Browse Reports By Category: Scrambling RSS2022-10-05T05:50:00+0000As the alpine season is nearing its end, we took advantage of the sunny and relatively warm forecast to check out this classic peak that we had heard so many both encouraging and deterrent things about. The crew assembled with a good mix of experience, but even so we cautiously budgeted extra time. We scoped out the mamquam fsr in an effort to avoid paying steep gondola prices but construction work on a bridge quickly shut us down and we returned to the gondola. After the breathtaking gondola ride, we hiked around 2 hours to the planned camp site halfway between the end of the valley trail and the glacier that was surrounded by empty blueberry bushes. After dinner our eyes were glued to the sky which was full of stars that had us in awe and talking philosophically. At one point we witnessed a stream of perfectly spaced white orbs fly across the sky, which was very unsettling as we could not explain this phenomenon. We later found out it was the starlink satellite network but we still maintain it was an alien species here to make contact with earth. The following day we started up the mountain around 7:30 and soon arrived at the glacier which was bare of snow. The blue ice made for an interesting glacier crossing as we gained the ridge and continued on until the famed pink slab. When we arrived it looked manageable although as promised it is extremely exposed even if the climbing is easy. After some hesitation, some of us ascended without packs to set up a rope to belay the others and to haul up the packs we left behind. We then regrouped and followed the trail behind the giant rock pyramid and found the scrambling to be quite enjoyable, not hard enough to be scary but hard enough not to be boring. Less than an hour later we were standing on the summit trading high fives and enjoying the view. We were a little behind schedule at this point but the generous time buffers allowed us to enjoy some lunch and take photos before the descent. We made use of the bolts at the ... Read more

]]>2022-10-05T05:50:00+0000On October 3rd, Doreen, Alec and Grazyna, we went to the top of Mt Strachan.  Although the last three days were without major rain in the forecast, the trail (plants, rocks, roots) was very wet.  There was a note attached on a tree on the Hound Sound Crest Trail, just before Christmas Gully, explaining how to access Gully part of the trail.  The Christmas Gully trail was very well marked (big orange dots each couple of meters on the rocks, and orange ribbons).  We haven't had any views due to the fog.  Because I am a slow hiker and we hiked in the group, we completed the trail in 6 hours. 

]]>2021-10-04T18:31:00+0000We met in Squamish and drove to trailhead to camp. Got up around 5am and were hiking just before 6am. It was hot and muggy but we made very quick time through the forested section. There is a minor creek crossing where there used to be a cable bridge. We had to remove our boots. We made the moraine and lower glacier area for a break in 3hours.  A little further ahead was the "camp" at the three lakes/tarns. The moraine area below looked to be a better camp spot.  From here we scrambled up heather, boulder fields, snow, and more heather. We got more water and applied bug spray and sun screen frequently.  Part way up there were interesting views of behind the tantalus range including part of clowholm lake. There were cairns periodically keeping us on track. Once on top of the ridge we had great views of Mount Tantalus, Ossa, mount Sedgwick, and mount Jimmy Jimmy. The scramble was pretty easy but for the last 200m. We found our route to the summit was quite exposed. Im glad the rock was dry. We spent an hour on the summit with amazing views of Pelion and Tantalus. We improved a guest log with a pen and a small water proof notebook. A vessel with a wider mouth would be helpful. We made the summit in just over 7hrs. The climb down went well. By the moraine camp the blisters, chaffing, and dehydration were taking their toll. Tim was going strong but I was crashing hard. The last 2 or 3kms i could hardly walk.  We made it back to the road in a total of 13.5hrs. Excellent 2000m trip.  

]]>2020-08-04T13:20:00+0000Great night out, arrived at the hut in the dark on Friday night just before the downpour really started. Hut was great and lots of space for the four of us. The next day, scrambled along some ridges before hiking down. Met up with four other BCMC members who were spending Saturday at the hut. Walking track in well-marked and easy enough to access the hut. 

]]>2019-07-29T17:21:00+0000What can we say group of 5 of us got together and headed up Sky Pilot. The smoke was so thick that on the summit you couldn't see Habrich never mind all the other views that should have been there. We left the top of the gondola at 9:50 and worked our way along and up. While I was the trip organizer Derek Fenton took on the job of getting us to the top. Derek is an excellent leader making sure we moved at a pace that everyone was happy with but at the same time still getting us there. The glacier was still mostly snow with a patch of ice starting to form. Since we had opted not to bring crampons we walked around the ice and up to the ridge and pink slabs. Having watched some gopro videos from the pink slabs I had hauled a rope all the way up there. However once there I learnt it goes at grade 3 (not 5.3)  so personally I won't be taking a rope again.  Made our way to the summit enjoyed a snack and a glimpse of Habrich through the smoke, then  headed down. Thanks to Pinar, Roger, Fiona and Derek for a great day and bagging a summit I first saw 20 years ago.  Notes: outback runners were fine, hiking poles yes, ice axe yes, crampons no, rope 40m  if you don't like down climbing (nice new rap rings on the route)   

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