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  • Banff, Alberta

    Looking for the best rock climbing in Banff? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Banff. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

    Top Rock Climbing Spots in and near Banff

    • Banff, Alberta

      Rock Climb Plutonian Shores in Banff

      1.0
      To get to the base of the climb, you must brave the (hordes of) tourists at the Cave and Basin Historical Site in Banff. This requires a park pass and calloused elbows fit for pushing your way through crowds. Or an alarm clock to get up early - the visitor centre is only open after 9 AM and this ...
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    • Banff, Alberta

      Rock Climb Escargot Corner

      6 Pitches5.6-5.8 Climbing Sustained climbing for the grade. You follow up 2 right facing corners with some face climbing.I really enjoyed this route and found it worth the long approach. Approach requires a few hours of consistent elevation gain and fair bit of scrambling. If you don’t know where...
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    • Sawback, Alberta

      Ice Climbing at Bear Spirit

      From the parking lot head East for about 200m, to find the trail that heads North. The trail follows the riverbed for about 45 minutes and in parts is washed out. A piece of flagging tape and a downed tree that is used as a bench marks the point where the trail gets tougher. At this point you wil...
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    • Sawback, Alberta

      Climb Aftonroe

      Route on Mount CoryThe spectacular view of the river and forest below is called Backswamp- in the past it was referred to as Aftonroe by a local writer Jon Whyte- The naming of this route was made in his memory5.7 Sport Route- 9 Pitches Approach: Park on the left side of the Bow Valley Parkway, H...
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    • Sawback, Alberta

      Climb Mt. Cory

      3.0
      Park at the viewpoint parking lot on the left side of the highway, approximately 2.8 km (1.7 mi) after turning off of the Trans Canada Highway. The trailhead is easily located on the north side of the highway. The approach is short but steep and sustained. It starts as a trail and finishes as a s...
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    • Canmore, Alberta

      Climbing at Grassi Lakes

      4.0
      From the parking lot walk about 350 meters back towards Canmore. At this point you will go down the hill towards Grassi Lakes. From here you have your pick of climbs, be warned though the area is a popular, short hike for locals and tourists. Get there early to enjoy some peace and quiet.You will...
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    • Canmore, Alberta

      Indoor Rock Climbing in Canmore at Elevation Place

      For those that aren’t skiers – or maybe for skiers who just want to stretch some different muscles – Elevation Place is a fantastic climbing gym in Canmore. It’s brand new and has tons of top roping, bouldering, and even seven auto-belays with climbs rating from 5.8 to 5.11d at the time we were t...
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    • Canmore, Alberta

      Climb the South East Ridge of Lady MacDonald

      Lady Macdonalds South East ridge is a route that has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to it's proximity to Canmore, intro level alpine climbing, and wonderful views. The Rockies Central Guidebook has the best images and descriptions of this specific climb This route starts in Cougar Cre...
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    • Canmore, Alberta

      Rock Climb at Cougar Creek Canyon

      4.0
      3.1 mi / 49.2 ft gain
      From the TransCanada highway, take the second exit into Canmore (from either direction), and head uphill on Elk Run Boulevard. At the top of the hill, across from the Iron Goat restaurant, there is a three way intersection, head right across the bridge and take an immediate left into the parking ...
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    • 51.064574,-115.203550

      Hike Grotto Creek

      3.7 mi / 410.1 ft gain
      This is a great hike that could be a quick 2 hour sprint or stretch into a full day affair.  The trailhead is located just off Highway 1A at a fishing pond with outhouses and ample parking.  The trail is well signed and in a quick kilometre, hikers will be at the actual creek bed. In summer, hike...
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    • Bighorn No. 8, Alberta

      Climb McGillivray Slabs

      Morningside RouteLocated on the North side of Mount McGillivray5.7 Sport Route- 4 PitchesWalk off or RappelGetting there: Located across from Lac Des Arc. Theres a small gravel road turn off just before McGillivray Ponds- easy to miss! Then follow a small trail on the right side that leads up to ...
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    • Edgewater, British Columbia

      Scramble the Towers

      12.4 mi / 3937 ft gain
      From the Assiniboine Lodge (or your campsite or your hut), follow directions to Wonder Pass. After the pass, there are two ways to get up to The Towers, which you can see on the map in the pictures. The first option is to keep going on Wonder Pass Trail a bit further, lose some elevation and cut ...
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    • Kananaskis, Alberta

      Scramble up Mount Sparrowhawk for Sunrise

      7.5 mi / 4527.6 ft gain
      Mount Sparrowhawk was the first mountain I ever fell in love with -- I knew it well, and I knew that the summit would still be accessible with a bit of snow on it in October. With waning daylight hours, it was a perfect option - albeit intense - for a sunrise hike.The trailhead is located on the ...
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    • Bighorn No. 8, Alberta

      Grillmair Chimneys Climb - Mount Yamnuska

      First route put up on Yamnuska by Hans Gmoser, Leo GrillmairSome say this was the start of modern climbing in Canada5.6 Trad Route- 8 PitchesThis climb is very unique once you get to the last pitch- squeezing your way into a cave, once at the cave you climb through a small hole which brings you o...
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    • Turner Valley, Alberta

      Climb Wasootch Tower

      Park at Wasootch Creek, Walk 2kms past the practice slabs5.7 Mixed- North RidgeFollowing the drainage on the right side that leads to the base of the esthetic tower. Then hike up the faint forested trail to the beginning of the climb.I found this to be a fun- easy scrambling route with quite a fe...
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    • Improvement District No. 9, Alberta

      Climb the Grand Sentinel

      8.6 mi / 3612.2 ft gain
      The Grand Sentinel has two routs on it. While it is hard to access it is a modern classic with bolted anchors, and Cardia Arete is a Sport climbing route. While I could offer my take on this classic,  Chris Perry' Banff Rock is a far better resource than I. To access the climb park at Moraine Lak...
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