Gold Mine
From Sudbury, take the Trans Canada highway west towards Sault Ste. Marie. At about 108 km out of Sudbury, take Hwy 108 north towards Elliot Lake and travel north for 64 km, which will take you through Elliot Lake and the 108 will turn into the 639. After 64 km, the road will end at Hwy 546 - at this point turn left and venture southwest for 7.6 km, where you will find the trail into the crag.
At the 7.6 km mark is a small pull-off on the south side of the road. The trail to Gold Mine is on the opposite side of the road approximately 15-30 feet west of the parking area. The trail zig-zags through the trees and, as of last year, still had downed trees that need to be stepped over. The more the area is frequented, the more obvious the path will become. Follow the trail until you see rocks (3-5 minutes) and the trail will split off left (west) and right (east). Look left and you will notice a slab approximately 40 yards away. This is the Ant boulder. Travelling right (east, 3-5 minutes) the first boulder encountered is the Alexander the Great boulder. Gold Mine is split up between four different areas. (See topo below.)
Camping is located at the 10.7 km mark south from the Hwy 546 turn. Turn left onto the logging road and continue for 300 m and camp along the river bank area.
Sources
Routes
| Name | Grade ↑ | Star rating | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Anxiety | V5 | - | Start low on a good jug. Make a big move up and left. Get your heel hooking on to reach a bad crimp. Either be insanely strong and match the crimp or bump your right hand to a sloper dish right below the lip. Figure out your feet and top out.
FA: Chris Myers |
| Put Me In Coach | V5 | - | Start on in-cut edge (left) and right hand on a low crimp by the arête (right). Make a hard first move right hand and work up the arête to reach another edge. Bust to the lip or use a toe hook out left. A difficult mantle top-out awaits you.
FA: Brendan Baars |
| Rogue Pogue | V5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | There is no safe down climb so bring a rope or a ladder which measures 12+ feet. Bring at minimum 2 pads as this problem measures over 22' vertical from the start. Start holds are the undercling and the rail on either side of the arête, then utilize the whole over hanging face and top out in the centre of it. |
| Sarissa Mastery | V5 | - | Start 8 feet right of Open the Iliad.
FA: Aaron Bopp |
| Silhouette | V5 | - | Slab climbing cannot get much better than this. Start low on your choice of holds and make fancy footwork to reach opposing sidepull crimps. Step your way up and launch for a decent rail right below the lip. Scary and proud this send will be. Photos and video do not do this boulder justice in beauty or size.
FA: Aaron Bopp |
| So Much Pressure | V5 | - | Start on the jug of Performance Anxiety and go immediately right and exit above. |
| Time for War | V5 | - | A boulder problem that needed to be climbed. Stand start with the left hand on a good ledge above your head and right hand on the undercling ledge below it. Campus or try to paste a foot to move up and right, utilizing lots of footwork. Decent holds lead to a committing left heel hook for a top-out.
FA: Brendan Baars |
| Ungnomely | V5 | - | Sit start low on good incuts. Move up to a crimp and sloper and pop for the top |
| What Bugs? | V5 | - | A great compression problem. Start low on a small ledge and right edge. Power up! A low start is entirely feasible for those looking for an easy cleaning job on a boulder that’s very friendly on height and padding.
FA: Adam Page |
| 7 Minutes in Heaven | V6 | - | Start on the two lowest incut-ish crimps. Make your way up and slightly left. This climb is deceivingly easy until you try it. |
| Blind Attack | V6 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Crouch start/stand on left and right arete pretty low. Left hand has a decent incut thing and the right is underneath a seam. |
| Mrs. Buttersworth | V6 | - | Climb the arête from a sit start utilizing small crimps, big moves, and the splits. Start with left hand pinching the arête and right hand on your choice of crimps. Move up and right, establishing your feet in a split position and figure out how to get over the bulge.
FA: Brendan Baars |
| Shakes and Stutters | V6 | - | Start on two crimps at about head height. Move right, traversing into performance anxiety and topout. |
| Slapping the Basswood | V6 | - | Stand start with the left hand on the arete and right on a crimp. Slap your way up perfect slopers. It's not over until you hit the lip. |
| Sunday School | V6 | - | A short powerhouse of a problem. Start low on a small ledge and using a left foot low and a high right foot to create opposition, bump your right hand up the sidepull. Move feet and launch for a sloping mailbox slot on top. Mantle it out. A much harder version could potentially be climbed to the right.
FA: Brendan Baars |