~ submitted by Adrian Houle
July 15, 2018
4 Island Mountain Ramblers attended and enjoyed the Mountain Improv course on July 15.
Mountain Improv
Bald Mountain Circuit
~ submitted by Mary Hof
July 22, 2018
Bald Mountain circuit today was enjoyed by 6 hikers. 12k, 4.5 hours, 650m elevation gain. We swam before the hike ended. It was a very hot day but beautiful. It was very nice to welcome a hiker from Spain – Claudia, she is 23 years old and is here to teach a family Spanish in exchange for living accommodation. A wonderful person, great hiker who will be doing me in more while she is here till September 4, after that she goes back to complete her Masters Degree.
Conuma Peak: Bush, Bluffs and Bugs
–Submitted by Matthew Lettington, originally published on explorington.com
Conuma Peak has been on my must-climb bucket list since I learned that it features a large arch in the side of the mountain–the largest on any of the mountains on the island. Conuma is the second peak in the Tlupana Range that I’ve climbed, and offers views of many of the larger peaks around it. This trip wasn’t the first time we put it on the schedule, but it’s the first time we put our feet on the ground at the mountain; each of our previous attempts was thwarted by rainstorms, snowstorms, or the enticement of more feasible trips. Our July 22 summit attempt featured blue skies with minimal haze, hot air, and a bounty of bugs that made us question our sanity.
Our research yielded route descriptions from a few successful summits of Conuma Peak, but each used a different approach. The one that appealed to us the most, the one we used, approaches from a spur off the H60 logging road that originates on the Head Bay Mainline, halfway between Tahsis and Gold River. From the end of the logging road, our route travelled up the east side of the ridge until it gains the south ridge, and then up to the main summit block. By my estimation, a successful summit of Conuma Peak has as much to do with the strength of your navigation abilities as it does your tolerance for the bushwhacking and bugs. From the map, it’s impossible to decipher the specific terrain; however, the title of my report reveals all the majesty that makes up the convoluted route to Conuma Peak.
Total Distance: 8.5 km
Starting Elevation: 563 m
Maximum Elevation: 1479 m
Total Elevation Gain: 1028 m
Total Time: 9 hours, 10 minutes
Jewel Lake, Mt Cokely, Rouseau Trail Circuit
–submitted by Mary Hof
Sunday July 15th was a great day for a hike, with clear blue skies. 9 hikers in two vehicles drove Cameron Main and parked at the saddle parking area of Mt Arrowsmith. We started hiking at 9:30 and heading up the saddle, many had not done this hike before so they were in awe how beautiful it was. Glacier Lily’s were seen, as well as other wild flowers. Just a bit of snow left at the top of the saddle.
Continue reading “Jewel Lake, Mt Cokely, Rouseau Trail Circuit”
Strata Mountain
~ submitted by John Robertson
July 1, 2018
Three of us met at the usual North Nanaimo gathering point at 7am, and quickly got underway for parts north. We made good time to Mount Washington. We met 2 more adventurers at the Raven Lodge. Boots were tightened, packs were donned, and we were off.
The trip through Paradise meadows was predictably lovely. Trails were wet and muddy, with no trace of snow, until Lake Helen Mackenzie.
Westwood Lake Ridges
~ submitted by Mary Hof
July 1, 2018
Three hikers from the Island Ramblers, and 8 from Cowichan Hikers celebrated Canada day by hiking the Westwood Lake Ridges and Robert Rooste. We sang O Canada as we held the flag. It felt good to be with people of all walks of life, and to be hiking on a beautiful day.
Crown Mountain: a Canada Day-Trip
–submitted by Matthew Lettington, originally published on explorington.com
On July 1st, two friends and I made a successful, though gruelling, summit of Crown Mountain inside Strathcona Park. The story of this day-trip is part of a much longer saga that starts with a failed summit attempt on Mount Colonel Foster.
Flores Island Backpack
~ submitted by John Young
May 19-20, 2018
Susann and I and seven lucky women (or is that lucky me and seven women?!) journeyed over to Flores Island from Tofino on the May long weekend. And my seventh time on this wonderful trail didn’t disappoint!
Nine Peaks, The Jewel of Strathcona Park
–submitted by Matthew Lettington, originally published on explorington.com
On June 23rd & 24th 2018, I was one of five Island Mountain Ramblers who summitted Nine Peaks, located on the southern boundary of Strathcona Park. It earns its name from the nine distinct peaks that rise out of the Beauty Glacier, forming a line that runs along a northwest axis. Our trip was planned as an annual birthday getaway – one of Rick and Phil’s long-standing traditions – and was a reprisal of a failed daytrip to Nine Peaks, on the same weekend in 2017. Having been beaten back on the first attempt, we came with the intention of completing the trip as an overnighter.
Our route originated at the Bedwell Lake trailhead, and by the time we were back at the car we had covered 38 kilometres and more than 3500 metres of elevation gain. The trip involves route-finding challenges that change with the season, terrain difficulties that may require scrambling, and the need for self-arrest skills. On top of the physicality of the route, it’s also mentally challenging. There are many sections where you gain elevation, lose it, and then regain it. It includes either two summits of Big Interior Mountain, an airy traverse from the saddle or, at least, an airy traverse around the base of the summit massif.
Total Distance: 34 km
Starting Elevation: 515 m
Maximum Elevation: 1849 m
Elevation Gain: 3068 m
Rappel Workshop
~ submitted by Matthew Lettington
June 13, 2018
The club had three people come out for the Wednesday night Rappel Workshop. We had one guest join at the last minute because two people cancelled that morning. This workshop was originally scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to rain. On Wednesday, we had showers through the morning, but the evening was warm and dry.
We reviewed knot tying, ATC, harnesses and ropes. We covered tying in, setting backups and rappelling techniques and ended the night with three rappels each down the highest face, at Pipers Lagoon.
Photos by Ruby, Barry & Samantha