Drifter's Escape (climb)

Drifter's Escape is a 20-metre (66 ft) long traditional climbingroute on the Stawamus Chief in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. The route follows a series of parallel cracks through a blank headwall of white granite, situated just left of the established route, University Wall (IV 5.12). It constitutes the fifth pitch of the aid route Bald Egos (VI 5.9 A4), a 1,500-foot line on the Stawamus Chief. On 14 July 2025, American climber Connor Herson completed the first free ascent of the route, proposing a grade of 5.15a (9a+). If the grade is confirmed, Drifter's Escape would be the first traditional climbing route in the world to receive that rating, and among the hardest traditionally protected routes ever completed.