Mt. Challenger and Easy Pass

[Alan]

I've been trying to get some info on this peak via the web, but haven't found much. Anybody know of any good sites to visit? Better yet, anyone got some good firsthand info on it as well as for Easy Pass? Length of times are important as well as difficulty. I'd like to do it late July, August.

[wayne]

Hey Alan . Good choice ,Easy pass? Perfect pass is the way to Challenger, but ,I think the best way is over whatcom peak. Easy day to the river crossing before the hill. Harder day to perfect pass with some route finding around "imperfect Impasse". Consider a traverse out to Ross lake!

[Alan]

My mistake, Perfect Pass it is. And speaking of the traverse to Ross Lake, I was thinking of doing this from Chilliwack Lake. You can drive within a mile of the end of the lake and then hoof it from there. Anyone know what this trail is like? Is it overgrown or fairly reasonable? How long would one take to do it (with a few side trips, e.g. Challenger?)

[wayne]

5 days usually.The "trail" down challenger arm is something of an enigma.I dont think Chilliwack river trail is a problem,but it would be out of the way after challenger,and much longer than Hannegan approach.I have some e-files on the traverse I could send you . all I need is your email address

[ 04-01-2002: Message edited by: wayne1112 ]

[Heavy_B]

Hey Alan - I did Challenger and Whatcom in August of '96. Great trip. I have over 100 digital images from the trip if you're interested. I would also highly recommend finding the imperfect impasse route on the way to Perfect Pass. We came out that way, but dropped down into the valley and bushwacked our way back up to Perfect Pass on the way in. That is definitely not the way to go. It took us three days to get to Perfect Pass from the Hannegan Pass TH.

[JERRY_SANCHEZ]

hey I would be interest in the images or pictures of the area. I attempt it 3 years ago but weather got the better in me. We also had problems with the "imperfect passe" as we try to accent to Perfect Pass. Email the images at JERSAN@SAFECO.COM

thanks

[Alasdair]

Here are pictures of the trip wayne is talking about. This is the Traverse from west to East. Over Easy Ridge and Perfect Pass. I have pictures of most of the route here. Keep in mind that the river crossing will be considerably more dificult this year that it was in these pictures from last year. Let me know if you need any more info.

nwclimber.com

[bobinc]

We were in that area about ten years ago. I don't recall much difficulty in finding or making it across the 4th class section that has achieved so much notoriety. It is a real improvement over the "down and around" alternative route.

We were trying to make it to Challenger but had to settle for Whatcom Peak in deteriorating weather conditions. We high-tailed it back to our campsite (about 1 mile south of the summit of Easy Peak, right on the ridge) and sat out a spectacular electrical storm (with water under the tent, etc.) Next day, we made it all the way to the Hanegan TH in one big push.

[Alasdair]

Assuming good weather and that you are in semi good shape there is no reason why this peak could not be done in three days. These would not be particually dificult days either. What you want to do is camp on Easy ridge just before you drop down toward Inperfect Pass( I think thats what it is called). Out and back to the summit the next day and then pack up camp and out the next. Get reallly good beta on the Imperfect pass thing before you go.

[payaso]

Nice pictures!

[mvs]

Get good beta is right. Our party was heartbroken at the Imperfect Impass. We came up Easy Ridge. We did some dangerous soloing all around looking for the way down into the trough. The other side looked forbidding too. There was no snow in it. It was deep and steep, and the opposite side looked hairy with wet, featureless slabs (there was a fixed rope hanging from nowhere into nowhere on that side). Thank god the weather smote us mightily, otherwise we would have had a terrible excuse for bailing!--Michael

[ 04-02-2002: Message edited by: mvs ]

[JERRY_SANCHEZ]

Great pictures and cool website

[whiplash]

We took five days last year in the end of June, first of July to climb it. First day we went from the Hannegan T.H. to the top of Easy Ridge. 2nd day made it to Perfect Pass. We also scrambled around the edge of the imperfect impasse looking for a route across, but ended up dropping down and around and climbing a gully in the center of the valley to Perfect Pass. (do a search on this website for Challenger, the route was talked about last year.). Summited Challenger the 3rd day and spent another night at perfect pass. On the 4th day we summited Whatcom peak first thing in the morning, and packed back out to the end of Easy Ridge. The 5th day we hiked back to the Hannegan T.H. This is a great climb in a incredible area.

Good pic's nwclimber!

[jhamaker]

I'm for the 3 day option unless other climbing or difficult climbing is to be done.

Day 1: Hannegan Pass to Whatcom PassDay 2: Whatcom Pk and camp at Perfect PassDay 3: Summit and out.

