Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 4, 2012 - 06:26pm PT
My whole life growing up on the inside coast of Vancouver Island I can't count the number of times I've stared over to the mainland at the craggy peaks that dot the coastline. From the summits of many island peaks, on a clear day you can see deep into the coast mountains even to Waddington.
How many of you west coasters have climbed in the coast range? Do you fly in up the coast from the mainland or water taxi? I've been toying with the idea of an old school sailboat assist into the inlet and bushwhack into the mountains but maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment.
What are the logistics of exploring this area, what are the hazards? What new activity has been done in the Coast Range? There's very little granite on the island here and apart from cragging in Squamish, my real interests lie in the alpine rock. I've been staring at these peaks far too long and its about damn time I got to know them a little more intimately.
Unless you've got lots of time, I'd suggest flying in, unless you want to do some exploring in the John Clarke style. If it's granite you want, There's some stuff in the Raleigh-Gilbert area, Bute (of course), lots to do in the Klatassine area. Fly into the upper Tellot Glacier from Bluff Lake (heli), and climb your brains out on the granite there.
How many of you west coasters have climbed in the coast range?
We all have. And a few of us survived. Most didn't though, so the right way to start this whole discussion is to channel Locker, and say..
Yur gonna die!
Seriously though, there are some people posting here who might be able to tell you a thing or two. They'll step forward, or not, but since you brought up the idea of starting from the Island and crossing the water to get to the mountains, you should start your research here: http://kobus.ca/adventures/waddington/index.html
That was one the most badass things ever done in the Coast Range.
And I think Rob Wood did a lot of water approaches, but I don't know him and he doesn't post here.
If you've been gazing across the water from, say, Comox, why not take a boat up Homfray Channel and do the NW buttress on Mt. Denman? I've looked at it for many years and never been in that particular area. Looks good, and rock should be ok.
John Clarke said of the Coast Range "It is remote, rugged and very very wet". Sums it up for me.
You can get airborne and chopper from The Spit in CR or Beaver into the head of some inlet and start in the kelp beds. That's what John used to do.
Others who were, you know, more gainfully employed ( ergo less time to spend ) tended to figure the ratio of cheap:fast with flying ( e.g. where from , what machine ) and do that.
Kobus is gnarly badass. ANd the guy is a freakin' fizzix genius to boot.
But, yes, all the Canucks on this silly forum have spent time bailing tents in the great Coastal Rainge of BC :-) Ghost and I know stuff about one another we prolly should not know but do nevertheless because of multi-day rainstorms.
Got lotsa time ? Approach Munday-style by kayak, thrash, ohsh#t, icecoreglacier, glacier, interesting route, summit and return.
Got no time ? Whup whup whup whup and have cash ready to give to Mike, Lawrence or whoever is yer pilot. Make sure you have your pickup figgered out. Be smart and have Extra In Case of Storm. You can always carry a satphone ( my brother does ) to call yer sister for wx updates :-D
Don't worry about Big Fat Routes but go out for the adventure. And remember:
If you read that thread a bit, you'll see that GF is in it. Ask him about the Coast Range. Bruce Kay posts here a lot, and also knows a thing or two about the Coast Range, and about Mt. Bute. Likewise Jim Brennan and Bruce MacD. And Hamie. And Tricouni. And probably a bunch of others.
In fact the depth of Coast Range knowledge and experience here is staggering.
Thanks for the insight all and the stories. Yeah I know what wet is, this has been one of the rainiest seasons I can remember and I've been on the island a long time.
I was thinking of doing the inlet approach and bushwahck if I can find some objectives that aren't too far from the coast. I'd love to get deeper in and climb some of the more epic peaks in the area with Waddington being a lifelong goal. I still have to sharpen my skills a lot before that kind of stuff though. Mainly I would like to do some trips out there to get to know the area, maybe scramble a few peaks before doing anything too comitting.
Besides the fact that I might end up waiting forever for a weather window that doesn't come. I was advised to be prepared for a long stay. Approaching by sailboat/ zodiac would be a grea way to negate having to haul everything as we could be out there for a month or more and just re-load on supplies from the boat between excursions.
I've read Rob Wood's Towards the Unknown Mountains which chronicles the slog in to Waddington as well as some beautiful other adventures. I'm still up for some old fashioned bushwhacking but hopefully thats not all I'd do.
Any of you got pictures from out there you would like to share?
Its a bit of a gamble with the weather sometimes, but really anything in the northwest end of north america is.
I find the best tactic is to block off a reasonable amount of time, wait for a bomber weather forecast (cragging in squamish maybe in the mean time) then roll the dice and fly in, or if the weather seems too dodgy go to plan B... the Sierras or something like that.
When you score a bulls eye, its as good as it gets!
gf reminded me that the dreaded Beckey may have struck on Mt Denman. No matter: you should do it anyways; it's in your back yard and you can the wall between the NW and SW ridges.
Mt Denman from our camp on Mt Hayes, July 27, 2010. NW buttress on left of Denman, SW ridge on right. Homfray Creek is dark, in shadow, on left. Homfray Channel below.
Credit: (c) Glenn Woodsworth
Extra points if you can identify the big peak with lots of snow in the background.
By the way, google jason kruk to see a video of one of the coolest all land (and water!) based trips into the Waddington range in quite some time
I think its on his blog. It s a short teaser so here's what happens:
With Tony Richardson (Son of Howie!) they put into Twist creek in dinky little one man inflateables (half price at Canadian Tire) , up the Scimitar, up and over Fury Gap, very nearly do the FA of the south pillar Wadd NW peak, out toScar Creek (dragging rafts the whole way) float down to Homathko camp and tide water.
I figure that must be Gilbert as well. Right neighborhood anyway.
You could do the same trip my Dad did in the fifties: Up the southgate river, spin the bottle and pick the wrong summit on Gilbert, then epic retreat.... to get back to work on monday
Bonus points if you use Trapper Nelsons, cary Iron rations and chop down trees with ice axes!
Now hold on bruce, you're channelling those damm CT shovels you swore by for so long. Those rafts were made by doug at feathercraft on granville island for Alpaca and loaned by the godfather of sensible design, Mike Blenkarn, to the lads. Take note of the swim club style hand paddles for navigating; brisk eh boys?
Sorry Tami, but maybe you get the horde of fleas that's all over the camel.
but Gilbert would be about the same distance away, if it wasn't hidden by other stuff. It's Mt. Alfred, at the head of Jervis Inlet. Really stands out from the west.
Bruce, that was indeed an epic that your dad did in the 1950s (with greats like Elfrida Pigou, Neal Carter, Alan Melville and others). Like you, I've had the pleasure of bushwhacking in some of those valleys, and I've got nothing but admiration for that bunch.
"Iron rations" ... no. I 'm trying to remember what my parents called their provisions. Everything they used was Army-surplus.
Dad had a "Trapper Dan" pack. Just as awful heavy as the Nelson. Not quite sure of the differences. Tricouni or hamie might be familiar with this rig.
