Bella Coola Region, Coast Range. In late July my wife, Frances, and I flew to Symphony Lake (formerly Ape Lake), 32 miles southeast of Bella Coola. Providing access to a variety of excellent climbing, this lake has been visited frequently in recent years. The Aurora Tower, highest of the Borealis group, north of the lake, was climbed via its great south couloir. The crux of this ascent was a difficult 80-foot chimney which required artificial techniques, but was lacking in piton cracks. A week later we met Joe and Joan Firey, Frank de Saussure, and Arnie Bloomer at Symphony Lake. They made the second ascent of Poet Peak, and then we all returned to our original campsite below the Borealis group. Helios, adjacent to Aurora on the west, was climbed via its west face. While Helios was high, massive, and easy, Luna was a different proposition. Adjacent to Aurora on the east, Luna was smaller and more sharply formed than Helios. Its northeast ridge provided a fairly involved route to the summit. We then moved camp to the south of Ape Mountain, and climbed the southwest ridge of Horribilis, due north of Talchako Mountain. We descended the much easier west face. Second Fiddle, just north of Musician Mountain, was climbed on the enjoyable third-class rock of its east face. This proved not to be a first ascent, as goat tracks were found on the summit cornice.

George W. Whitmore, Sierra Club