Aug 2, 2020
Class 3/4 scrambling to get to North Spire with lots of amazing Batholith Granodiorite rock routes to explore if you are a climber.
- Sticky approach shoes better choice over hiking boots or trail runners here - some smearing required, could be sketchy in a non tacky boot or shoe
- Views of Slesse, Crossover, MacFarlane, Rexford and border peaks playing peek-a-boo all day long across the valley
- Steep but pleasant ascent through forest and alpine (average of 35% grade)
- High Clearance 4x4 access to final parking but you can park lower and hike the extra 2 km each way
- New waterbars seem temporary - they are short so good approach and departure angles needed in order to not scrape bumpers and hitches
- Poles were helpful during the descent through forest and loose upper section
- Creek crossing at 1200m'ish and still lots of snow around for water sources in upper bowls/boulder fields
- Lots of boulder hoping and I mean boulders! ... not sure my photos will convey their size properly
- With boulder fields and snow come tiger traps - be careful - poles helpful to probe if unsure
- Lots of people - dozens actually - roadside parking at Slesse/Rexford fork was full (also a long weekend so not surprised) - in reality it does really matter since everyone is spread out over the entire area - no 'trails' once in the alpine bowls or on walls or scrambling routes
- Climbers in my photos... I circled some of them in yellow to show scale here
Full Disclosure: I promised to start providing this... so a couple issues I had to deal with on this outing.
- I initially took the wrong route up the scrambling section - I missed what I discovered later to be an obvious right turn and put myself into class 4+ terrain. The important learning point here I want to convey is that... the entire time I had a feeling I was off route but decided 2 things... #1 I would like to practice and challenge myself with more time 'on rock' and #2 constantly reminding myself that up is always easier than down so to ensure I was not getting into anything I could not down climb. Everyone has a different level of skill, risk tolerance and gear so work within your means.
- I mention approach shoes as a strong suggestion when scrambling harder objectives because I could have used a pair... my boots are excellent, but not when 'smearing' on downward sloping rock that is not very bitey (yeah I made that word up to tell my story) - so I was descending the normal scrambling route and close to the bottom before you re-enter the bowl there is a section that has no proper hand/footholds to speak of... I actually slipped here and slide half a meter or so before my foot caught a slight ridge and I grabbed a hand hold... had I missed either I would have possibly kept going another few meters onto a narrow down sloping sandy ledge and potentially over and down another 5-6 meters. This segment would be made even worse if anything less than 100% dry so you have been warned!
Caveat: I provide GPS tracks to help you find a suitable route on your endeavour. It is not perfect and often may go 'offtrail' a little... or a lot. Use it at your own risk. Do your due diligence and play within your capabilities.
Be safe out there and have fun!
Regards,
Rex
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