Chinese Puzzle Wall

Chinese Puzzle Wall rises above Nesakwatch Creek on the south side of the west buttress of South Illusion Peak in British Columbia’s North Cascades. This steep granite wall is approximately 500 m high, with sustained corners, cracks, roofs, and largely overhanging terrain.

The wall’s established lines include Hidden Dragon, an 11-pitch 5.12b route with two 5.12c variations; Crouching Tiger, an 11-pitch 500 m route rated 5.12b; and Manchu Wok, a 13-pitch 500 m route rated 5.12+. Hidden Dragon was established in 2016 by Brette Harrington and Marc-André Leclerc as the wall’s first complete route.

Approach conditions are serious rather than casual: accounts describe travel through steep forest and logging cuts, with access taking roughly an hour in one report and several arduous hours into Nesakwatch Valley in another. Loose rock and route-finding have been significant concerns on the wall, so parties should treat it as demanding alpine climbing and verify current information before committing.