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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daymares | V4 | - | This line lies on the right side of the face of the boulder. Start matched on cool little juggy crimp and head up the face using crimps and using the slopey right arête. |
| Diamond | V4 | - | The centre and best line climbs from a kind of sit start on small crimps up the middle. Ledges and crimps lead to a committing last move to the lip.
FA: Brendan Baars |
| Huffle Puff | V4 | - | On the Sorting Hat Boulder in the Nightmare Zone. Left hand start on the undercling of the arête, right hand on the crimpy triangle. Stand start. Tech your way straight up and top out! |
| Jam The Berry | V4 | - | The first climb to the right of the arête. The start isn't obvious. Stand start with your left hand on a high sloper and for your right hand, a slimper down and right. The foothold used in the FA is the starting ledge for Choosey Mom's Choose JIF. A hard crux move, in the beginning, leads to easier terrain above. |
| Lost Corner | V4 | - | Lost corner is a low sit start. Start matched and work up through a good crimp and cool holds on the corner feature to a nice heel rock over top out.
FA: Danny Plonka |
| Mossy Moves | V4 | - | Starts on a rail then moves straight up to an alright right hand side pull and a left hand crimp, then reach for the slab lip. Find some crimps and get a heel up. Finish it by mantling up then climbing up the super easy slab to the top.
FA: Joshua Authier |
| Open the Iliad | V4 | - | The first climb you see when approaching the boulder from the main trail. Start on a big step and climb the dihedral aiming up and right. Small holds and feet make the last move a treat.
FA: Aaron Bopp |
| Party on Wayne | V4 | - | A one move wonder but still fun! Sit start with both hands on crimpy rail. Make the crux move straight up with the right hand and trend left! |
| Plumline | V4 | - | TBD |
| Regina | V4 | - | Start left hand on a southern sandstone like slimper and a right hand low in a crack. A funky imaginative bottom leads to pure slab technique on bad holds to reach the penultimate jug near the top.
FA: Aaron Bopp |
| Side Effects | V4 | - | Start low on the arête as Magic Mushroom starts then take a swing over into Lost Corner and top out as Lost Corner does. It's a link-up between Magic Mushrooms and Lost Corner.
FA: Joshua Lightfoot |
| They All Can't Be Gold Extension | V4 | - | Same start, same first move up and on slopers/sloping crimps. Instead of heading up and finishing, head right around the bulge, topping out a body length away from the start. |