The Playground — The Bow Valley’s Original Drytooling Crag

Where is The Playground?

The Playground is located on the south side of the second grotto on Grotto Mountain, near Canmore, Alberta. Park at the Rat’s Nest Cave parking area (51°3’8.55″N 115°15’22.46″W), 5 km south of Canmore on Hwy 1A. From there, follow a series of trails and shortcuts totaling 2.75 km and 350 m elevation gain to reach the crag.

Who Created The Playground?

Alpine guide Patrick Delaney discovered The Playground to build a dedicated training area for mixed climbing—intentionally selecting a site unsuitable for traditional rock climbing. He partnered with Eric Dumerac to develop and publicize the routes. Once controversial, The Playground is now a popular venue attracting dozens of climbers on fall weekends.

Current Drytooling Routes

The routes are described left to right across 6 areas:

Upper Cave

• Just The Tip D7 — FA: Michelle Kadatz, Steve Kovalenko

Playground Left

• Mountaineers Route D5 — FA: Patrick Delaney
• U Crazy Roundeye! D7- — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Get to Know You D6+ — FA: Lida Frydrychova, Veronica Wadja
• Trumpsters D7+ — FA: Amanda Bischke

Swiss Cheese Cave

• Single Malt D8- — FA: Eric Dumerac
• Amrut D8+ — FA: James Madden
• Shropshire Blue D9 — FA: Erik Schnack
• Swiss Cheese D9- — FA: Simon Anthamatten
• Malt Cheese D8 — FA: James Madden

Rat’s Nest Wall

• Rat’s Nest Route D4 — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Baptism D5+ — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Prowler D6 — FA: Patrick Delaney

Mutt Wall

• Mutt D6+ — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Jeff D8- — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Glenfiddich D7+ — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Wild Turkey D8- — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Triple Sec D8+ — FA: Patrick Delaney
• Nothing but Pride D7 — FA: Patrick Delaney

Recess Wall

• No Prejudice D4 — FA: Brent Peters
• Dodgeball D4 — FA: Brent Peters
• Red Rover D4 — FA: James Madden
• The Monitor D5 — FA: Brent Peters
• The Bully D6- — FA: Brent Peters
• Patchouli Oil D6+ — FA: James Madden
• Dreadlocks D6 — FA: James Madden

What is Drytooling and Mixed Climbing?

Drytooling involves climbing rock using ice tools and crampons—often as a form of training for mixed and alpine routes. Mixed climbing combines rock and ice climbing to gain terrain leading to waterfall ice or alpine objectives.