Living the best adventure life, since 1958
–submitted by John Young
After a five-hour drive from Nanaimo on Friday, with the last two hours on a sometimes narrow, winding logging road, we embarked from Fair Harbour aboard the Voyager with Leo Jack at the helm.
Where is Fair Harbour anyway?
The turn-off is just past Woss on Hwy 19, through Zebalos, and it’s out on the coast near Kyuquot, where Leo Jack lives.
Continue reading “A terrific trip on the Tatchu Peninsula – June 13-17, 2025”
A smooth ride to Rugged Point on July 8th
Continue reading “A beaut of a Beachcomb on the Tatchu Peninsula”
This report recounts a story from a less-visited location, although it is not about a club trip.
I have been fascinated by the Brooks Peninsula for some time. Geographically it is significant as it sticks out quite prominently on the west side of the island near the northern tip. It is rumoured to have its own weather system and significant hazards for boaters and kayakers rounding its western point. There are some very hard to reach mountains on the peninsula as well, one called Mount Doom that has a great mystique by name and remoteness. Up in those mountains contain some interesting flora and fauna as this part of the island may have not been covered by snow and ice during the ice age, resulting in some prehistoric plants still living to this day.
Continue reading “Maquilla Peak washed down with Mount Alston”
March 18, 2023
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
On March 18th, I led 7 Island Mountain Ramblers on a club trip to El Capitan Mountain. The weather more than cooperated, giving us crisp cool air, blue skies and so much sun!
Continue reading “El Capitan Winter Ascent”
February 11th, 2023
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
We called this hike after the name of the feature and what we hoped we would find: an endless plateau of fun! Well, maps lie. I suppose it’s not that they lie as much as contour lines can hide a lot of terrain.
Continue reading “Mount Menzies Endless Plateau of Fun!”
There are times when a mountain doesn’t quite measure up to one’s expectations. I’d pushed off an attempt on Hapush Mountain to the backburner in favour of other peaks on our list for several years. When Phil and Rick first did the Hapush, they recited nightmarish stories of bush and down climbs. Stories that were repeated whenever Hapush came up in conversation. It wasn’t one that I was rushing into.
But in July, when another friend successfully summited the peak and came back with a much better version of the story, I figured it was time to try her route to the summit – a route described by Tak O and Sandy B. I’m sure glad we did! I posted a trip to attract members who want to some more challenging terrain without the commitment of a huge day. It didn’t work out but we still had a great day!
Total Distance: 10 KM
Starting Elevation: 1140 m
Maximum Elevation: 1757 m
Total Elevation Gain: 800 m
Total Time: 4h 30 m
Sutton Peak is one of Vancouver Island’s illustrious 6000 footers. It’s a destination that I frequently poke Phil about doing; since he first summited – without me—back in 2016. Aside from its height, this route’s sparkling feature is the long west ridge that leads mountaineers to seek this summit.
No GPS Track Available
Total Distance: 15 km
Starting Elevation: 1094 m
Maximum Elevation: 1870 m
Total Elevation Gain: 1511 m
Total Duration: 8 h 30 min
We did it! We finally summited Mook Peak! Sure, it may have taken seven scheduled attempts, but we only set foot on the mountain twice. So often it appeared on the schedule, that it became a running joke between my hiking buddies and I. However, it was on the second attempt that we reached the summit.
Continue reading “Mook Peak, Or What Happens When You Go Biking With Phil”
Our late September trip to Pinder Peak was fantastic! The combination of a dry, cool day on a snow-free route filled with plenty of alpine berries reminded me why I (sometimes) love fall hiking! This trip was very different from my first trip to Pinder Peak.
If you’ve ever driven along by Atluk Lake, you’ve probably spotted the Pinder massif out your window. It rises from the wooded shores of the lake as a rocky tower that begs the mountaineer to climb it. The summit massif is marked by two prominent features, either of which is a worthy objective, though the subpeak is probably more of a challenge.
Total Distance: 14.0 km
Starting Elevation: 360 m
Maximum Elevation: 1550 m
Total Elevation Gain: 1223 m
Total Time: 7 hours
