Quick Release

An enjoyable and relatively short route on the north face of Ha Ling Peak featuring a mix of crack and face climbing. The route is generally well-protected, and pins are not necessary. A recent (2024) retrofit has replaced most of the ~50-year-old bolts. Some very fun movement and stemming is to be had, especially on pitches 2 and 5. Chris Perry's 'Banff Rock' topo: http://www.banffrock.ca/BVRpdfs/Chinamans/Ha%20Ling.pdf

Start in the rightmost main corner system and scramble up about 20-30m to a bolted station (handmade hangers from the 70s) marking the start of the route.

1) Follow the corner to a bulge where there are two old bolts and a one new bolt. Either climb straight up the bulge, pulling a few moves that are much harder than 5.8, or traverse hard right towards two fixed pins, to make a difficult and rather scary step onto the face before moving back to the corner to reach a single bolt belay on a ledge. The belay can be backed up with a 0.75 cam (5.8, 35m) 

2) Fun climbing! Follow the crack with increasing difficulty, passing an overhang on its right side, then climb more easily to a ledge. The guidebook claims there is a bolt part way up this pitch, but I didn't find it (5.10a, 40m)

3) Move right under the roof and climb up a slab through a shattered overhang with wedged blocks to reach a ledge with bolted belay (5.7, 20m)

4) Climb either straight up the corner/crack (slippery feet, harder than it looks), or step right and climb unprotected, easier rock to reach a ramp, and follow it back left to the main corner. Climb up the corner ~12 m to below a short right facing corner. Traverse left around a small bulge 3-4 m on a small ledge, then climb up a steep, short dihedral type feature (small cams to protect) to reach a ledge and bolted belay (5.8, 45m)

5) Another highlight of the route. Stem and smear up the corner, gingerly navigate past a large unsupported flake. Continue to the next belay ledge (5.9, 40m)

6) Climb up an easy but sparsely protected slab until you reach the large ledge system. Traverse right along the ledge until you reach it’s end and a bolted station. (45m, 5.7)

7-9) Some fun 5.5 climbing leads to a top out in a scree field. Choose your own adventure (5.5, 130 m)

From the top of pitch 5, you have the option of climbing “Finishing Touch”, which is 4 more pitches of climbing up to 5.10a in the main corner system.

It's possible to rappel the route with double ropes from the top of P5. But it would not be fun, as it is not rigged for rap so you would need to leave behind your tat. There are also loose rocks on ledges, and rapping down P3 likely requires sideways swinging. 

The rightmost corner on Ha Ling. There is a black arching roof on the right side of the corner about 1/3 of the way up the wall.