Bruce your Dad was part of a generation of hardass climbers who did some really cool trips. Randy A's dad was also part of it as well. My parents did small trips but were more into skiin'.
Glad to hear Tony R is active. Isn't he a SARtech in the CF ? Or is that Howie's other son ?
Luckily we have geologists and geographers, and other 'ists, to answer such questions. People here often say "coast ranges" as a generic term. The 1965 guide - the 'bible' - was titled A Climber's Guide to the Coastal Ranges of British Columbia, and may be where it started.
Dad had a "Trapper Dan" pack. Just as awful heavy as the Nelson. Not quite sure of the differences. Tricouni or hamie might be familiar with this rig.
Actually, my top-of-the-line Arcteryx pack is just as heavy as my Trapper Nelson. Bloody heavy, all right. Never heard of Trapper Dan - must be a knock-off.
I not only had (and used) a Trapper Nelson, I built it myself. It worked just fine, better than some of the stupid rigs that were available commercially back then.
. People here often say "coast ranges" as a generic term. The 1965 guide - the 'bible' - was titled A Climber's Guide to the Coastal Ranges of British Columbia, and may be where it started.
Dick used "Coastal Ranges" to emphasize that the thing is not one range but many. Current terminology is Coast Mountains, in parallel with Columbia Mountains (includes Purcells, Monashees, Selkirk ranges), Rocky Mountains, and Insular Mountains (Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii) as a first-order division. As a composite term, Coast Mountains is very appropriate: there's no single watershed divide (as with the Rockies or Sierras or North Cascades; many rivers such as the Homathko, Dean, have their headwaters well east of the Coat Mtns.
Within the Coast Mountains we've got many ranges: the somewhat useless Pacific Ranges, Fiord Ranges, Kitimat Ranges, Boundary Ranges, etc. Within these ranges we've gotlots of individual ranges: Waddington, Pantheon, Whitemantle, Miut, and other useful terms.
Coast Mountains is old (official since 1902). Coast Ranges is old, probably older. Climbers still tend to use Coast Range; geologists use Coat Mountains to avoid confusion with the geologically dissimilar Californai/Oregon Coast Range.
Mt Jubilee is climbable from the knights inlet but requires a 2 day bushwack from canyon lake up a "unused logging road" that is overgrown with alders. Then you have to follow the ridge line (bottom left hand corner) onto the Lomolo glacier this gives you options to climb any of the various peaks around that valley.
Another particularly viscously miserable pack design of that era involved a triangular
frame of solid steel round stock of about 5/16 inch diameter, loosely supporting a sack of potatoes style bag. For some reason, maybe because i was the smallest of four boys, I got to carry that POS rather than the delux trapper nelson. I don't recall the name but I bet it was WW II army surplus. We (us kids) called them kidney killers. Maybe Mike Blenkarn could rework it for Archteryx?
Tami, TR is a tech design geek at Archteryx, his bro (Robin?) is the sar tech at commox.
Also, Iron rations were the precursor of gorp. It may have been a "Mom-ism" but i think it actually came from the Mundays.
We used to brew tea in a "Billy'' too..... thats what you call a pot these days
Bruce - Was that your mother's pack ? Because my mum had one just like it. Whaddaya wanna bet the gals gottem together ....or that the VOC acquired 'em and hawked them to the unsuspecting women.
A ghastly thing for sure. Lucky for me I never carried it. WOrst pack I was stuck with was a 5$ job we bought at the Esso service station. Orange nylon, "trapper nelson" type external frame, no zippers but weak tie-downs, no hip belt.... and never intended to be carried on a hiking trip , I packed that thing into Atwell Peak stuffed with my gear. Thought I was gonna die. My 3 friends also on the trip figured I"d never go into the hills again........well, I didn't with that pack.
Yeesh that TR was about what I expected, more time spent bushwhacking and less time spent climbing. I guess I was trying to avoid having fly-in be the only option considering my budget is only slightly above dirtbag status. As far as I know thats the closest alpine granite to where I live, save for Greyback peak on the island which is remote and has one route i think? Its mostly low angle.
Curse you mainlanders and Valley folk, I hope you never take your rock for granted. If you do, I'm sure a short trip to the island will have you crying for home.
I made a sad realization that as much as I love Vancouver Island because I can do everything here (climbing, hiking, skiing, aid, not really ice) most of it is just training for objectives elsewhere. The coast range (coastal ranges?) still seems like a beautiful place I'd like to explore. I'm hoping to make a trip over to Eldred for the cleanup this year (never been) and do some climbing. Maybe do some scrambles in the area to check out the peaks.
If you've been gazing across the water from, say, Comox, why not take a boat up Homfray Channel and do the NW buttress on Mt. Denman? I've looked at it for many years and never been in that particular area. Looks good, and rock should be ok.
Just did some looking into that peak (as yes I am in Comox) and it looks wicked! For those of you who are curious....
Nope not CF although that's why many people move here. I've spent most of my life here, its not a bad place to be when the weather is decent. Rock climbing, hiking, swimming, mtn. biking, skiing all within a half hour drive. More stuff just a bit further, like Horne Lake but i'm not a 5.14 sport climber. We lack the consistent cold temps for good stable ice, but they say the ice is good for all 3 days of the season :P
The Colonel is definitely the heart of alpine climbing on the island. Although I haven't climbed it, I've heard a ton about the choss that can be found there. A friend of mine capped off an epic summer of alpine climbing by ascending the Colonel via the Culbert route I believe, which was the first major route on the east face. He told me some horrendous stories about VW sized blocks of rock and ice cascading down the gullies, pitches with 3 pieces of crap gear in an entire ropelength and no belay anchors. He also said it was the best climbing day of his life.
There are some cool ridge scrambles/enchainments to be had, but I'd have to do most of them solo as its hard to find partners that are interested. I don't have a ton of alpine climbing experience, but I am comfortable soloing up to easy 5.10. There's also the complete Elk Valley traverse which I believe was attempted by Foweraker and Croft before eventually being completed by some locals.
Mr. Foweraker has a hilarious and epic Foster story to share. Hee hee.
He went in with Joe B to attempt something on the E face ( maybe the thing Joe, Peter and I had tried.........not sure ) . Under the E face and ogling it, they realized they needed iceaxes. Which were back in Nanaimo. So they squirreled their packs there, sprinted back down the trail, drove to Nanaimo, got the aforementioned item of equipment, drove back to the trailhead and started back up the trail.
Any of you who know this drive and hike know they put many hours of driving to get those iceaxes. The trail up the Elk Valley is , what? 13km ? I remember it being 7 miles - substantial even if you got long legs like Foodeater..........
Well it got dark partway up the the trail and the boys decided to bivi under the trees. Then it started to rain. Wx turned to North Island Foulness so they bid a retreat back to the cars.
Now remember where their backpacks were...........waaaaay up the trail somewhere.
