[TR] Pasayten Wilderness - Cathedral Peak - SE Buttress 7/15/2007

[spagetti]

Trip: Pasayten Wilderness - Cathedral Peak - SE Buttress

 

Date: 7/15/2007

 

Trip Report:

Our party repeated the SE Buttress of Cathedral Peak as described in Kearney's guide. Great route! Unfortunately, the standard approach is daunting 18 mile slog through pine forests. Our alternative may be a time-saving aesthetic hike into this area.

 

Since the Wall Creek trail approaches the American border in the immediate vicinity of Cathedral Peak, we chose this route alternative. Years before, I had approached Cathedral Provincial Park (Canada) via the Centennial trail. The former branches off Wall Creek trail and climbs the major of divide into the Cathdral Lakes area. The Wall Creek trail as described in Becky's guide follows the bottom of the Wall Creek drainage. One reaches the Wall Creek trailhead from the Ashnola River road.

 

The original plan was to find a primitive trail up the Cathedral fork of Wall Creek. This primitive trail must be quite vague indeed for we saw no evidence.

 

Following the Canadian fork of Wall gradually gains elevation until the first obvious pass can be seen on the south side of the drainage. Head towards the pass thru open timber. Breach the pass headwall to the right side of rock bands.

 

The open slopes above lead to a rounded ridge crest. Incredible views can be seen from the ridgetop vista. Snow may be encountered early in the summer on the north aspect. One travels east along the ridge crest until Cathedral Peak can be seen opposite a hanging valley. We chose to camp on this ridge. Our hiking time was about 6hr to high camp.

 

We reached the base of the SE Buttress in 1 1/2 hr the next morning. Brilliant climb. Out in 4 1/2 hr to the Ashnola River Rd. on the third day.

[ivan]

long way to walk for so little climbing in an area w/ a dense collection of routes - guess if you just have a long weekend....it was a stellar place to spend a week for sure though!

[morrison_ryan]

My wife and I climbed Cathedral Peak in early August as well. I agree...a brilliant climb. We approached from the Tungsten Mine area, and climbed the peak during a 5 day trip through the Pasayten.

[stoked]

There is a so-called Cathedral Forks trail, it just that it doesn't go up Cathedral Forks. This is the trail description I wrote on bivouac.com.

 

Follow Wall Creek trail from its junction with Centennial Trail. (Note: this is well to the east and higher up from the confluence of Catheral Forks and Wall Creek.) About 15 minutes from the junction cross a major tributary of Wall Creek. After another 15 minutes where the trail approaches within 20m of Wall Creek there is a trailside camp, possibly with a rusting old airtight stove. Leave the trail and cross Wall Creek on deadfall to its south side. There is another camp here with a food pole and fire ring. The Cathedral Forks Trail is picked up here by heading uphill directly away from Wall Creek. [Do not take the blazed route which parallels Wall Creek.] After 5 minutes the trail climbs steeply onto a hogsback which is likely a medial moraine from extinct glaciers. The trail follows the crest of the hogsback for about 500m and is about 50m above another tributary. It briefly levels out near 1900m before descending about 30m towards the creek valley. The trail from this point on skirts the wet meadows on dry ground staying north of the creek all the way to the alpine. Stay left of the creek and wet meadows and you'll stay on the trail.

 

The lower meadow in the waypoints is around 1900m. [There is a lesser trail fork near 2000m that crosses the main branch of the creek. It provides no benefit for mountaineering purposes. The lesser fork follows the south branch to a lower saddle.] Just above the lesser fork the main trail swings away from the main branch of the creek. Shortly afterwards it makes a 90-degree turn to the right. Take note of this for the way down. [The trail tread to the left peters out on a dry ridge.]

 

The trail ends in alpine meadows 2 km west of Orthodox Mountain. From here you can travel easily over high ground to Cathedral Peak and the headwaters of Cathedral Forks.

 

[Animal]

Two years ago a friend and I got half way up the SE buttress of Cathedral peak. He felt kind of wimpy not completing the route, but I told him we already did the best part, which was the long hike in carrying all the gear. Great job on the climb!

[Blake]

This route is classic. Anyone do the offwidth, or does everyone do the finger crack like we did?

 

 

 

 

 

[Jopa]

Is the finger crack 5.10?

[mythosgrl]

It's .10d X !!!!!

[spagetti]

Hmm, the offwidth looks interesting too but i didn't have the gear or the inclination to climb this line with such an obvious alternative. How cute! The so called finger crack crux is likely 5.9 by pnw standards. what makes the route such a classic is the quality of rock and the fact that is sustained climbing at 5.7 to 5.8 grade -- a respectable grade for the mountains. live large!

Edited October 27, 2007 by spagetti

[Jopa]

Sounds like a classic outing. Has anyone tried either of the south face routes? The Beckey route looks pretty nice (on paper).

[drater]

I've been chased both the SE Buttress and teh standard route on the south face by monster electrical storms. Got a stuck rope on the SE Buttress rapelling, my hair was standing up, ran for cover under some bolders over by the Ampitheatre Mountain tairn.

 

Good times, I'd like to spend a month up their sending.