If you’re looking for climbing in Eastern Canada, the Niagara Escarpment is a pretty perfect place to start. The cliffs are not as massive as out west but this ridge of rock is over 700 km long, and there’s climbing the whole way along it. Tie that in with the deciduous tree forests and the Great Lakes backdrop, and it’s magical. I climbed here in the 90s, and can still remember topping out of a great climb and looking back over the lakes, blown away by the experience.
Rock climbing close to Toronto
The Niagara Escarpment’s proximity to Toronto makes this a weekend climbing trip well worth doing. The rock is limestone and you may get lucky and spot some fossils embedded into your handholds!
The closest spot to Toronto is Rattlesnake Point, an easy to intermediate zone and one of the most popular rock climbing spots in Ontario. If you are looking for harder and more challenging routes, Devil’s Glen and Metcalf Rock are both 2.5 hours north of Toronto.
Due to its length, there is a huge variety of climbing, and it’s all different. Classics include Knob Hill (5.7,) Mainline (5.10a), Laplacian Ballroom (5.11a), and Seamstress (5.12a/b). There is bouldering amongst all these climbs, with a huge variety that will challenge everyone.