Joe offered to come back the next week and retrieve the packs.
Or something like that. I"m sure gf can fix the details of my story .
Great thread! An ascent of Waddington via kayaking up the Knight Inlet has been one of my 'dream/nightmare' climbs that I've been thinking about for a long time. My first alpine climb involved kayaking across Leigh Lake to climb Mt Moran in the Tetons, and ever since then I've been intrigued with the idea of doing some Coastal mountains that way.
Somehow I figure the crux would be finding competent and dedicated partners who could spare the time for such an adventure. I mean, who doesn't like the sound of wearing crampons to assist in log crossings?! ;-)
I've even gone so far as to find some interesting looking peaks north of Sechelt that could be nice multi-day trial runs for the whole kayak-'schwak'-and climb deal. Maybe I'll put up what I was thinking for the trial peaks & Waddington here to see what you guys think?
I'll be poring over the links you've all shared. I had been meaning to look up the CAJ report of the Knight Inlet approach, and now it looks like I don't have to :-)
Cruising up Bute Inlet way via kayak and sailboat with our good friends Rob and Lauri Wood back in the early 80ish. Quintano was the mother ship. After years in the South Pacific this was a wonderful respite into virgin turf. One of the most memorable trips ever.
Rob and I had done a number of routes in the Valley in the early 60s and he was on the first British ascent of the Nose with Mick Burke. Rob and Doug Scott made the first winter ascent of Waddington.
In the mid 80s we sailed our boat up from New Zealand and spent a summer in British Columbia. God's country. The most impenetrable forest I have ever experienced.
Sadly Rob and Lauri lost Quintano in a fire last year but they are building another catamaran, so if you are looking for a ride up yonder in the future they may be able to help. Sorry about the quality of the slides but Sir Haan is busy with his literary career right now and I have to be patient.
Credit: guido
Credit: guido
Credit: guido
Credit: guido
Credit: guido
Credit: guido
running downwind wing and wing with a paddle.
Credit: guido
Credit: guido
Base camp the Homathko River(sic?) river-Waddington "just around the corner", yah right mate!
This past spring and summer, thanks to my wonderful girlfriend and her family, I learned a bit about sailing on the west coast. I always wanted to learn and now I've finally started, I've always dreamed of owning a sailboat. The sailing lifestyle on the coast is amazing! It can be crowded in the gulf islands in summer but the scenery and adventure are great. At the end of last summer we did a sailboat/zodiac trip to boulder /DWS some sandstone sea cliffs. The result was one two amazing days of awesome climbing on incredibly unique features (I should really write a TR and show the pics). Although friable the climbing is incredible with potential for miles of coastline.
Ever since then I've been fascinated with water assisted adventures. It just so happens I read the account of Rob Woods adventures in Waddington and circumnavigating Vancouver island the week before my first sail.
There is something about coastal climbing that is special. The history of mountaineering on the Island has some great epics. I believe it was you Tami who told me the story of someone (was it Woszny?) that put an ice axe through his leg.
Wow guido, great slides. When I was younger I feel like i took this place for granted but it was because I hadn't taken the time out to explore the coast past a few bushwhacks close to home and some fishing trips in the gulf islands. I'm so glad I have been able to experience some amazing adventures the last few years that always make me proud to call this home. I'm sure you're seen the sun set and rise on the west coast and it is one of the most beautiful sights on earth.
If any of you guys want recent info on the Knights inlet or other non aircraft ways into the Coast range I suggest talking to the people at the NOLS PNW branch as they send three trips into the range every year.
Rob and Doug Scott made the first winter ascent of Waddington.
Nope. The FWA was by Dick Culbert, Barry Hagen and Al Steck in February 1969, followed a few days later by Bob Cuthbert, Bill St. Lawrence and Les Wilson. The guidebook (2003) notes it as the only winter ascent to date.
(Possibly there have been winter ascents of the northwest peak, and it's often visited in spring, but that's not the summit.)
Hmm, didn't know that NOLS operated in Canada. Do you need some sort of permit for that?
Synchro- It was The Woz, his ice axe and the 'shrund on Foster but he didn't jam it into his damn leg, he stuffed it into his gut. Broke both his kneecaps too.
After trying to make himself a shish-ka-Bob using one of his ribs for a skewer and some internal organs for... oh whatever, dude winds up in the hospital.
I guess lip stand during avoidance of some bears while patrolling the Whistler dump was tough to put on the hospital form. Sort of like the Spinal Tap scene where the police recommended that the death of a band member was; "best not investigated".
Stu of course informed us that it only hurt when he laughed.
So we told him as many jokes as we could remember.
Christ Anders don't you have anything better to do than fact check all my postings. Perhaps I can run everything through your data base next time. "It's the truth, even if it never happened it's the truth." LOL
I am really interested in seeing trip reports and photos of the Waddington and other ranges to the north.It's so wild and remote by todays standards and still full of gems.Hopefully the explosion of new routing in Squamish will spread to these amazing places.I'd like to do a more in depth trip report with pics but don't have the time right now so here is a quicky slideshow of a ski-climbing trip across the Monarch Icecap.We had a great time but my memory of the ridiculous packs we carried has never left me. I vowed never to combine ski trips with technical mountaineering as there is tooo much stuff.It would be interesting to see how much weight you could save with the latest light weight gear available today compared to the gear of 1983(that we thought was the latest and greatest). I was 21 at the time and only in BC for 3 years at that point. After seeing places like this I realized BC was the place for me. Hamilton and the coke ovens of Dofasco were a distant memory.
It's better to watch right on Youtube on the large screen as full screen is poor quality.Some photos credited to Wayne Saunders.
Snychro, if you live in Comox, and want granite, why not just bop across the inlet to Powell River? You've got the equivalent of about five Squamish Chiefs just a few hours away.
Nope it got too hot and Bruce pulled the plug and went home to Golden... I'm sitting around with a week off and no partners. May go back to work and reschedule holidays for a cooler week.
Tricouni if I read the journals right you were laid up sick in camp after eating rancid bacon while your pals scooped the FA of this one?
Yeah, I was pretty sick that day and the day before. Don't think I got out of the tent except for a quick barf. Upset to miss the FA, but we couldn't spare the extra day to wait for me, because we were getting low on food and it was stil a 4-day pack out to the road.
Here's a picture of Ratcliff (centre) and Talchako (big pyramid on the right) taken the day before, June 15, 1962. Dick and Ashlyn climbed Ratcliff by the right hand skyline.
Ratcliff centre) and Talchako (big peak on right) from ridge above Success Lakes
Some local sendage. Pacemaker on the NE face of Robie Reid I hear got its 3rd ascent recently... supposedly even more of the bolts are gone now than reported on the second ascent, sounds like the big rockfall scar may be to blame.
