North America, Canada, British Columbia, Findlay Group, Purcells

Publication Year: 1961.

Findlay Group, Purcells. From Canal Flats, B.C. on August 7 Sy Ossofsky, Jon Shinno and I drove 17 miles up the Findlay Creek road and then back- packed another 25 miles on an old trail up Findlay, Granite and Morigeau Creeks. On August 9 we set up Base Camp at 7000 feet just below timber- line in a beautiful park-like cirque complete with a lake at the head of Morigeau Creek. From here we climbed for the first time since 1953 Mount Findlay (10,400 feet) by the glacier on its northeast side and thence by easy rocks to the summit. We also made from this camp in one day the apparent first ascents of Morigeau (10,300 feet) via the east ridge, which was mainly a rock scramble with some steep snow, and Rowand (9600 feet) by its easy rock northwest ridge. After moving over the east ridge of Findlay to an 8000-foot timberline camp on a bench above the headwaters of Granite Creek, we made three more apparent first ascents. Clutterbuck (10,200 feet) was climbed by the glacier to the saddle between it and Lees and up a chute on the northwest face. Midge (9800 feet) was ascended by traversing snowfields to its north ridge, which was followed to the summit. After three days of storm, we climbed Lees (10,100 feet) by crossing the ridge between it and Midge to the southwest face and on up a ledge to the summit ridge. All three peaks, although not difficult, involved some roped climbing. We began the return trip on August 19.

Barbara Lilley