Makynen
Makynen | 46°21'08.3"N 80°49'07.2"W
Makynen is the premier bouldering area near Sudbury. It’s found about 20 minutes south of town on the Old Hwy 69 (now Estaire Road). The area is split in two by the highway. Makynen East consists of an overhanging cliff band a few hundred m long, running parallel to Makynen Road. The rock is strangely solid rock for Sudbury. Makynen West is composed of more true boulders, again of high quality for Sudbury standards. For whatever geological reasons, the rock is generally high in little crystals content, which creates wicked friction for big open-handed slopey moves, but is also pretty brutal on skin for those with tips not ready for the abuse.
Much thanks to Allan Barr for contributing the guide to Makynen amongst other guides.
Approach
Drive south from the four corners (Regent and Paris intersections), take the Estaire Road exit and head south for about 15 minutes until you come to Makynen Road, turn left and park. (It’s almost exactly 20 km south of the South End Canadian Tire.)
Makynen East
The easiest way to approach the cliff is to walk about 20 meters or so down the highway and turn left when you see the obvious overhanging cliff. The first climb you’ll see is Power and Rage.
Makynen West
On the west side of the highway, the tops of some boulders can be seen from Makynen Road. Some beavers have been hard at work in the last few years, which amazingly has made access a bit easier after causing hassle for a couple of years. Cross the first creek over some homemade bridging material (usually consisting of a street sign) and then cross the solid beaver dam. Be on the lookout for angry beavers. Head initially right from the beaver dam and hug the tree line as it curves left and you come to the open marsh, stay more left to stay dry. Be careful navigating around the area as there as some surprisingly deep crevasses. There’s lots of undeveloped potential here.
Makynen West Approach
Makynen East
Makynen East
Power and Rage | V9
Start on the right hand crimp and left hand sloper with marginal feet. Make a powerful move up to gain the arête, and work your way up using crimps out left. The top out is a surprise crux after the first two moves. Bring some pads and a good spotter. Unlike many of the problems in this area, this one is usually dry. This one is five star problem anywhere!
Rogue Wave | V9
Follows Power and Rage but with the left exit instead of the right exit. Matt King the Fa'ist called them very different styles and 5 star.
Commando | V6
Sit start on some ledgy holds and move up to some painful crimps, throw right to big ledges and work your way across to some jugs. Set up and make a powerful move up to a sloper, make a delicate match and move up on a crimp and make a highstep for the topout. Classic problem and a wicked lat workout!
Baby Commando | V4
Same as Commando, but start on the big jug on the right and throw directly to the sloper.
The Landscaper | V8
Sit start on the plate around chest high, move up to the crimpy crack and work your way up, throw for the slopey corner and top out. The top out is a lot harder than it looks, and requires a lot of commitment. It's recommended to have a few pads and a spotter.
Power and Rage
Commando
The Landscaper
Naked Lunch
Turkey Dump
Naked Lunch | V2
Start on a sloppy rail and climb through the questionable but super solid block.
Turkey Dump | V1
Nice warm up climb that follows the edge.
Scooter Boy | V5
Starts below and right of Cleanin' the Crack and finishes on the same top out.
Cleanin' the Crack
Scooter Boy
Commando Direct | V7
FA Curtis Sawatzky
Start as 'Commando' but instead of traversing right, go directly up ! Very cruxy!
Cleanin’ the Crack | V2
Sit start in some decent holds and work your way up the crack on continually better holds. Move up onto some jugs and finish out on a big ledge with shrubbery.
Bag of Sand | V3
FA: Curtis Sawatzky
Sit down start on the right side of 'Cleanin' the Crack', start problem on a good edge. Go up left to a sloping rail and continue up to finish same as 'Cleanin' the Crack'.
Chutes & Ladders | V0
The off-width crack next to One Tree Hill. Just go up.
One Tree Hill | V1
Sit start on a good ledge. Using a sloper up and left, and a side pull out right, work up to the big rail and top out on some good slopey jugs. For the down climb either work left and down some lichen-covered slab, or easier is just down-climbing using the tree as a back rest if needed.
Slapping Papaya | V6
Named for a style of Cuban climbing, sit start on a good incut hold, and throw right for the big ledge. Work your way up with a crimp out left and crimp up high and right. Set up and shoot for the V-notch, stick and top out.
