the right. This is the start of the main climber’s trail and the rest of the approach is straightforward.
Head steeply uphill until a signed junction for Echo Canyon leads into some scrambling sections to get into the canyon. Once in the canyon, The Coliseum is clearly visible. The wall gets morning shade and afternoon sun which allows for a longer climbing season, typically from March to November, but shorter days as it can be very cold in the shade in the spring and fall, and too hot in the sun in the summertime.
Conditions
The Coliseum tends to seep heavily and can be very wet in the late spring and summer, particularly during years with heavy rainfall. The driest times to climb are either early spring or fall and also on windy days in general. If it’s dry, the best times to climb are typically early mornings from May to September. Cloudy days are perfect for when the sun hits the wall. Heading to the wall later in the day in the early spring and late fall is possible, but mountain weather is never predictable whether it will be sunny or overcast. It’s a good idea to pack a down jacket and also sunblock.
The hike, long routes, sun aspect, and conditions make The Coliseum an adverse yet rewarding place to climb. It is destined to never be crowded and offers solitude away from some of the busier areas around.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Evan Hau is a member of the La Sportiva Climbing Team.
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Photos 1,2,5 by ®Adam Gearing
