Live Trails - Report to Guanaco Peak (from Zopkios Rest Area) in Mainland-Southwest, BC, Canada

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966Km

Report to Guanaco Peak (from Zopkios Rest Area)
Distance: 20Km Elevation: 915m High Point: 2127m Location: Mainland-Southwest, BC, Canada
Trail tags: 2WD bushwacking hiking peak routefinding scrambling snowshoeing steep-trail winter-routefinding

By (Reads: 827)

Attempt result and date: Failed attempt

04/25/2010
Mood after attempting this trail:

excited

With 30 cm of fresh snow in the last 48 hours, this reprise of a recon hike we did three weeks ago had much of the same elements, with the exception that visibility was much improved. Seven fit snowshoers started our trek at 9:30 am at the Zopkios rest area. We did not run into a single soul the entire day. What joy it was to have the pristine mountains all to ourselves!

Team trail-breaking started just after 2 km. Snow was deep and heavy and we reached the Zupjok-Zopkios Ridge saddle at noon with a strong team. After sliding down into the valley the task of navigating optimally towards Guanaco began. With many creeks, ravines, and a thick canopy the job was not always easy. With helpful inputs from everyone we managed to find a very good route towards the Vicuna-Guanaco col, bypassing any sidehilling, most of the heavy underbrushes and avalanche hazards.

The heavy slogging and continuous micro-navigations occupied most of our thoughts, and breaks for replenishments soon got lost in the shuffle, with most of us noticing a drop-off in energy as we approached the col at 3:45 pm. Malin and I decided to make the col our destination for the day. Irina, Chris, and Evgeny took a small break and pressed on for the remaining 1/2 km ridge scramble to Guanaco Peak.

We took many stunning photos, mesmerized by the gorgeous vista and endless strings of aesthetic mountains around us. Turning back around 5:15, we mostly followed our uptracks but managed to optimize certain descent sections by traversing down powdery slopes that we avoided on the way up.

With cumulative elevation gain pushing 1800 m for the day we finished just after 10 pm - a long and arduous day to be sure. Most team members I spoke with agreed that this was the most demanding snowshoe they have been on. Ah, but what a joyous and satisfying day!

On this trip, everyone contributed a great deal to the success of the hike. Seamless teamwork and different strengths coming together are beautiful to behold. A note of appreciation to Chris Morley for his yeoman's work and positive encouragement to everyone. And to Ahmad for his initial navigation to the saddle three weeks ago - without which this trip would have been harder to achieve.

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Comments

966Km

at 10am 04/28/2010

It is the artificial construct of this site, Steve. Malin and I chose not to summit: hence the red light. Not how I would have designed it, of course.

709Km

at 10am 04/28/2010

So i don't get it. 2 reports from the same trip. Once says "green", the other "red" - did you have different objectives?

966Km

at 7pm 04/27/2010

All thanks to your initial navigation effort, Ahmad. This winter route is definitely physically and mentally taxing. But the rewards are surely magnificent!

1104Km

at 1am 04/27/2010

I thoroughly enjoyed the report and the pictures. Very nice effort..

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