One Tree Hill
Chutes & Ladders
Slapping Papaya
Blue Ladder | V3
Stand start on some not great crimps, get your feet up and throw to some big slopey jugs. Start working right along the obvious seam with very little in the way of feet, until you can top out onto a big ledge. A classic pump fest.
Blue Ladder
Blue Ladder Extension
Blue Ladder Extension | V7
A boulder problem longer than most roped climbs in Sudbury, and brutally pumpy! Start about 20 feet left of Blue Ladder on jugs at start of seam. Work right as best you can until you meet up with Blue Ladder, and continue. The route requires gymnastic moves with feet over your head on multiple occasions. Awesome.
Flex It Baby | V3
Sit start on a good right-facing flake. The first hold flexes, so try not to break it off. Make a move around the corner left, then start working up to a good ledge and the crux move before a highball topout. Make sure you have a good spotter and at least a few pads.
Flex It Baby
Sphagno
Sphagno | V5
Sit start on two horrible crimp sidepulls and desperately huck for a good hold to the left before your ass hits the ground again. Work left through some powerful moves and try and hit a super sharp crimp up high and left, then move up. Either finish in the corner and down climb, or climb the loose rock very high off the ground to the top.
Highballing | V4
Start on the juggy holds of Sphagno, work up and left through some core testing moves, then get mentally prepared. Work out along a rail as the ground falls away, make the faith-filled slap around the corner and make a scary topout.
The Hooker | V3 (1)
The first climb established at Mac. Sit start on some good slopey ledges and work right until you can throw around the corner to a sharp crystal crimp, move your feet around and try and move up and right through some very balancy moves, finishing as per the Awkward Corner.
Awkward Corner | V4 (2)
Sit start on some awkwardly-angled holds at the corner of The Hooker, and climb up some more awkwardly-angled holds. Tougher than it looks.
Diamond Blade | V8
Futuristic problem. Starts on jugs and moves right through some good edges that get progressively worse until a total body weight moves to ridiculously sharp hold known as the ’diamond blade’. It has already lacerated a few fingers. One of Northern Ontario’s most prized problems.
Knock It Before You Try It | V9
FA Jakob Elliot
Start as Diamond Blade, make the first couple moves, then huck out left to climb straight up. Aka Diamond Blade Direct. Tough scrunchy coordination move to bad holds ! Keep it together for the top out.
Highballing
The Hooker
Awkward Corner
The Diamond Blade Project
A single problem is found approximately 100m up the road (south, away from Makynen road), just off the road on the north side right behind the thin tree line and ditch.
Flip Into Gear | V3
Start by matching a big slot on a great foot and move right. Work your way up the slab onto increasingly better holds and top out!
Makynen West
Makynen West is a lot harder to present clear instruction for finding boulders, aerial photography is in the works. Included are a few of the best-developed routes on the west side, if you can find them.
New! These two new problems are located on a low boulder in front of the Blazing Saddles area.
Higher Ground | V1
Starts on the undercling flake. Make your way up both sides then head left to top out. Bump it up several grades with a sit start at the small holds in the crack below.
Swamp Water | V1
Starts on the right side of the same flake as Higher Ground. Follow that crack right and top out.
Blazing Saddles | V3
Allan's personal favourite climb on the west side. Start on a ledge in the middle of the face and a right hand on a sidepull on the side of the boulder, throw to the left side and bear hug your way up until you can huck for a slopey hold on the prow and find a way to mantle. When topping out make sure and throw you leg over the boulder into the natural saddle and ride the boulder like you stole it. Victory pumps are strongly recommended. Super fun. Bring spotters for the mantle.
Ankle Grinder | V3
Sit start low down on the obvious edge and work up the boulder, top out as soon as you can, which turns out to be right near the top. Many people have lost a lot of skin on the inside of their ankle working this little baby.
Burley 2.0 | V5
Sit start on a brutal pinch, squeeze as hard as you can and generate some upward momentum to throw for the slopey edge of the boulder, bring your other hand up and mantle. The top out is a lot harder than you think it’s going to be.
Million Dollar Deals | V5/6
Starts way down left almost standing in the pit. Climb up and right using heel hooks, crimps and a pinch. Top out through the vertical rib in the rock.
Higher Ground
Blazing Saddles
Ankle Grinder
Burley 2.0
