| Vancouver Island Alpine Guide
Malaspina Peak 1579m/5179'
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A prominent and multi-summited rock peak 11
km SE of Tahsis, apparently seldom climbed in spite of being beside a main
road (Three known ascents ATP, Nov/97). The now-deactivated Perry River main
gives access via a southward spur that climbs in rough and vegetated
fashion to 600m on the NW ridge of Malaspina's second-highest peak
(1520m/4986'). (Note: both the 1:50,000 and 1:20,000 topos apply the name
Malaspina Peak to this second-highest summit.) The bridge to this spur has
been removed, so a creek ford is necessary. Hike off the end of this spur
road and ascend a rib to the extreme upper right of the clearcut at nearly
700m. An animal trail leads up into the verdant old-growth and becomes
indistinct on a small bench. Ascent through friendly forest leads to a band
of bluffs at about 1000m. These can be surmounted by an upward right route
followed by a leftward traverse along a ramp below a rock wall. The ridge
crest, which immediately follows, is open with many small ponds. The south
summit (1520m) is a steep hike from here.
The easiest route on the highest peak is a class 4 scramble or a steep
snow gully (depending on the season) which is reached by traversing the
western basin and passing over the NW shoulder of the objective to the
remnants of the north glacier. Crampons could be useful here before late
summer. The obvious open right-slanting gully is the route. The steeper
chimney-gully to the left is not.
Access from Canton Creek to the east has been used also.
The exact route is not known to this reporter.
The several gendarmes in the area appear to have all been climbed. There
is a small lake in the basin N of this high summit that is not marked on
1:50,000 maps. The third summit (1451m/4759') which looms over this lake
and which somewhat blocks the connecting ridge to
Mt. Alava
presents steep
south-facing defences with the possibility of a ridge climb. There are
several small northern outliers.
Sandy Briggs
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Nootka
Last Updated: Sept 13, 1997
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