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 Island Alpine
A guide to the mountains of
Strathcona Park and Vancouver Island
ISBN 0-9680766-5-3
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Island Alpine
Updates
- Check in here for updates to Island Alpine. Please note that updated chapters and new route postings are to be considered works in progress unitl they appear in print.
If you have new information to submit check our submission guidelines.
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Mt. Colonel Foster
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NW - East Face North West Peak:
5.8 1000m (IV)
One of the easier routes up the east face of Mt. Colonel Foster. Start up the narrow toe of the NW buttress between two snow gullies. Scrambled 600m (4th to low 5th) up the buttress crest to the left side of a large obvious treed ledge. The 50 m long ledge is at an elevation of 1600m and is easily seen from foster lake. Walk to the right end and with a few steep moves trend up and then left back to a small shallow gully. Climb gully walls to ridge crest. Continue up beautiful ridge crest until the rock steepens. Climb left and back up very textured rock to the ridge and to the base of the white pinnacle. Climb left under the pinnacle and around the corner; traverse the steep slab to a easy comer (5.8, 50m, good gear). Climb easy corner back to ridge crest. 50m more of scrambling to NW summit. We used the ropes for about the last 100m of climbing. The rock was very solid and clean except near the loose NW summit. The whole route would have taken pretty good gear.
FA: John Waters & Renee Monjo, Aug 4, 2003 |
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FL - Fosters Logger (II/III) 5.8 600m
dis. From the south Col approach as for the far left hand snow gully. 10m right of the gully is a small alcove with a large chalkstone near the bottom. belay at the base of the chalkstone. step up and left onto the ar&Mac198;te. climb up for 5 - 10m (5.7)then move right into a shallow corner above the chalkstone continuing up easier ground to a semi-hanging stance in a alcove (40m). From the belay step left around the corner into an open book corner. follow the corner for 40m of stellar climbing. small edges for feet with a splitter finger/hand crack taking lots of gear and providing great moves (5.8+). at the top of the corner belay at left sitting on top of the pillar. From the belay move up and right, continuing up the corner for 20m to a small col. belay there or run it out over easier ground where you meet up with the ridge. continue up scree gully's to the south Summit.
FA: Gavin Harrison & Scott Kennedy July 2003 |
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Mt. Tom Taylor
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SH - Savage Hummingbird 5.10 140 m (l)
P1, about 60m, low 5th Start on the right side of the eastern most buttress. The route starts by climbing the low 5th class slabs right of the steep bushy gully. Trending left near the top, where the gully narrows/steepens and the slabs are blocked by a huge roof.
P2, 20m, 5.10 Belay from small horn with a blue rap sling. Climb cracks and steep ramp by stemming for 8 meters to intimidating blocky overhang. Pull through overhang to alcove and continue up thin crack and face moves to the top. Belay from yellow cedar bush/tree (rap sling).
P3, 20m, 5.9 Climb over yellow cedar and belay at next steep face. ** notice to your left about 15m is the first pitchä of Indian Summer (IS). Climb up the easy left slanting ramp past some yellow cedar bushes to a steep/deep narrow dihedral. Stem and jam the dihedral to a blocky top. Climb past the blocks over a series of small faces to the base of the steep obvious off-width and belay at slung boulder.
P4, 15m, 5.9 Swing right for 5 meters past horn and climb steep cracks on first right facing corner. Climb over boulder that guards the top to a good ledge and belay. This is near the top of the difficulties of Indian Summer. We top roped the off-width at 5.10b. Walk 6m left around back of boulder to horn with blue sling. Rappel route.
Excellent gear and sustained climbing.
FA: Mike & John Waters July 11, 2003
ST -Seeing Things 5.7 50 m (l)
This route climbs a right facing corner on the eastern slabs (right side). A rock cairn marks the start of the route. Climb 10m up easy slab to large ledge. Face climb up shallow corner for 7 meters to the start of right facing corner. Climb the corner for 35m to a huge intimidating roof. Hand traverse left and mantle to start of finger crack. Climb another 10m up the finger crack and chicken head face to a crack belay. Continue for another 20 m to easy ground. Rappel route or walk right into gully and climb up and traverse to the east col or walk down gully. Excellent gear and fun climbing like Deidre.
FA: Mike & John Waters July 11, 2003
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SW - Southwest Buttress 5.10 or 5.9, A1` 350m (ll)
The route starts at the base of the western most buttress on the south face. It climbs beautiful cracks, faces and corners and finishes up the impressive huge white scar at the summit ridge . The white scar is easily visible from the base of the south face. The start is marked by a small rock cairn at the base of a bushy gully. Scramble 15m up this gully to the first belay.
P1, 5.8 Climb two parallel cracks (1m apart) for about 10m and then move left towards a ridge crest. Climb up the awesome cracks and chicken head face to the belay at a right facing block with a small roof.
P2, 5.7 Climb right past the small blocky roof and continue straight up trending slightly left near the top. Belay at the large ledge with yellow cedar bushes. |
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P3, 5.8 Climb up 10m and then traverse right 10m past cedar bushes to a beautiful right facing corner crack with chicken heads. Climb the corner crack (fist to hand sized) by laybacking or jamming to a good belay off a small horn/pinnacle. The belay is at the start of a brown basalt sill.
P4, 5.7. Traverse right along the brown basalt sill for 7m and climb the impressive crack above. Climb the crack up to the base of the huge white scar. Continue up the scar for 15m to an OK ledge and good belay.
P5, 5.7 Climb up the scar over easy blocky ground past several brown sills. Traverse 8m along the upper sill and climb crack to the base of the impressive white open book. Belay at base of open book.
P6, 5.10 or 5.9, A1 Climb the awesome open book past small hanging block (at 5 me). Trend left (past the now fixed pin!) at half way to a finger crack on the smooth face. Continue up the steep finger crack to the top. Awesome pitch with exposed climbing. Belay at huge ledge atop the cracks.
P7, low 5th Continue up the white scar for 20 m and then swing left into easy gully. Continue scrambling up the easy gully (4th class) to the ridge crest and the summit of the west buttress.
Swing west and walk around to the north face of the west summit. Walk along the north glacier and climb up the easy rocky ridge to the main summit of Tom Taylor. Easily walk off the summit (low 5th) to the east col.
FA: Mike & John Waters July 10, 2003 |
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