Archive:Mountaineering Camp 2010

VOC Mountaineering Camp 2010

Labour Day Long Weekend
September 4^st - 6^rd, 2010

Pre-trip meeting

Wednesday, September 1^st, at the September instance of the VOC Summer_Barbeques

FAQ

What is it?

It's an opportunity for VOCers of different abilities to get together and enjoy some scrambling/mountaineering together. Although we will all camp in one spot, different groups will head out to different destinations during the day. The evenings will be filled with good food, good stories, and good times.

This is not an instructional trip (do not confuse it with Glacier school). Although there will likely be experienced members around who may be willing to give you some advice.

When is it?

It will be held on Labour Day long weekend (September 4^th - 6^th). It is possible that some people will drive/hike up on Friday September 3^rd.

Where is it?

The camp will be held at Wedgemount lake. This is located just North of Whistler, on the East side of the Sea to Sky highway. The relevant mapsheet is 92J/02. You can download this mapsheet for free here (29MB).

Who's in charge?

Jacob is organizing stuff (ish). See the member's list for contact information. Trip will be organised using a combination of the VOC forum, this wiki page, and a pre-trip meeting Wednesday, September 1^st, at the September instance of the VOC Summer_Barbeques.

Is it for me/you?

This year's camp will hopefully have something for (almost) everyone. The destination is accessible enough for beginners but exotic enough to be interesting to the mountain hard-person.

Drive, approach, routes

Topo map surrounding Wedgemount Lake

Crop of NTS map suitable for printing

Drive

Follow the highway 99 North to Squamish and Whistler. Past Whistler, take the Wedgemount Lake Road turnoff. See google maps for description untill here. This turnoff is on the right side of the road, after passing Green Lake. The Wedgemount Lake Road can be driven with a normal 2WD (no low-riders tough ;-)). Turn left after crossing the Green River and railroad, then right up a hill where a sign indicates the route to Wedgemount Lake. Just a bit further up, the overgrown Rethel Creek Spur branches off to the right. Road's end is about 2km from Hwy 99 turnoff (parking and outhouse). Please don't leave tons of room in between the cars while parking, as the parking lot is likely going to get busy.

Approach

Follow the Wedgemount Lake Trail (1150m elevation gain in ~7km), steep but easy to follow.

Camping spot

We will all camp at the lake camp sites. These campsites are located at the North side of Wedgemount lake, ~10 minutes past the Wedgemount Lake hut, near the inlet from the Armchair Glacier. There are ~10 tentpads at this location with overflow camping available on the delta near the lake sites. There is also an outhouse and running creek for water at the lake camp sites.

Routes

Around Wedgemount Lake

Left to right: Wedge, Parkhurst and Rethel Mountain (mid July '07)

The North side of Wedge Mountain (mid July '07)

North face of Weart Mountain (Aug. 1, 2000; photo from Cascadeclimbers)

Wedge Mountain (2892m)

• West ridge, moderate scramble (*) from Wedgemount lake (can avoid glacier travel if needed)
• North ridge, glacier travel, up to 45˚ snow/ice ridge (AD-)
• Various couloirs on NE, N, NW side (might be snow or ice)

Weart Mountain (2822m)

• Southeast ridge: moderate scramble (***) from Wedgemount lake (no glacier)
• NW Ridge: Class 3-4 climb traversing all 3 summits of Mt. Weart from the Weart - Cook col.
• North face: glacier travel, steep snow/ice face, possibly mixed (AD+)

Mount Cook (2676m)

• Easy scramble (*) from Cook-Weart col (no glacier).
• Easy scramble from the west ridge

Mount Moe (2664m)

• South ridge: scramble, glacier travel

Parkhurst Mountain (2494m)

• Moderate scramble (**) from Wedgemount lake (no glacier)

Rethel Mountain (2408m)

• Moderate scramble (**) from Rethel-Parkhurst col (no glacier)

East of Wedge-Weart col

Lesser Wedge Mountain (2738m)

• From the west: 4^th class scramble from Wedge-Lesser Wedge col, glacier travel
• Couloir on North side (might be snow, ice or mixed)

The Owls (2720m)

• From the south: apparently easy, steep and loose
• Snowy Owl Couloir on North side (might be snow, ice or mixed)

Mount James Turner (2703m)

• Scramble from the southwest face and upper south ridge, glacier travel
• Scramble from the northwest ridge, glacier travel
• Couloir on North side (TD; snow ice, or mixed)

Peggy Peak (2623m)
Unnamed "Peak 8600ft" NNE of Peggy Lake

• Apparently an easy glacier walk from the North

Oasis Mountain (2561m)

• Easy from Eureka-Oasis col, involves glacier travel

Eureka Mountain (2523m)

• Easy from Eureka-Oasis col, involves glacier travel

More information

Note that all books are available from the VOC library, please copy and bring them back asap so other people can use them too.

