North America, Canada, Rocky Mountains of Canada, Vanguard Peak

Publication Year: 1941.

Vanguard Peak. The same party. Listed in Guidebook as having elevation of 8800 ft. The summit, which bore no cairn, is as high as Mt. Niles, and therefore about 9600 ft. Guidebook probably refers to slabby E. shoulder prominent from Wapta camp, with survey cairn. Peak ascended, probably a first ascent, lies W. of this shoulder and is separated from Cathedral Peak by the steep glacier by which the latter was first ascended.

From Wapta camp via O’Hara trail for 2.5 miles; then ford Cataract Creek and go up through open woods and alpland, bearing N. W. all the time to S. scree slopes of objective, following these to the E. ridge a little above the slabby shoulder. Thence along the ridge to a shoulder about 9000 ft. (survey cairn). The only real climbing is on the bastion of black rock above the second shoulder. Up steep snow to foot of bastion, which is turned to S., to foot of a 30-ft. stem-chimney. Loose rock to steep, screeladen ledges and small summit. Ascent 5.5 h.; descent to Wapta 3 h.