Also Tiara Tower near Mehatl finally had a second (?) ascent, south ridge 5.7
Great link Greg, brings back memories with yourself and Jim.Just got back from John Clarke night at VIMFF so I'd though I would post some pics of the coast range as it was so great to see so many slides of his amazing travels.Some of the more notable climbers I saw there were Martin and Esther Kafer,Don Serl,John Baldwin,Oplopanax and of course the Mighty hiker.Of course I'm hoping that there will be a flood of other pic postings as there are so few pics of this large and amazing area on this thread.
Monarch ice cap
All pics in my post were taken by myself,Brian Gavin, Randy Enomoto or Wayne Saunders. We swapped pics at the end of trips and it's so long ago I don't know who's is who.
Harry - thats a great collection of photo's man. That shot of skywalk is the best one i've seen! same with that last one rapping off the summit tower. it captures the essence - know what I mean? keep em coming. Good one's of that bivy on Cerberus too
Great action shots Bruce. I'm guessing that shot of Mike down is around '89 and Jean, where she at these days. Thanks for sharing. Thanks to climblight also. I guess your next Drew.
Fab pix all !!!! I think that pic of MD is from earlier than '89. :-)
Love to know if he does, in fact, lurk. That would be hilarious.
Jean is a schoolteacher in town here. Saw her on the street the other day ( me in the car; her on foot - didn't get much of a chance to talk......dammit ) but she looks fabulous. OF course.
If any of you guys have her email , would you be so kind as to send it to me? I asked her for it in passing that day but obvs got it wrong.........sheesh.
Wow great photos and stories, glad this was resurrected, I hope it continues.
I spent the summer listening to epic Coast Range stories from members of the Heathens Mountaineers Club. They did a big trip into Tidemann Combatant area and theres talk of another in the near future. I'm gonna throw my name in for a spot in the heli
The big peaks of the Coast Range easily carry the same weight as any other mountains of their elevation. Also, they're wonderfully free of regulation and tourism.
One of the greatest works of imagination that sent dreams in motion before the internet is the Challenger Map that used to have a rightful place in a building at the PNE. George Challenger and his family created a relief map of British Columbia out of 1/4" plywood and paint.
It was put in storage and the B.C. Building torn down to appease some architects who felt sterile lawns with concrete fake stream beds would be more attractive. As predicted, the precious shrine to an ideal has no appeal but this used to have lots:
I got stiffed by a 3 day storm and iffy routefinding on this thing but would like to go back.
This big rig beside it is very nice too. Bruce Fairley and Brian Cruikshank climbed a route up the east face but the real deal on the NE pillar (right skyline) is still up for grabs.
And then to the south across Doran you have this range of granite spires where Clarke+Croft and then the Heathens have been scooping nice routes
The real good rock is on the south sides, and this pic is of the north sides. Sigh.
I did a couple trips into the Niut Range in spring with Don and Gord Betenia. Some good times there too. Rock is mostly sh#t but pockets of solid granite can be found.
I sure would like to get back in there sometime. It's a great spot for spring mountaineering and a very cheap flight since it's right in Whitesaddle's back yard.
Drew -i did a flyby through the niut with sigg issac once -we told mike to step on the gas and burned metaphorical heli rubber over to climb on stuff dropping off on either side of the upper tellot
So yo sayin' she niut zactly yo-smite granite, nawmean? Didja burn metamorphical rubble gittin' outa there ya sayin'? Ya doh wanna be rubblin' in da Nye-oot 'less yo plannin' on da rockies fo christmas know wut I'm sayin'?
The book is called "John Clarke Explorer of the Coast Mountains" - which he most certainly was, with perhaps 600 first ascents from the mid 1960s to 1996. But also many first traverses, plus a lot of conservation work, for all of which he was awarded the Order of Canada shortly before he died in 2003.
John liked to take 4 - 5 months each year, first for a long ski traverse, then for long foot traverses. As he commented, it tended to leave gaps in one's employment resume, although he often worked for his parents' stained glass company. Anyway, once he was in a more conventional job, and on leaving in May was asked by his boss "How come you work here, I own the company, but you get four months off a year?"
John liked to take 4 - 5 months each year, first for a long ski traverse, then for long foot traverses. As he commented, it tended to leave gaps in one's employment resume, although he often worked for his parents' stained glass company.
Here's something not really Wadd-related, but definitely John Clarke related.
It's true, he did work in his parents' glass business from time to time, but he occasionally also worked on a landscaping crew. On one of those gigs, his partner was a relatively recent immigrant from Hong Kong, whose main interest was clothing and fashion.
Those of you reading this thread who don't know John, probably don't understand the gap here, but John's idea of being well-dressed was to wear long underwear that had been washed within the last month. And his idea of sophisticated conversation was "I got a look at Pk 2,125 last year from across the valley, and it just HAS to be climbed."
So, of course, he told stories to his work partner. And the work partner -- whose idea of adventure was going to a nightclub featuring a band he hadn't heard of -- was completely baffled.
This went on through most of the winter, until one day, after yet another lengthy description of a climbing trip but with the added bonus of a description of a bivouac, his partner said (channeling John's imitation of a Cantonese accent here)...
Like the aerials Drew with that forming see through lenticular over the summit. It shows a great view of your route on Serra II Bruce and your shot is a good angle of it also.Jim has some good pictures of the south ridge and I have a little video of it. Jim has tons of great pics we just have to get on his case about scanning them.Yes I'm talking to you, Jim.Nice story about JC Ghost and that's not your usual butt shot.
Mt. Combatant from nunatuk
Credit: harryhotdog
Mt. Waddington from Mt. Hickson
Credit: Mary Prendergast
Bookin it through the icefall on Waddington
Credit: harryhotdog
On Mt.Combatant
Credit: harryhotdog
Nearing summit of Mt. Combatant
Credit: harryhotdog
Heading over to the summit tower
Credit: harryhotdog
Negotiating our way up to the Combatant col from the Scimitar glacier
Here's one from well above, of the Tellot Glacier area. The maintenance people seem to have forgotten to clean my window that day - I wonder how Dru does it?
Drew you have a really good shot of Tiedemann south ridge. I've heard from people who have done both that it is quite similar to the Pueterey Integral on Mt Blanc. The Pueterey has about 500 more meters of climbing but Tiedemann doesn't have a hut or an easy off once you're started. I'd say its easily one of the most classic routes of north America.
Too often when we think of the Coast Mountains it's the Wadd Range and immediate neighbours. Or maybe Monarch. There are places in the Coast Mountains that make the Wadd Range seem as heavily trafficked as Chamonix by comparison. In honor of John Clarke this set of pics is from the Kingcome Glacier drainage. A wild place with some large rock walls and some amazing locals.
Upper Kingcome. Lahlah Creek on the right. Obvious wall is 1000m+ but disappointingly bushy on close inspection. Waterfalls partially out of photo on left are also 800m+ high all told but not very steep.
This one is 550m top to base, which is higher than Della. Wonder if it freezes?
Used to be a glacier, now it's a 5km long lake with a glacier dropping into it... head of the Satsalla. A very dark place surrounded by massive brooding walls.
