The Hollow Climbing

This digital The Hollow climbing guidebook gives you GPS navigation, verified topos, and beta for hundreds of climbs. Explore classics and hidden gems with offline access to maps, directions, and beta videos. Whether it's your first visit or fiftieth, KAYA makes your The Hollow days smoother, safer, and more dialed.

The Hollow features around a dozen climbable boulders spread over a small area with easy access. The Boss, Miracle and Hypnosis boulders are all quite impressive and have an impressively short approach. Despite the longer drive, the lack of approach and variety of problems makes this area pretty appealing. There is also potential for more problems to be established on the short band of exposed rock south of the Boss boulder.

Access

The parking, approach and boulders are all on Crown land. In the winter, Barry Lake Trail is groomed for sledding by the OFSC (Ontario Federati... Show more

This digital The Hollow climbing guidebook gives you GPS navigation, verified topos, and beta for hundreds of climbs. Explore classics and hidden gems with offline access to maps, directions, and beta videos. Whether it's your first visit or fiftieth, KAYA makes your The Hollow days smoother, safer, and more dialed. The Hollow features around a dozen climbable boulders spread over a small area with easy access. The Boss, Miracle and Hypnosis boulders are all quite impressive and have an impressively short approach. Despite the longer drive, the lack of approach and variety of problems makes this area pretty appealing. There is also potential for more problems to be established on the short band of exposed rock south of the Boss boulder. Access The parking, approach and boulders are all on Crown land. In the winter, Barry Lake Trail is groomed for sledding by the OFSC (Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs). Road vehicles are not permitted once it is groomed. It usually takes a few extra weeks for the compacted snow to melt, so if you visit in early spring, a 4x4 vehicle or tire chains might be a good idea. Good to Know This area is very popular with hunters, with increased activity leading up to hunting season. Wearing bright colours would be advisable during these times and you might want to consider climbing elsewhere during deer rifle season. Geology These boulders are glacial erratics, most with great landings. The Boss and Boss Baby boulders are a bit unusual for the area - more granite than gneiss. The swirling patterns on the Hypnosis boulder offer a great example of the folding that can happened during metamorphism. History These boulders were discovered by Alex Atkin and Matt Munkittrick in the summer of 2024. After a day of climbing at Battery Lake, they decided to continue driving down the road to see where it would lead them. And there was the Miracle boulder. Most of the problems were cleaned and established in the fall of 2024. The Hollow is located approximately 26 km south of Calabogie, and the drive should take around 35 minutes. The last 2/3 of the drive is on a gravel road that, as of 2025, has been fairly well maintained. Any regular passenger vehicle should have no problem making the drive. There are several pullouts near the boulders, which can easily accommodate a handful of vehicles. Be sure to park well off to the side of the road to allow other vehicles to pass. 0.0 km - From the Bogie General Store, take County Road 511 east through the town of Calabogie. 4.8 km - Turn right onto Barryvale Road. 8.2 km - Turn left onto Tatty Hill Road. This will shortly turn into a gravel road. 13.4 km - You will come to an open staging area, marking the end of Tatty Hill Road. Continue through the staging area, following the main road as it makes a slight right and becomes Barry Lake Trail. Continue on this road, as it crosses through the hydro cut several times, for another 12.8 km. 26.2 km - As you enter the hydro cut once again, the Miracle boulder, like a beacon for the wayward climber, will appear on your left, with the main parking pullout below it. None of the boulders are more than 100 meters from the road. The Hidden Gem, Miracle and Boss areas are on the east side of the road near the first parking pullout. The Lost Arrow, Galaxy Quest and Stegosaurus areas can be accessed via a faint climbers trail beginning just before the second parking pullout, located 100 meters further down the road.