• Alpine Select: Climbs in SW BC & N WA, Kevin McLane, 2001, Elaho publishing corporation.
• Scrambles in SW BC, Matt Gunn, 2005, Cairn publishing. Difficulty (easy, moderate, difficult, very difficult) and quality (* to ***) ratings are given for scrambles in this area (see above).
• A guide to climbing and hiking in SW BC, Bruce Fairley, 1986, Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.
• Bivouac
• Cascade Climbers

Sign-up

Note: Pre-trip meeting: Wed. September 1^st, 6pm at Sapanish Banks Beach and Tolmie Street

'Name, goal, gear, car?'

1. Doris Leong (any easy/moderate scramble to test out my bum knee, have gear, no car)
2. Scott Webster (Wedge N Arete, gear, car)
3. Philippe Le Billon (easy/moderate scramble, gear, may have car)
4. Mike Duncan (Wedge N Arete, gear, taking my car up on Saturday morning and back on Sunday night)
5. Roland Burton car for 5, tent for 3, stove, etc. Want to do easy scramble (***) on Weart on Sunday.
6. Nick Matwyuk (easy/moderate scramble unless able to join a route with others, basic gear, car)
7. Brad Ward (moderate scramble, would like to try Wedge, have gear, 2 man tent, stove, no car)
8. Nisan Haramati (easy/moderate scramble, car with room for 4 passengers, stove, basic gear--still lacking ice axe :(, and an onion)
9. Caitlin Schneider (something fun that doesnt involve my death, no car, no tent, could borrow a stove)
10. Kathrin Lang (anything fun & easy, staying only Sat+Sun, joining Mike Duncan's car)
11. Kjell Erik Reinhardtsen (car for 4 leaving on thursday/friday?, tent, stove, ropes but lack gear, ready for scrambling)
12. Derry Lappin ( car for 3 passengers, tent for 2, stove, want to scramble & more)
13. Laura Morrison (Wedge if possible, personal gear not pro, car)
14. Simon Bretschneider (easy stuff, wedge or owls, basic gear, looking for tent and car)
15. Kristen Brewer (Wedge, have gear, can get car if necessary)
16. Christian Veenstra (car, all sorts of gear but will probably leave most at home since it's heavy, likely going for James Turner)
17. Line Veenstra
18. Andrew McGechaen (easy, no tent, no car)
19. Alireza Sharif (no goal in mind, need lots of gears including a tent, have car)
20. Ryan Stelzer (Up for anything, can leave anytime on the 3rd but need to be back Monday for MUG leader training, no car)
21. Ian Saari (No goals yet, have gear)
22. Nicole Vagle (No goals, have gear but no sharp bits)
23. Alexander Westbye (Moderate Scramble to Easy Mountaineering, basic mountain-travel equipment and camping gear, no car)
24. Bieke Gils (Easy fun in the sun/wind, harness+helmet+camping equip, no car)
25. Bethan McKevitt
26. Mohammad M (Wedge, have gear, tent for 2, car)
27. Emily Payne (would like to try glacier. need to borrow harness/helmet. no tent, no car.)
28. Shuval (shuvi) Haramati (probably ride with Nisan, but have own car if necessary)
29. Geoff Martin (N/NE Arete of Wedge, maybe some other scrambles to fill time, lots of gear)
30. Anne Webster (easy stuff)
31. Bonn-Tien Mark (personal gear, Wedge or Eureka, no car)
32. Adrien (Rope/Pickets/Screw, Wedge or Eureka, no car)
33. Andrew Hill (scrambling/mountaineering,gear except tent/mountaineering axe,no car)
34. 
    
35. 
    

Room for lots....

Rides

• Roland leaving Vanc (UBC area) 5pm Friday, camping at trailhead.

1. Caitlin
2. Bethan
3. Emily
4. Andrew

• Nisan leaving 'couver (Marpole area = granville and 70th) around 7pm on Friday or 7:30am-ish on Saturday, but leaning towards Friday. Will know for sure by Thursday evening.

1. Shuvi
2. Louise
3. Matthieu
4. Caroline

• Tinkerbell (leaving Saturday am, 16th and Macdonald)

1. Avery
2. Doris
3. Frances
4. Ben
5. Sean

• Derry Lappin - Leaving Saturday Morning, 4th and Macdonald, Most likely with a low clearance vehicle (more hiking involved)

1. Simon
2. Philippe
3. 
   

• Mike Duncan - leaving Saturday Morning and coming home SUNDAY night)

1. Ryan Stezler
2. Matthew Baker
3. Kristen Brewer
4. Kathrin Lang

Feel free to advertise any full carloads here, or if you have space for passengers, just in case there are passengers still looking for rides.