You can see this waterfall in the distance in the last shot. The serac is about 40-50m high.
The wall on the west side of the lake has a crazy overhanging face that's hundreds of meters high. You can see this thing in spring in a pic in John Baldwin's ski guide.
The wall on the east side of the lake is the west face of Kolos Peak and it's 2000m high, although not all vertical. This is about a third of the whole thing, it was too big to get in the frame. Also pretty green. Doubt it will see a big wall team anytime this century. You never know though. Silvia Vidal might solo it.
I saw a pic of this glacier from above in the JC slideshow.
Credit: Oplopanax
Kingcome Glacier icefall. Wouldn't want to ski through this.
Credit: Oplopanax
Walls southeast(?) of the Atlatzi River. I think JB and JC traversed the ridge, but not sure. They could have been on the other divide of this same valley. 500-700m high walls of clean(!) rock
Credit: Oplopanax
More steep rock on the Atlatzi-Satsalla divide. Nobody's walking a haulbag in here anytime soon I bet.
Credit: Oplopanax
Lots of the things mapped as glaciers in the 80s are lakes full of ice cubes now. If you like glaciers, visit them while you can. The melt is on.
Do you get the feeling that Drew isn't showing us everything?
2WD right to the base..... well, first you gotta get your car to Toba Inlet, but then your in there!
Credit: Bruce Kay
Unnamed, unknown, unclimbed
Credit: Bruce Kay
Toba river country has a fair bit of wallage, but even after a whole lot of scoping and fly by's I'd be hard pressed to recommend it for anything technical. The "Filer Eiger" looked about the best at about 1500 meters of steep rock that has a ferocious looking water ice line shooting up to a hanging snowfield, then mixed to the summit. Summer? well good luck. The rock is a fairly jingus metamophic dark igneous rock of dubious quality, a fair bit of it in the jungle zone.
It is perfect John Baldwin / John Clarke country however. Non technical but absolutely scenic glaciated long ridges scattered with summits all with cairns built by JC himself. If you go quite a bit deeper up the Filer river you'll eventually bump into the Raleigh / Gilbert group which has some really good higher elevation stone and a few big routes .
And for the technical climber that is pretty much the story from here up to the Fairweather range. A gazillion deep fiords and steep walled valleys guarding tons of unknown bushy walls, almost all granite but not exactly yosemite if you know what I mean. Up above treeline its all JC country with the odd zone of outrageous world class mega routes cursed by nothing except the weather.
Fortunately a lot of it is between here and Bella Coola
Unless of course Drew (and Tricouni) is holding out on us with the goods further north?
Hey Bruce or Drew can you identify these peaks north of the Monarch ice cap.The pic is taken just west of the Jacobsen peaks. I was fascinated by them at the time because they looked so steep and jagged.
Credit: harryhotdog
Nice photos of the John Clarke areas Drew. It would be nice if he had a whole range named after him ,not just a mountain.
WIthout looking at a map, it looks as if the pics are looking pretty much north, towards the Borealis Peaks, with the Nyland area in behind. Rugged country; still seldom visited. To my mind, more interesting than much of the Ape Lake area itself.
Thanks Tricouni, I was looking on google earth and the bigger peaks seemed to be around 9000'around that area and I just thought that the one sharp peak would be higher than that for some reason.Cheers
Harry, I'm betting those are the peaks just south of bella Coola, I've never been in there but if you know Paul Berntsen he knows it all about as well as anyone as thats all his Helliski tenure and he's done a fair bit of summer guiding there as well. Funny how it is so unfrequented. I understand the rock isn't quite the best.
Ghost, how about that range just southwest of Bute?
Speaking of Bute, check out these winter shots:
Thats about 5500 feet of uniform 38 degree skiing into Galleon creek
Credit: Scott Flavelle
west face of Bute. Lots of action there lately. Hollywood, base jumping... even a few regular climbers.
Credit: Scott Flavelle
Jstod - great to hear Mike still has the fire burning! Say hi would you? Mike was all over Bute like a bad rash for a while there. Tell him to descend from the clouds for a spell and spill the beans
It would be very cool to know that Mike made it to the top of Serra V. There's a pretty funny tale of the first time he tried - 2 boys and 2 wolverines!
Radiant glacier with serra 3,4, and 5, Asperity, Tiedemann and Damocles. Scene of the crime
June 15, 1964. Dick Culbert and I packed up from the Scimitar along the east side of the Radiant Glacier for an an attempt on Serra 5. Here we take a rest stop where we had our first good view of the big peaks forming the headwall of the Radiant Glacier.
Mount Tiedemann is on the extreme right, with Asperity to its left. Serra 5 is left of the "low" col; Serra 4 pointy rock spike) is to the left. Serra 3 is directly above Dick's head and appears the highest in this view. Mt. Argiewicz anchors the far left of the photo. The long, non-descript ridge between it and Serra 3 is home to Tellot Dome and the ridges above the Tellot Spires. The top of Serra 2 is just visible as a small, dark rock peak not far left of Serra 3.
Note the high-tech Trapper Nelson packs and the wooden ice-axes.
..........and in 1985 Peter, Greg & Don found some chicken bones in with your summit register. So in addition to them Trapper Nelsons and woodies you had some YARD BIRD in there too.
Somewhere in those two views above lies my partners BD Rage. Levered out his holster on descent of Serra 5. Archeological treasure for some future historian as it melts out of the Radiant glacier.
I'll see if I can dig up more pics. They'll have to be scanned.
We flew into the Scimitar by ski plane. The plane was a modified Super-Cub, NZU, owned by Roy Mason. (Roy was an honourary member of the BCMC, started the original push to make the Stein Valley a Provincial Park, and did some good first ascents (Mt. Matier probably being the best known).
No, in our minds, then and now, it wasn't cheating to fly in (John Clarke flew into places, too). And, if it was, we did our time by eventually backpacking over to the Bell-Remote area (difficult, in places), eventually backpacking into the Pantheon Range (first exploration) and backpacking out, 6 weeks after we landed, to Bluff Lake. Tough trip, crappy weather that summer, worst since 1954.
No, in our minds, then and now, it wasn't cheating to fly in
I was also dropped off on the Scimitar. I consider that flying into the mountains not onto the mountain. I don't know if they fly people up to the Combatant col but that would make me nervous. If you got caught in a long storm and food was running low,chances are you would have to routefind down to the lower Scimitar in possible whiteout conditions.Starting from the Scimitar means in that situation your just following your wanded ascent route back down.Thanks for posting that historic pic.
Wands! I think I remember taking wands in there a couple of times as well but I think these days the first move out of the col is a quick call to Mike King like you're hailing a taxi .... unfortunately it can be a bit like trying to find a taxi out of a particularly nasty part of town, with nasty consequences if you aren't successful. Carl Diedrich had a pretty funny tale along those lines involving a bear on the Scimitar!
