Stefan Posted November 15, 2002 Posted November 15, 2002 Please help me with this dream. 1) I am trying to find a place in British Columbia. 2) I am trying to find a place where I can make a base camp for about a week. 3) A base camp situated in a valley or cirque. 4) From the base camp I would like to climb several peaks around me—each of the peaks would be one day ascents 5) A base camp that would be isolated and “not popular” 6) Base camp would be accessed by plane or helicopter. 7) Routes of peaks would be physically difficult but not technically difficult. (I am more interested in being in a great place, rather than doing great things.) 8) Climbing would be preferably be on snow. Steep snow is okay and great! 9) A place where the mosquitos are absent I do not want to move my base camp because I would be bringing in good food and cooking steaks on a hibachi. And moving good food/hibachi would be a problem because I am not interested in slogging sleds around. Does such a place exist? If so, recommendations? Quote
Dru Posted November 15, 2002 Posted November 15, 2002 Just about anywhere between Lillooet and Bella Coola fits your bill or try the Selkirks. Niut Range is a cheap flight. Just dont poach any of Dons planned first ascents . Quote
philfort Posted November 15, 2002 Posted November 15, 2002 Mike King can probably hook you up: http://www.whitesaddleair.com The central Coast Range is full of places that meet your requirements. Buy a map and choose a spot. Quote
Dru Posted November 15, 2002 Posted November 15, 2002 Lots of Nice Pictures on www.bivouac.com and www.mtnphil.com Quote
Don_Serl Posted November 15, 2002 Posted November 15, 2002 stefan, tchaikazan valley. superb camping in open meadow (stay above the moraine to get most breeze to shoo the bugs off). tons to do, mostly moderate (but poor) rock on south sides, entertaining steep snow/ice on north sides. 5 glacial valleys radiate from head of main valley. half a dozen 10,000-footers, innumerable 9,000-ers. all day trips (some would be very long) or easy overnighters. VERY expensive helicopter trip, or drive in from williams lake, then walk about 25km - horse trail, virtually no elevation gain. short bush section and one tough creek crossing at end. see bivouac.com for info; also cdn alpine journal 2001. cheers, don Quote
iain Posted November 15, 2002 Posted November 15, 2002 one of the high lakes in the Melville Group, Battle Range, south of Golden, north of Bugs. Nobody there, lots of peaks (Moby Dick, Proteus, Pequot, the list goes on). Helo required unless you are daniel boone on meth. Quote
Dru Posted November 15, 2002 Posted November 15, 2002 Flying in to the Lillooet Icecap area with the Tyax Air skiplane out of Gold Bridge, would be another option. Go in spring for that. Quote
Don_Serl Posted November 17, 2002 Posted November 17, 2002 more re: tchaikazan. if u want to get real good idea of what the place is like, western canada wilderness committee sells a superb 36"x16" panoramic poster of the valley for the ridiculously low price of CDN$5. how do they expect to fight the timber companies when they won't even charge us outdoors-folk a reasonable price for great stuff!?!? see: the store at http://www.wildernesscommittee.org/ or phone 1-800-661-9453. cheers, don Quote
salbrecher Posted November 18, 2002 Posted November 18, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Stefan: Please help me with this dream. 1) I am trying to find a place in British Columbia. 2) I am trying to find a place where I can make a base camp for about a week. 3) A base camp situated in a valley or cirque. 4) From the base camp I would like to climb several peaks around me—each of the peaks would be one day ascents 5) A base camp that would be isolated and “not popular” 6) Base camp would be accessed by plane or helicopter. 7) Routes of peaks would be physically difficult but not technically difficult. (I am more interested in being in a great place, rather than doing great things.) 8) Climbing would be preferably be on snow. Steep snow is okay and great! 9) A place where the mosquitos are absent I do not want to move my base camp because I would be bringing in good food and cooking steaks on a hibachi. And moving good food/hibachi would be a problem because I am not interested in slogging sleds around. Does such a place exist? If so, recommendations? I recommend looking at some maps to find your shangri-La. Questions 1-9 can be answered this way. Quote
wayne Posted November 18, 2002 Posted November 18, 2002 Hey Jon! Don Serl should NOT be a "Wanker" Quote
Dru Posted November 19, 2002 Posted November 19, 2002 quote: Originally posted by wayne1112: Hey Jon! Don Serl should NOT be a "Wanker" Yeah the appropriate Canadian term is "Dry Tooler". Quote
Stefan Posted November 20, 2002 Author Posted November 20, 2002 I will be looking at maps. I just wanted the expert opinion from people who have been to these areas. I liked the pictures of the Tchaikazan Valley and the Niut Range. I could not find pictures for the Battle Range or Melville Group. Drew, I saw a picture that said "Bifrost Pass" area going from Geddes to Zeus. That area looks intriguing. Is access via road or helicopter to that particularly large area? Quote
Dru Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 It would be about 1.5-2 days walk/bushwack in from the road or 15 minutes by helicopter. Its between Wadd & Pantheon Ranges and W of Niuts. Quote
Dru Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 You can find lots of Melville Group photos in selkirks south guidebook (Dave Jones,2001, Elaho Pub.) Quote
iain Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 here's one photo but it doesn't show much. This was on the approach to where I camped above Houston Creek, above the waterfall. The peak on the right is Proteus. Most routes in the area are 5.7 or so, but some are walk-ups. Many require glacier crossings. We found the Putnam times to be a little on the short side. Quote
iain Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 ...looking the other direction into the Nemo group from our camp, that waterfall is just around the corner. This location would be quite an undertaking by foot. Quote
iain Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 ...on one of the climbs in the area, "the Tadpole" a 5.3 A1 pillar (but you'd be hard-pressed to follow any of the route descriptions) Quote
iain Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 Another view into the Nemo group from higher up. Tremendous glacial recession in this area, you have to climb on some very polished rock to get to the toe of the glaciers. Quote
Dru Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 quote: Originally posted by iain: here's one photo but it doesn't show much. This was on the approach to where I camped above Houston Creek, above the waterfall. The peak on the right is Proteus. Most routes in the area are 5.7 or so, but some are walk-ups. Many require glacier crossings. We found the Putnam times to be a little on the short side. For scale, the central buttress on Proteus facing the camera is an 18 pitch route IIRC. [ 11-20-2002, 09:35 AM: Message edited by: Dru ] Quote
iain Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 Thanks Dru. If I go back I would like to climb the ridge of Moby Dick, which is supposedly a grade IV, but almost all 4th class with exposure to the many-thousand foot Ohno wall on the other side (I believe there were some recent first ascents on that wall last year). We faced some pretty miserable weather most of the time and were tent-bound. Quote
Stefan Posted November 20, 2002 Author Posted November 20, 2002 What about this Pantheon range? Have you guys been there? Quote
Dru Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Stefan: What about this Pantheon range? Have you guys been there? SSSSSSSSSSsssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh There is no Pantheon Range Quote
Dru Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 And this is not a picture of it and those big faces and free standing towers are not unclimbed Quote
wdietsch Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Dru: quote:Originally posted by Stefan: What about this Pantheon range? Have you guys been there? SSSSSSSSSSsssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh There is no Pantheon Range Quote
Dru Posted November 20, 2002 Posted November 20, 2002 Heres a pic of the Lillooet Icefield for balance. The ski plane is a cheaper option than flying in. If you want easier snow climbing and peak bagging this is the place to go Incidentally note the 8====D Ivan is kneeling on here Quote
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