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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Tessalate | V6 | - | Stand start on a flat big undercling. Move left through a decent crimp and either use the awesome slopers as intermediates or make a big move to the best sloper and then move up and topout. |
| The Upright Man | V6 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Perfect vertical wall with a line of crimps to follow. A spicy last move may be possible! Start on two crimps right next to each other and follow to the top. |
| Tripped to the Yard | V6 | - | Sit start with a great left heel hook. Find the two improbable underclings and paste the right foot on a non-existent foot. Stand up and move to better holds and top out.
FA: Brendan Baars |
| 615 Dollars | V5 | - | Start by climbing the sloper ledges up to meet the crux in the middle of the boulder. Figure out a high left foot or stretch and grab a crimp. Finish up on easier terrain. The first boulder encountered from the trail. Obvious vert wall.
FA: Aaron Bopp |
| Barn Door Baby | V5 | - | To the left of Lost Corner on the Magic Mushroom boulder. Start span from the left arête to a far sloping side pull. Find a good heel and slap up to good holds to top out. Shorter climbers will have to get very creative.
FA: Thomas Piche |
| Creature of the Mine, Low | V5 | - | Start with both hands on the low platform and climb into Creature of the Mine.
FA: Pierre Cusa |
| Eat This Scroll | V5 | - | A dihedral delight. Start standing with your hands wide at the base of the dihedral. Master your way up the open book using any beta or body part available.
FA: Aaron Bopp |
| Flange | V5 | - | TBD |
| John B | V5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Sit start with both hands on the jug and a heel if you're feeling flexible. use one of two very small crimps to make a difficult move right to a gaston and make your way up the face. This is located on a boulder past rogue pogue and off the trail to the left. |
| Knife Fight | V5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Start on a jug, Bust out right and then tackle the amazing knife feature using very odd meathooks. Topout in the middle of the tall but easy slab. |
| Loud and Prowd | V5 | - | A sit start with opposing side pulls, make a hard move up to a pinch and top out the prow. It's a powerful mini compression block. To the left of Sunday School. Obvious Arête. |