Carl Diedrich had a pretty funny tale along those lines involving a bear on the Scimitar!
That was a good one. He called it "This ain't the Cascades, Jack!" I published it in the CAJ, and somehow talked Tami into doing some illustration for it. I'll try to dig out the story and put it up on this thread. Anybody know what Carl is up to these days? He actually did a bunch of trips up into the ranges around the Wadd area in the late 80s/early 90s.
haha David, after reading Bruce's post and before reading yours I remember "Ohphuck THAT story". It's actually better then the story of Mike 'n' John and the wolverines. Do try find it & put it up here. Gnarly tale.
I took wands into the Wadd when I went in with Barb C in '85 .
Preparing for battle in the Radiant. Choss pile in back ground.
Credit: Bruce Kay
This story? This is a little snippet from a long forgotten Alpinist article that Surly Don was commissioned to do, and I somehow got involved. Either way it moldered away in the files until Tami suddenly blurted out "Phukkin' story" or what ever it was her potty mouth projectiled into the stratosphere. It is in the hut log and then the CAJ and now the elevated pages of the Stupor Torpor Journal:
Grizzlies on Wadd
Another couple of Coast range stalwarts, Carl Diedrich and Guy Davis, described a similar desperate retreat to the Plummer hut and its life sustaining supply of rice and mouse droppings. This one started at the Wadd / Combatant col and happened before the days of snapping your fingers at Mike King like it's downtown Manhattan and being wisked off to the gala ball. Cut off from the Tiedemann glacier by a common sense assessment of the objective hazards, their route involved a long circuitous descent into the grizzly infested trough of the Scimitar glacier. Grizzlies are like large wolverines, but tend to be more interested in you than what's on your back. Again, we pick up the tale as told straight out of the Hut Log. The Lads, weary and laden with towering packs, stumble upon a massive pile of steaming bear scat on the glacier.... and shortly thereafter, a bear:
"F-F-F-F-F*#k C-C-Carl, there's a f*#king bear." I manage to jitter out. At first we could only see the bear's head as it peered at us from behind a ridge in the moraine, but quickly it made its way toward us. It was only 50 yrds away.
"Dump your pack and run!" Carl exclaims. At the moment we were carrying axes and crampons in our hands as we had just gotten off the ice onto the moraine. As if I had done it everyday for a year I eject everything. My pack plops off behind me and my axe and crampons hit the ground after I had taken ten steps.
"Climb that boulder." We both clamber up hoping we left the bear way behind. The beast strolls along after us, still only 50 yrds away.
"We're screwed man, we have no warm clothing." We wore only our sweaty trudging gear.
"Just think mellow, man. He'll go away, just think mellow." I whisper more to assure myself than anything. "Just think positive vibes - he'll leave us alone." I realized I was sounding like a freak and Carl gave me one of those "what are you rambling about" looks.
The bear stops advancing and disappears behind a boulder.
"OK let's make a run for our packs and head back up the glacier!"
We sprint to our packs - I have mine on and I'm clasping my waist belt when Carl goes screaming by me at top bear-sprint speed - the look on his face speaks for itself; Here comes the bear again. I eject again and follow Carl past our first boulder to a second bigger one. We scramble above. The bear keeps its 50 yrd stand off, but this time goes to our packs and starts sniffing.
"Now we really are screwed. He's going to shred through our packs - eat everything he can find and then wait for us." Carl says.
"Just think mellow, man, mellow." There I go again - obviously my terror was too much for my conscious mind to bear so my psyche went into some kind of mental shock.
We didn't say much while the bear sniffed at our packs - we were too busy imagining our inevitable demise. My imagination raced "1001 Ways to be Killed by a Bear." Ripped out wind pipe, wacked off head, just generally ripped to death. There seemed no end to the possibilities.
Then without warning the bear turned and slowly walked out of sight down the glacier. Again we slithered off the boulder, snuck to our packs, pulled them on and made our way back up the Radiant glacier. Before we had our first encounter of a bear kind, our feet hurt, our legs ached and our backs were shot, but now we raced up the glacier with renewed vigor. It's incredible what a bear will do for your energy and motivational level.
hey bruce did anyone ever climb that butt on the left or the main feature to the right -i took a look at it once but felt that the crack systems were likely going to not loan themselves to speed -what say you?
g
I'm going to go way out on a limb and say Gilbert. That would be the Cleaver up front with the DWMC "Leave it to Cleaver" A melvin Fish / Scott Fulafahl coast range classic. Yep I'm sure of it.
Preparing for battle in the Radiant. Choss pile in back ground
Is that the bottom of Hickson your talking about Bruce or something else. Thanks Drew it looks like a very cool area and with grizzlies I'm sure.Tami that ws the same year I was in there.I remember having supper in Tatlayoko lake on the way home and Peter was there also. Were you and Barb at that dinner too as I vaguely remember some woman folk.
I'm going to go way out on a limb and say Gilbert. That would be the Cleaver up front with the DWMC "Leave it to Cleaver" A melvin Fish / Scott Fulafahl coast range classic. Yep I'm sure of it.
Bruce Kay nails it.
The highest summit of Mt. Gilbert is in the centre of the photo. The 1952 party climbed the broad snow-dome on the left side of the photo but were stopped from continuing from the summit by the black ridge of gendarmes visible in the photo. Some members of this party returned in 1954 and traversed left around the base of the snow dome (left of the field of view of the photo) to reach easy snow slopes on the south side of Gilbert which led to the summit. Both parties camped below the icefall just visible in the extreme bottom-right of the photo.
The two black rock peaks of the Cleaver "cleave" the upper Raleigh Glacier. The higher peak (directly below Gilbert's ridge of gendarmes) has been climbed by trversing up and over the slightly higher snow and rock summit to the left.
The lower peak has been ascended from the Raleigh Glacier by climbing the conspicuous, curving rock rib that leads to the col between the two Cleaver peaks. The north ridge (right hand skyline) was climbed to within a few hundred feet of the summit in 1954.
Photo taken in 1971 from the summit of Mt Raleigh.
Peter Croft gave a superb talk tonight about the Waddington traverse that he, Don Serl, and Greg Foweraker did in 1985. In my mind, still the best thing that's been done in the Coast Mountains.
Greg, do you have any pics of the traverse? I wonder if you were before or after us on Waddington, I can't remember the exact date but I think it was end of July beginning of August 1985 for us.Were there any tracks on the NW summit?
His Grandpappy was Christian Saugstad, something of a religious fire brand that managed to lead a 100 or so of his flock to the wilds of the Bella coola valley, thus establishing Hagensberg. Mt Saugstad is actually fairly close to town but pretty well guarded by bush, I understand.
still the best thing that's been done in the Coast Mountains.
Glenn, not to diminish D / G / P's traverse, but don't you think The teenage Beckey brothers bagging the 2nd ascent of Waddington way back in the forties all on foot and up a proudly technical route is right up there? There was no Mike King back then, or even a CFB Comox let alone other climbers in the area. I think once you balance out all the factors (like crap gear, food , context of remoteness etc) much of the early stuff really blows the modern stuff away, even if the routes weren't quite as "rad". The south face of Wadd is pretty rad, even by modern standards too.
