Archive:Mountaineering Camp/2006

When: Labour Day Weekend, Sept 2-4

Where: up Sigurd Creek (see detailed directions below)

Map: 92 G14

Why: to hike, scramble, and climb in a beautiful place while camping with a bunch of other outdoorsy types as a last blast before classes

Nearby peaks: Ossa (easiest route is a scramble), Pelion (easiest route has some glacier travel then a scramble)

Further peaks: Sigurd (looks like a hike from map), Zenith (hike, but approach may be tricky from camp)

Yet Further peaks: Tantalus (only for people planning a traverse; technically difficult)

The Deal: Mountaineering camp is an opportunity for club members to get together en masse in a beautiful place and climb/scramble up some really fun peaks. That said, mountaineering camp is not a school. That is, there will not be instructors, nor a schedule. You arrive whenever you can, in whatever car you can get a ride in, and you leave when your car does unless you swap spots. Therefore some people will probably get there earlier or leave later - that's the fun of a flexible trip like this one. We'll all camp in the same place, facilitating evening singing, charades, laments and celebrations. Day time: up to you and whoever you want to climb/hike with.

Directions to camp site: note that these directions have been shamelessly pilfered from Matt Gunn's Scrambles Guide. Matt's book is very good, go purchase it if you like scrambling.

New directions from 103 Hikes [my comments in square brackets]:

Zero your odometer at the Cleveland Avenue traffic lights in Squamish. Drive north on Highway 99 for 10 km (6.2 mi) and turn left onto Squamish Valley Road. Keep left at the fork at 13 km (8.1 mi) [these distances are from Cleveland Avenue, different from previous directions]. At 33km (20 mi) the gravel surface starts and you will see that the distance signs on this road, which is called S-Main are in miles from Squamish. Cross the two bridges, over the Squamish River at the 21 mile sign, that access the Ashlu Main [if I remember correctly, you turn left to cross the river]. Do not take any possible right turns. Stay on the main road to cross two more bridges, this time over the Ashlu River. Just across the second of these bridges, a bit before 36 km (22 mi), is branch road A-200 on your left. With a rugged 4WD vehicle [very rugged] it is possible to drive a short distance up this road, otherwise park on A-Main. It is less than 15 minutes walk up A-200 to the actual trailhead. [I think there is one less fork mentioned in these directions, but I believe the correct direction was obvious to me]

Old, possibly wrong road directions:

From hwy 99 turn left onto the Squamish Valley Road (across the hwy from the Alice Lake turn off). This road is a couple of km past Squamish. After 3.7km the road forks, stay right. You should then cross some train tracks. At the next fork turn left. After about 15km, the road will turn to gravel. About 24km after leaving the hwy turn left onto the Ashlu Creek Road (immediately crossing the Squamish river). 2.3km after leaving the Squamish Valley Road turn left on an unmarked road (branch A200). Park. This road leads to the Sigurd Creek trail.

Trail directions:

Follow the road [A-200] for ~200m until you reach the trail on the left. The trail is marked by orange diamonds. Follow the trail. At the first fork stay right (left = Crooked Falls viewpoint). When the trail enters the Sigurd Creek hanging valley stay left (right = trail to Sigurd Peak). Eventually you'll cross Sigurd creek. Apparently the branch that crosses the creek is a little harder to find (grid: 729261 (sorry Matt!)). Continue to follow the trail until you reach a morraine bench below a glacier around grid 729246. The camp will be somewhere around here, near the creek running out from the glacier. Now go buy Matt's book.

Rides

Sandra's car, seats 5, leaving Sept 2 early, returning Sept 4 late

• Sandra
• Scott
• Scott W.
• Maria

Tim's Truck (2 seats)

• Tim
• Chris M.

Evan's Truck (Actually Krystil's truck, seats 2 comfortably, 3 squishy, leaving Sept 1 late, returning Sept 4 late)

• Evan
• Pascal
• Andrew

Christian's rental car, seats 4 (?), leaving Sept 2am, returning Sept 3 before 5:30

• Christian
• Pawel

Food and Tent Groups

The easiest thing is for people in the same car to sort out food and tent groups.