British Columbia Mountaineering Club

Publication Year: 1967.

British Columbia Mountaineering Club. The year’s climbing activities were curtailed somewhat by bad weather, especially in the normally good months of September and October. As in the past the club’s climbing and hiking program was organized for every week-end of the year, some week-ends in November, December, and January excepted. Generally fresh or deep snow precludes any mountain activity but ski touring and snowshoeing during those three months. A variety of trips, numbering 71 in all, included nine ski tours, seven snowshoeing trips, 30 hiking trips, and 24 climbing trips. Three week-ends were devoted to trail clearing and one for snow climbing; two summer camps were held. Attendance on the scheduled trips ranged from three to 26 people. As the great majority of the Province’s population lives in the greater Vancouver area, these trips are organized for this area and are mainly in two regions, the one near Squamish, 45-90 miles north of Vancouver, and the other near Chilliwack, 45-90 miles east of Vancouver. There were also trips to the Mount Baker and Cascade Pass areas in Washington.

One of the summer camps, primarily for hiking, was held at Garibaldi Lake, 60 miles north of Vancouver, the second week in August. The other, a climbing camp, was held the last half of July. This group, limited to 12 people, was in an area known informally as the Pantheon Range, north and slightly west of and 180 miles from Vancouver and about 25 miles north of Mount Waddington. The trip in and out from road to Base Camp required some 24-hours’ walking each way through an area without a trail. Supplies were air dropped on a meadow. Members of the party succeeded in making 18 first ascents in this area. Peaks there bear no official names, and only some have names which we believe have not yet been accepted by the government department concerned. Club members also participated in exploring the Mount Gilbert area, 125 miles northwest of Vancouver, where four first ascents were made. Members were also involved in placing a major new route on Squamish Chief; 24 ascents in the Cariboo Range; an ascent of Yerupajá in Peru as well as five first ascents there; and an exploration on North Ellesmere Island.

An indication of increasing interest in mountaineering is the sizable attendance at a series of six night school lectures which the club arranged.

James Craig, Climbing Chairman