May 23rd, 2026
~ submitted by Nicholas Fisch
On a partly cloudy Saturday in May, myself and another Rambler set out for Mount McQuillan from the trailhead at Father and Son Lake.
Continue reading “Mount McQuillan”Mount McQuillan
H’Kusam Mountain
May 16th, 2026
~ submitted by Su Castle
Four of us met in Sayward to drive up Stowe Main to access H’kusam mountain the shorter way. Half way to the trailhead we were met with “Active Blasting” signs. Disappointed, we had no choice but to re-route to the longer Bill’s Trail.
Sutton Peak via Harrison Lake: A Long Day Done Right
April 11, 2026
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
It had been a long time since a 3 a.m. alarm dictated the start of my day. There’s something nostalgic about that kind of alpine start—the quiet house, the groggy coffee, the slow realization that you’re about to commit to something big. It felt good to be back in that rhythm.
Our objective was Sutton Peak, this time opting for the Harrison Lake approach rather than the long ridge. It’s a trade-off: less ridge travel, but a nearly five-hour drive each way. The kind of day where the effort begins well before you lace up your boots.
The logging road in was mostly cooperative, though one small washout forced us to stop, fill it in, and coax the vehicle through. We parked at around 800 metres and continued on foot, quickly encountering the first patches of snow near the end of the road. With a big day ahead, we didn’t waste time. As soon as we were sinking more than about eight inches, the snowshoes went on.
That decision came with some entertainment value—most notably a short, awkward scramble down with snowshoes still attached. Not graceful, but effective.
A terrific trip on the Tatchu Peninsula – June 13-17, 2025
–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 beaut of a Beachcomb on the Tatchu Peninsula
A smooth ride to Rugged Point on July 8th
Continue reading “A beaut of a Beachcomb on the Tatchu Peninsula”
Hiking the South Brooks Peninsula
–SUBMITTED BY MICHAEL PASKEVICIUS; ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON HIS TRAVEL BLOG
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.
Maquilla Peak washed down with Mount Alston
–submitted by Matthew Lettington
In order to make the most of our time on the mountain, I organized a trip to the north island that included visits to two mountains. Both mountains are worth visiting individually, but by combining them into one day trip, we were able to save some money on fuel.
Friday evening Jes and Matthew camped out at the Forest Rec site at Klaklakama Lake. Predawn came even worse than it sounded after a poor night’s sleep (I think too much coffee). It was a short drive to the end of Chuckham Road, and we were hiking to Maquilla by 6:15 am. We parked to 800m, so there was a little more than 1000m to the summit.
We ventured off the road and up a ridge to an adjoining route that gains the peak via the south ridge. We moved quickly through the light to moderate bush. There was no boot track to guide us but we had great beta provided by another club member – thanks, Eyrn!
Continue reading “Maquilla Peak washed down with Mount Alston”
El Capitan Winter Ascent
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”Mount Menzies Endless Plateau of Fun!
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!”Hapush Mountain
–submitted by Matthew Lettington; originally published on explorington.com
–aditional photography by Jes Garceau
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