Yeah, I forgot about the Beckeys' 1942 trip; posting late last night on the high after the PC talk. The Beckey expedition is up there with the Wadd traverse, all right, maybe above it. Many people try the Waddington south face; few succeed.
Another one that's always overlooked is the 1934 trip by the Neave brothers. They approached from the interior and found what's now the regular route up the Bravo Glacier. They missed the chiimney route, but came so close to success on the NE face of the summit tower, all this two years before the first ascent by W&H. The NE face wasn't climbed until 1950 by Al Steck and Phil Bettler, and AFAIK has never been repeated.
Of course after the Devil's Club, Slide Alder, Grizzly Bears and Saturday night razor totin' Chilcotin Marmots, those seracs and ridge flutings are cake !
Nice photo of Rev Saugstad and his mountain. Photo taken from the east. FA party on Saugstad did it from the west, climbing the main peak and the lower north peak (near right).
If we're talking "best thing that's been done in the Coast Mountains" the Devils Thumb group complete traverse (Haley/Schaefer), Kobus's Wadd by kayak trip, and the complete S to N traverse from Vancouver to Alaska (Culbert/Edwards/Millar) should also be on the radar.
Comparing Beckey and Beckey to Culbert, Edwards and Millar is really apples and oranges. Not sure which of those two is the "best thing ever done" in the Coast Mountains, but it's one of those two, IMHO.
I didn't know that the Neave brothers went up the Steck / Bettler face instead of the chimneys. That really is something especially for the thirties. any idea how high they got?
Speaking of brothers ( something of a trend here...) do you know much about the Bitterlich brothers and thier attempts?
Just a little bit of juicy trivia - Mt Saugstad FA was by John Dudra (Vancouver) and Pete Schoening, who everyone should recognize from the famous K2 American attempt. Wasn't it him with the famous boot axe belay?
I haven't traveled in enough of the Coast Range to know all that much first hand, but all the years I spent editing the CAJ gave me a pretty good idea of what is out there. But whatever it is in your pic is new to me. It definitely looks like Coast granite, but from where?
My ex-wife and some of her friends did a ski trip into the Pantheon Range one February. I don't remember seeing that exact view, but there were a lot of pictures that left me drooling.
Some climbers younger than us ought to take this as a challenge and get in there...
There are at least 2 technical routes there so far - Diedrich and the two Brits that have been plundering all the goods lately. Myself and suzanne walked past them exiting out to Bluff lake. They looked good even plastered in snow and the existing routes sound stellar. Short flight too. Lots of other good looking stuff nearby - Zues, Fenris. Those spires are just west of Nirvana pass if thats where you were ghost.
Ok I can't lie .... the first one is some totally obscure thing that even the guy in the picture likely wouldn't recognize and he has spent a good part of the past 3 winters staring at it. It was a mistake when I posted it - I thought it was Mt dalgliesh, which is nearby.
Anyhoo, the other one is a no brainer for anyone usually on this thread borne after 1978 or so
Ok here's another excruciatingly tough nut to crack
I though I was ready for that new game show "Name that mountain" but I now realize I'm a lightweight! Since I can't identify yours I'll try to stump you with mine!
Bruce's photo is from the Spearhead Range. Even better, without gondolas and such.
How come none of you losers was at the Garibaldi Park planning meeting tonight, at Robson Square? (OK, those in Squamizh and Whistler can go to the one in Whistler on the 6th.) It's important to go to these meetings, as you never know what's going on, and should get your five cents in.
I was looking through some old slides for some buildering photos that need scanning, and I stumbled across this. I'd forgotten about this wall. For those who think that the Coast Mountains is just big peaks and snow bumps, try this. Unclimbed, AFAIK, and fairly easy to get to.
Credit: Tricouni
Hint (the only one I'll give - it can wait for another generation, if it has to): it's in the Coast Mountains between the Fraser River on the south and the Nass River on the north.
Now glenn -whats the rough elevation of that fine looking crag -ie how vegetated in the cracks? Thanks for helping with the location
MH-did you cast my proxy vote for mtn biking on the helm creek trail?
Glenn-how about the crystalline size? looks like there could be some good face climbing if there is stuff to pinch and smear for a good chunk of the height of that wall in the foreground.
MH -rest assured I have done so but thanks for the encouragment.
At last Tricouni posts up something promising - that is a pretty nice looking wall. Pretty low elevation however. Greg is right to be skeptical. It looks a lot like Stienbok and we all know how the crack systems go on that thing. As Brad White put it: "Its thicker than a Nuns pelt up here!"
But you never know until someone actually rubs thier nose against it eh? I bet drew dosn't know anything about it.......
But anyone thinking Spearhead would immediately recognize Blackcomb peak, unless of course you wouldn't recognize it at all due to a ideological refusal to patronize lift serviced ski terrain. So good little bit of fishing there Anders, but accuracy goes to Big Mike.
I might reconsider the ruling if you ever cough up those FOSC buttons you owe me.
At last Tricouni posts up something promising - that is a pretty nice looking wall. Pretty low elevation however. Greg is right to be skeptical. It looks a lot like Stienbok and we all know how the crack systems go on that thing. As Brad White put it: "Its thicker than a Nuns pelt up here!"
Well, I'll just point out that Squamish is at a pretty low elevation, too, a lot lower than Steinbok.
Thats that wall up in the Danniels valley. Too bad they deactivated the road . So has anyone been on it? I've only seen it in the winter so its hard to judge the crack systems.
Glenn, I'm not saying it can't happen, just that its way more likely to find moss and cedars and the lower you get the more likely you find them. Stienbok and Rexford are good examples of how high that shrubbery can go. So what is that body of water in the foreground?
I think there's some big granite on the north side of Toba inlet. I'd have to go digging through the archives, but I remember some shots JC took up there that showed a lot of rock.
I think there's some big granite on the north side of Toba inlet
You might be thinking of Klite peak, up the Klite river. That is a really neat looking sharp spire, but generally surrounded by less dramatic climbing opportunities. I have no photos unfortunately.
My Uncle in law sailed up to Glacier bay in August with instructions from me to the photograph cliffs. This is on the panhandle somewhere,was previously posted.
Glenn, I'm not saying it can't happen, just that its way more likely to find moss and cedars and the lower you get the more likely you find them. Stienbok and Rexford are good examples of how high that shrubbery can go.
Bruce, I hear you. I think that wall will be shrubby, particularly seeing as it's in the Prince Rupert region (rainfall and drizzle capital of BC).
Hey Glenn is that snowy pic Ambition or that general area?
No, but it has enough snow. It's actually Mt Bell, NW Waddington area, from the NE. The north ridge is on the left; the west "ridge" (Culbert-Ellis) is on the right.
