Three Sisters - North Faces

Towering above Canmore, in the heart of the Bow Valley, the Three Sisters are impossible to ignore and probably among the most photographed peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Though not prime climbing destinations, a few adventurous summer and winter routes weave their way through rock whose quality allegedly varies from adequate to abysmal.

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Route List

1: Big Brother, M4 WI4 R/X
2: Grassi Route (Northeast Buttress), AD 5.6, Drinnan, Geddes, Grassi, Moffat, Wilson, 1925
3: West Buttress, D+ 5.10a, Perry, Yonge, 2001
4: Black Beard, M5 WI5+ R
5: North Ridge, D 5.10a A1, Bohren, Salzberger, 1979
6: The Ecstasy and the Agony, D 5.10a A1, Everett, Reisenhofer, 1990
7: North Ridge, AD- 5th class
8: Cuthbert-Purdy Route (North Ridge), AD- 5.7, Cuthbert, Purdy, 1968

Sources

• “Rockies Central, The Climbers Guide to the Rocky Mountains of Canada, Volume Two,” David P. Jones, High Col, 2015

• “Bow Valley Rock,” Chris Perry and Joe Josephson, Rocky Mountain Books, 2000

• “Mixed Climbs in the Canadian Rockies,” Sean Isaac, Rocky Mountain Books, 2000

• Tim Banfield

• Will Gadd

Updates

May 30, 2022: First version published.

March 7, 2024: Graphic design update

Sep 5, 2025: Graphic design update