North of Vancouver, British Columbia lies a vast and rugged mountain wilderness, heavily fortified by primordial rain forest and deeply indented fjord-like inlets. Valley floors are covered with thick vegetation, while moist air from the Pacific Ocean often brings heavy precipitation in the form of rain or snow making backcountry approaches on foot difficult or impossible. The heavily glaciated Coast Range stretches northward into Southeastern Alaska and forms the Alaska-British Columbia boundary, protected on the U.S. side by Tongass National Forest. An expedition to this region is a true wilderness experience. Exploratory mountaineering has thrived for decades in the Coast Range, yet even today there are many unclimbed summits and large numbers of peaks that have had only one or two ascents. The area presents a wide variety of climbing objectives, from general mountaineering and glacier travel to technical mixed routes. For a taste of the most spectacular peaks, the Mount Waddington Range offers many possibilities including four mountains that exceed 12,000 feet: Mount Waddington (13,177'), Mount Tiedemann (12,798'), Mount Asperity (12,205'), and Mount Combatant (12,142').

Mount Waddington, the highest peak in British Columbia, is a spectacular fang of ice-covered rock that was first climbed by Fritz Wiessner and William House in 1936. It's a demanding climb by any route, culminating in an ice encrusted  tower that requires technical mixed climbing skills. Reaching the summit, which occurs only occasionally, depends on good timing and the weather as conditions often vary from one hour to the next. Our expedition of four western Washington climbers - Brian Gilbert, Dave Walker, Chris Martin and myself - arrived in the Coast Range in early July for an attempt on this elusive peak. Having read several expedition accounts describing bad weather and difficult snow conditions, we were not initially optimistic about our chances, but the desire to visit the area outweighed our common sense to attempt something with a better reputation. As we drove across the border and continued deep into the heart of the province, we understood that our success would at least depend on the fickle Coast Range weather.

After a twelve hour drive from Seattle we arrived at Bluff Lake, BC where our pilot for the flight to base camp informed us that no other parties had succeeded on Mount Waddington this year because of dangerous snow conditions, particularly on the upper mountain. As our helicopter rose above an intervening ridge on the approach to Tiedemann Glacier, the summit appeared heavily covered in rime ice, a sure sign of high winds. But snow conditions might be safe on the lower mountain between base camp and Bravo Headwall, and may have stabilized above towards Spearman Col following an extended period of high pressure, which could put is in position for a rapid ascent of the final thousand feet. As most experienced climbers know, the first day of an expedition often abounds with such optimism. After landing our team near a suitable location, our pilot lifted off and quickly disappeared. We found ourselves alone on the glacier, but for one other small team that flew out soon after arriving. Having established base camp next to a convenient pool of melt water in the middle of the glacier, we decided to take advantage of uncharacteristically good weather and begin our ascent the next day.

At 5:30 the following morning we traversed the deceptively short distance from our tents on Tiedemann Glacier to the base of Rainy Knob, then climbed an easy snow slope to the top of this distinct feature. After gaining only moderate altitude the view began to expand in all directions revealing the vast and remote Coast Range as far as the eye could see. The terrain above Bravo Col was hidden from view, though we had a pretty good idea of what to expect from previous trip reports: Moderate, airy climbing to Spearman Col, a long snow traverse to the base of the summit pyramid, and finally the most technical section of mixed climbing and mushroom cornices leading to the summit. By noon we'd reached a safe location for our second camp. Chris and Dave emptied their packs, then immediately descended for another carry while Brian and I began working on the headwall. The heat of the afternoon was now becoming an issue as snow conditions deteriorated and the frequent rumble of avalanches could be heard all around us. Brian, however, was determined to continue, having reached this same point on a previous expedition before being turned back.

After climbing the first pitch on the lower headwall we found a small crevasse to belay from. Brian led the next pitch, placing a couple pickets while I belayed, imagining how sweet this would be on harder snow or ice. Nearly at the end of the pitch and a short distance from placing something more reliable in solid rock, the soft snow at the top of the headwall suddenly broke away from the crest. It didn't look like much at first, just a benign pile of slush creeping slowly down slope, but it rapidly gained momentum, transforming simultaneously into a dangerous slide as I screamed "AVALANCHE!" Brian saw for a brief moment what was coming before it knocked him backwards, sending him cartwheeling down the fifty-degree slope, a blur of red fabric, yellow boots and swirling snow. The dubious picket placements never stood a chance, and standing at the belay I was helpless to do much more than watch while he tumbled past, bouncing off some rocks on his way to the glacier basin below. I feared for the worst, yet miraculously he was alive although firmly cemented in the wet snow. His cries for help confirmed he was alive, though not too happy with his situation, trapped in the middle of a major debris zone. Yet, by the time I reached him he had nearly extricated himself, though was in obvious pain and in shock. Chris and Dave joined us soon after, having heard us from below, and after assessing Brian's condition we all retreated immediately to base camp. Surprisingly, he had sustained no life-threatening injuries and was capable of descending unassisted. We arrived back in base camp a few hours later.

With high pressure still holding the following morning, Chris and I departed base camp for a final attempt on Mount Waddington while Brian and Dave opted for a trip to the Plummer Hut on the opposite side of the valley. After re-climbing Bravo Glacier during the morning hours we spent the afternoon trying to escape the heat while melting snow, eating and resting at our previous cache. The weather looked like it would hold for our summit attempt the next day as we watched alpenglow paint the summits of Mount Arabesque and Munday Peak before crawling into our bags for a short night. Starting out before dawn we made fast work of the headwall on perfect neve, then continued up towards Bravo Col at sunrise, surrounded by a pristine panorama of Coast Range peaks: Across the valley towered the magnificent rock ramparts defending the south faces of Mount Tiedemann and Mount Combatant. A steep arete provided airy climbing while leading up to Spearman Col, where we had our first accurate view of the summit tower. The lower pitches appeared reasonable enough with just minimal snow covering the mostly fourth class rock, but the summit ridge-ever so tantalizingly close-was coated in enormous rhime ice cornices, large pieces of the which were shearing off and plunging down our intended line of ascent. Additionally, clouds had now formed at the base of the mountain and were steadily moving up towards our position on the col. Considering these factors we made the difficult decision to descend: The weather had been stable far too long, and was now rapidly changing in typical Coast Range fashion. In five hours we completed our descent to the Tiedemann Glacier, arriving in camp just as the weather broke.

The storm lasted several days and dumped a meter of new snow on the upper mountain. While listening to the sound of constant avalanches around us, we knew our decision to bail had been the right one. We'd had a good look at the Coast Range, climbed as high as we reasonably could have, avoided a near tragedy, and gained valuable experience for the next time. Mount Waddington had lived up to its reputation for bad weather, unpredictable snow conditions, rugged isolation and stunning scenery, but the elusive summit, at least for us, would have to wait.

Coast Range Gallery