Harry
re footsteps on the N summit of Wadd-dammed good question-this reminds me of that line in an article about TM Herbert where he mutters about being able to remember his name and age, but details about climbs -hah. I do recall seeing some footprints but let me check with Peter or Don -might be another summit clouding my addled brain.
-lets go skiing soon!
Bruce the pic above is Salient and it isn't too tantalizing. Glenn can probably comment better than I can but the lowest rocks are granite and then the upper 600m is Gambier Group volcanics, according to the online geology map anyway.
John and Blake climbed up the buttress just right of the N face couloir after deciding the west face proper was not very appealing, it says in the CAJ
You know, I was going to say Bell when I first saw Tricouni's
photo but thought no it's some obscure peak that only Drew would know.Have any of you climbed it?
Knowing those guys up at the end of some fresh logging road no doubt
Needle Peak wasn't at the end of any fresh logging road. We got a pretty good look at the approach John and Blace used en route to Needle Peak when we flew into Mt. Sir Frances Drake. Had to be one of the ugliest sights in the Coast Range.
Oh I'm sure you're right. I seem to recall some story of Blake putting the brakes on any helicopter nonsense on some sort of twisted moral grounds. But I bet if its those two it had to do with their work the fact they were there at all.
Bruce the pic above is Salient and it isn't too tantalizing. Glenn can probably comment better than I can but the lowest rocks are granite and then the upper 600m is Gambier Group volcanics, according to the online geology map anyway.
Salient (about 2400 metres, 8000 feet) is one of the more interesting peaks between the Deab River and the Skeena. It's at 53° 3'2.85"N 126°59'18.93"W and Dru is correct about the geology. I had a choice between going after it, or the highest thing for miles around, Tsaydaychuz Peak (2750 metres, 9000 feet), both unclimbed in 1978. I chose the latter.
This particular unit of volcanic rock tends to form steep walls and can be surprisingly solid. Same further north: in the Howson Range (pics forthcoming when I return to town) has solid volcanic rocks and rotten granite.
Needle Peak wasn't at the end of any fresh logging road. We got a pretty good look at the approach John and Blace used en route to Needle Peak when we flew into Mt. Sir Frances Drake. Had to be one of the ugliest sights in the Coast Range.
Ghost, when were you in Sir Francis Drake? Thanks very much for the coffee and chat the other morning; much enjoyed. I hope to be able to return the favour.
Tsaydaychuz - now that's a cool name for a peak. Perhaps the First Peoples had and have their own names for many of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and fjords which we've so blithely dumped names on. Often the names of people who had absolutely nothing to do with the place in question. Sir Francis Drake being a good example. Humphrey Gilbert may at least have gotten to what is now Canada, that is to Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island. Although that's a long way from B.C.
And then there's the distressing ignorance of surveyors from the English navy, who didn't know the difference between a fjord, an inlet and a sound. (Sadly uncorrected by the Canadian authorities.) Plus "named" most of them, and adjacent features, for their friends and patrons back home.
Tsaydaychuz - now that's a cool name for a peak. Perhaps the First Peoples had and have their own names for many of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and fjords which we've so blithely dumped names on. Often the names of people who had absolutely nothing to do with the place in question. Sir Francis Drake being a good example. Humphrey Gilbert may at least have gotten to what is now Canada, that is to Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island. Although that's a long way from B.C.
And then there's the distressing ignorance of surveyors from the English navy, who didn't know the difference between a fjord, an inlet and a sound. (Sadly uncorrected by the Canadian authorities.) Plus "named" most of them, and adjacent features, for their friends and patrons back home.
MH: This calls for a discussion over a beer or wine; far too much to discuss in one post. Maybe this weekend. Glenn
Well I'm trying to blythly dump a name on a peak now and i can assure you the likely stumbling block will be that in fact it already has a name. I'm not sure how long the Dept of Geographical names has been enquiring with first nations before naming anything, but they sure do now.
Harry that was a choice little bit of video. I'm not sure which part I liked best, the superlative golden granite climbing above an ocean of cloud and glaciation .... or Jim Brennan waxing poetical about his newly acquired Assistant Winter Pancake flipper ticket!
I'd like to lodge a protest on the general trend to show enticing photos of attractive unclimbed features with a deliberate and annoying habit of keeping the identity secret.
Fun for you no doubt but lets get serious here. No body climbs these things around here enough to start with. Wouldn't it be nice to entice the next generation into actually climbing these things? What are we hoarding them for? Our next reincarnation?
i'm not getting any younger myself nawmean?
Like - where is that cool looking ice hose fer cryin out loud? Do I have to give Don a call?
Bruce, Tricouni, Hamie, John Howe, Scott Flavelle and Don who lurks as DOSER are the true keepers of information and pictures to our Chamonix by way of chopper or kayak.
Hey Don !
You really should write the chronological story. Your guide book is fantastic.
Off thread a bit but sorry I missed the party at Perry's as I would of loved to meet all you scurvy knaves. I was intending to come up with Jim but then Mother Nature got in the way. After the snow on the 19th all hell(heaven actually)broke loose with hundreds of tree failure across Vancouver. Me made mucho overtime cleaning up the mess with the end result being 3 weeks of extra holiday for next year. This is the same kind of stuff but what makes this interesting is the look on Henrik Sedin's face after his Range Rover went up against a chestnut tree,he should of got the Volvo.
Isn't that Mt Arrowsmith? Looking south from Troubridge you're looking at Vancouver Island.
EDIT: Looking east from Troubridge you'd be looking at Mt Drew (hey!) and more interesting stuff around Marlborough Heights. I know CAD did some stuff in there via kayak. I have an email saved somewhere from him describing it.
Double edit. Yes, you're looking east. That's the unnamed highpoint of the Earle Range, a couple km north of Mt Sumner. circa 1930m. Looks pretty neat on Google Earth - a lot like a mini-Old Settler actually. TFPU.
Ha! Thanks. East indeed.
Earl Peak it is. 1938 m / 6358 ft.
Everything seems south of here sometimes.
Yeah, CAD was so proud of his trip to the Marlborough Heights.
FA of all of em' he said, on the way to the Eldred.
Marlborough Heights& Lois Lake. From... up the road.
Theres a line there. Once again, no hint as to where the peak is.
By the way chris christie was just up at Athelstan skiing (first rate apparently) and he said there's a good looking mixed line. There's a Tyax fuel dump and shelter there for a half decent bivy.
1 hour in on sleds. 2 hours up to the base.
See devils Club? thats how you spill the beans for the next generation of alpine tigers.
If you are sledding all the way to Athelstan you may as well go the extra few kms to this cave with the waterfall.
Right across from the pumice mine on the north side of the Lillooet, or somewhere between there aand right across from Affliction Creek anyways.
It is in a slidepath but what the hell. This could be the next Cineplex. Start in the way back of the cave (sheltered from avvies) and drytool out to the ice pillar at the lip. Right?
Let us know!