Archive:2010 June 5-6 Ring Callaghan Traverse

Synopsis

Opportunity for "mid-season" turns! Combine two good 'late' season approaches, make them into a traverse, bring some friends along... climb a couple of peaks along the way. The idea is to do a traverse from Ring Mountain to Callaghan, with parties starting from both sides and possibly meeting up in the middle for the night. Opposite groups would then drive the other parties' cars down to Timmie's in Squish. One access point is a logging road up in the Squamish Valley (requires 4WD hc), the other is the FSR that goes up to Callaghan Lake in the Callaghan Valley (turnoff just before Olympic Park gate). Depending on the snowline it may be nice to have 4WD hc to drive this too, but it may not be necessary. This trip is 'intermediate-friendly' - you need to know what you're doing, be comfortable on skis and with using avi gear, but you don't need to have years of experience. In some cases the ability to drive somebody else's manual transmission vehicle down steep logging roads may be required.

The distance to be covered is not huge, and if we're lucky with conditions a lot of time may be spent messing around on the summits of Callaghan and/or Ring Mountain. Let's hope for decent weather! If all looks grim, alternative plans will be made.

Pre-Trip Meeting: VOC bbq on Spanish Banks at the foot of Tolmie Street, this wednesday, ca 7pm. Rain or shine.

Update after meeting: Not very much was resolved because that is just how the World is, and also because we were a somewhat awkward number: 11 (for either 2 or 4 cars...) Any other takers? Weather permitting, we would like to camp up high on the glacier on the N side of Mount Callaghan. We can make the call on friday - the alternative worse-weather camping spot would be at Ring Lake. Both parties will meet up on the glacier for social camping - I'm hoping to use Christian's walkie-talkies to facilitate this somewhat.

Could people please try to add their names to cars and start organizing tent and food groups? It would be wise to switch spare car-keys before the trip... last opportunity being Timmie's on Saturday morning.

Gear Required

Regular ski touring gear, avalanche gear, overnight gear, possibly helmet and ice axe. If all goes well I'd like to camp quite high up - may be a tat chilly.

Piotr will be bringing his small/short glacier rope and a harness... and his kite. One of the routes up Callaghan (the most direct from the intended camp?) allegedly entails a short 4th class step, so I'll probably bring a couple tricams just in case too.

Sign-up

1. Piotr Forysinski
2. Anne Vialettes
3. Doris Leong
4. Roland Burton
5. Jordan Best
6. Christian Veenstra
7. Line Veenstra
8. Gili Rosenberg
9. Christian Champagne
10. Julian Reitter
11. Ran Z
12. Bram vS
13. Adrien Thevenet
14. Len G

Vehicle List

Sign up here if you have a vehicle. Specify type of vehicle, and preferred direction

• Piotr's Toyota 4Runner (ie 4WD hc). 5 spots total. Based on 1st and Victoria, but can pickup around town if necessary.

1. Piotr
   
2. Anne
   
3. Ran
   
4. Adrien
5. Len

• Jordan's Nissan Pathfinder, 4WD hc, Ring-Callaghan

1. Jordan
   
2. Christian Champagne
   
3. Julian
4. Bram
5. 
   

• Gili's car, 2WD

1. Gili
   
2. Doris (Burrard, Kits side)
   
3. Roland (3705 W 38th Avenue)
   
4. veenstra
   
5. Line