[wayne]

This is the beta to the "Imperfect Impasse". It is my opinion that the best way to perfect pass IS over the top of Whatcom peak though:

After the peak(6534') that is after Easy peak ,there is a descent to 5400". It is best to generally stay high as you can without traversing cliffs. You will eventually do some steeper talus/downclimbing untill you get to a fault/gully filled with snow. It has cliffs on both sides. Descend to a tree on flat ledge. It offers the only access into the "Imperfect Impasse". It has a ledge that seems bad but goes, many rope up .Last person is solo though. the other side is doable but looks tough. It is the only way through.Reversing it is possible by rappel. Dont let it psyche you out ,it is just adventure along the way.w

[forrest_m]

wayne's route is not the only one... we found the easiest way to be to follow the edge of the impass uphill as far as possible (some 4th class) until it merged with the cliffs of whatcom peak (if i'm reading his description right, maybe 100 yards uphill from the tree wayne describes), there is a ledge system that went at low fifth class. there were several fixed pins. the weather was damp and drizzly and the rock was damp and slippery, so we roped up, although we might not have had it been dry. we ended up leaving a rope fixed for the return trip. we were able to climb up the other side by following the floor of the impasse another 15 or 20 yards uphill into a slimy slot (again, low 5th class but exposed) which ended at a well-used rap anchor, which we used on the way back down.

 

of course, the second time we did it was in july of 99 during the huge snow year, we just sidehilled into the impasse with our 80 pound packs and had a few rock moves to get out the other side... easy!

[Downhill]

I can confirm what Forrest describes as the way through the "impasse". Following the trough to its highpoint as it merges in to the face of Whatcom peak I found the same ledge system (low 5th). I 3rd-classed across but couldn't find a nut placement and there were no fixed pins at that time. But it was too much for my wife, who has little experience with exposure and she wasn't able to follow. We ended up going down and around - not recommended. I would think about taking a couple KB just in case.

 

[ 05-07-2002, 04:43 PM: Message edited by: Downhill ]

[Cpt.Caveman]

I'd be wary what Wayne and Forrest tell you they are hardmen climbers and not gumbies like me.

[wayne]

Just do everybody a favor an go over the top of Whatcom Peak, bag 2 classics and figure out imperfect on the way back!

[wayne]

You didnt arrange the boat? Oh my god what a megathon!

Day 8: Puddle of goo.

[Mike]

Yet a third option for the impasse. We traversed from easy ridge and ran into the impasse. Looked down into the valley - too much work! There's a 3rd/4th class buttress immediately above where we hit the impasse. First we tried to scramble the right-hand side of the buttress above the impasse - it didn't seem like a good option for big packs. So we went up and slightly left on this buttress, gained about 400' and crossed just above the impasse. No 5th class stuff and just a few 4th class moves; plenty of 3rd class with exposure. We camped on Challenger arm at the end of day 2.

 

Day 3 - Climbed Challenger, and moved camp down to Luna Lake - fabulous camp. Descending into the cirque requires some route finding.

 

Day 4 - Moved camp to Luna Col and scrambled Luna. This was an easy day.

 

Day 5 - Climbed Fury. The summit of Fury was cool - felt like we were at the center of the bushwacking universe looking down the three cirques which intersect at Fury.

 

Day 6 - exited via Access Creek, hit the trail and then hiked to the Ross Lake parking lot. This was a long day (5 hours from camp to trail and then 18+ miles on trail to the parking lot). You can arrange to have a boat pick you up which will shorten this by 6.5 miles.

 

Day 7 - it rained like hell - lucky timing!

 

This was a fun route and you won't run into a lot of other people. Avoid bushwacking up or down any of the major cirques like Luna or McMillan. Lots of different types of blood sucking insects along the Big Beaver - encourages you to hike out in one day instead of camping. The boat ride would have been nice...

[Toast]

Anybody have any firsthand info on the Big Beaver River Valley / Wiley Ridge approach (or more info on the other options mentioned above)? Any recent beta / trail guidance would be welcome.

 

Thanks in advance...

[ncascademtns]

Toast, Do I know you?

I have attached a jpg for your convience. Not the exit of the ridge at Eiley Lake, this ridge does not connect. Be prepared to spend a good week in the bush.

[geordie]

I have come out Eiley-Wiley and didn't find it that bad. (I liked going in Access Creek too.) There's bits and pieces of trail on the E-W ridge and the lakes are amazing. There's a bit of routefinding on both ends (Challanger Glaier and B. Beaver Trail) but the travel is easy.

 

g

 

[fleblebleb]

We got all confused looking for the trail up to the top of Easy Ridge, had to bushwhack the whole way, then descended below the ravine before coming back up to Perfect Pass in a whiteout. Eiley-Wiley was cake, in comparison, although the final descent off it is a bit brushy and confusing. I hear it can be done without any bushwhacking though, by staying in timber the whole way.