Located around the Milton area and operated by the Conservation Halton group, Rattlesnake point is by far the best off-season climbing around. The
completely south facing cliff receives sunlight for almost the entire day, making climbing in sub-zero temperatures on sunny days possible. The
cliff itself is anywhere from 10 to 40 meters high, with grades ranging from super easy to 5.11 and up. The problem with the cliff is the vast
amount of traffic from Toronto that it sees, due to this, the rock is generally polished and slippery making a climb rated at 5.6 in the guide
much, much harder.The area consists of top-roping or trad climbing. There are no sport climbs, and setting up top-ropes tends to require many meters of webbing due to the ban of slinging cedars. Going on a sunny weekend during the summer is not recommended due to the sheer numbers of climbers at the cliff, draping everything they can with ropes. It's also the only cliff around Toronto that guiding companies are allowed to bring clients, so there's always a bunch of groups of people learning to climb.
With all it faults due to the amount of people the cliff hosts, the cliff is at it’s prime in the cold months allowing climbing into late December and early in the spring. It also costs $5.50 to access the park.
Getting There: Take Hwy 69 south which will turn into Hwy 400 until you reach the 407, and take the toll highway west towards Hamilton. Exit at the turn off for the 401 west to London. The easiest way is to take the Guelph Line turn off and head south. Turn left on 3rd regional road and drive until you reach Appleby Line and turn right (south). Follow Appleby Line and the entrance to Rattlesnake Point is on your right. If you head down a steep switch backing hill, you’ve gone too far.
Guide Books:
The Escarpment: A Climber’s Guide - is the best and as far as I know only book to detail all of Rattlesnake. A little hard to find in print though.
Ontario’s Finest Rock Climbs – details three climbs
Camping: Camping is available at the park within a 5 minute hike from the cliff for $40/night (up to six campers per site?) – it’s probably a good idea to reserve a site ahead of time.
Links: Conservation Halton – Information about fees, camping and trail maps.
Rattlesnake Point Gallery