Archive:Geoff's August Long Weekend Tantalus Trip
2010 July 31 - Aug 2
Contents
Synopsis
Lake Lovelywater and the Tantalus Range is one of my favorite places to go! It's located northwest of Squamish and accessible by the Squamish Valley Road in Brackendale.
This is a semi-beginner friendly trip and will be tailored to people's skill/comfort levels scrambling, however it is expected that all participants have some scrambling experience. If you have no scrambling experience check out Todd's Trip
As with all my beginner friendly trips remember:
- Why is this Beginner Friendly? - this trip is beginner friendly in the sense that beginners to mountaineering are welcome and we will be happy to teach and wait for them, not in the sense that it is easy or safe. See the VOC definition of beginner friendly Here.
- I suggest reading (if you have it, or borrow it from the clubroom, a friend, whatever) Freedom of the Hills to brush up on your mountaineering know-how.
Approach
We'll drive to the trailhead early Saturday morning (so sorry, 6:00am across the Lions Gate), park, and walk to the river. Make sure you bring $10 to pay Marty so he won't vandalize our cars. At the river we'll use the BC Water Survey cable to cross. I have the key to the tram so it should be pretty quick. If it's on the wrong side we'll send a couple people over on the cable. The trail starts right away and is about 6km long and very steep gaining 1200m of elevation. It should take about half a day. It ends at Lake Lovely Water.
Lake Lovelywater and Route Options
At Lake Lovelywater we can have a swim, lunch or snack, and maybe camp. There's an ACC cabin, but we won't be using it.
- Option 1 - Mostly Beginners to Scrambling: If the trip is mostly beginners to scrambling then we'll camp at Lake Lovelywater Saturday night and scramble one of the easier peaks nearby, either Alpha, Niobe, or Phelops, on Sunday. On Monday morning we can do another shorter scramble Niobe or steal the ACC canoe and paddle around or swim and relax. Then we'll hike back down.
- Option 2 - Mostly Non-Beginners to Scrambling: If the trip has more confident scramblers then we'll continue from Lake Lovelywater on Saturday to Red Tit Col in one long day. We'll camp at the col and scramble the more difficult Tantalus, Serratus, or Dionne (or some combination) on Sunday. On Monday we'll hike back to Lake Lovelywater, maybe swim and eat, then hike back down to the cars.
- Option 3 - Equal Mix Beginners/Non-Beginners: We can split the group in half with a non-beginner or two leading each group and the beginner group can attack option 1 and the non-beginner group option 2.
Descriptions of these routes can be found in Matt Gunn's Scrambles or Kevin McLean's Alpine Select.
Skills Required
Scrambling generally requires the use of your feet and hands to get up something. Expect scree and talus slopes, snow, steep and rocky bits, and exposure.
- Hiking/backpacking and camping experience
- Some scrambling experience
- General physical fitness and endurance
- Some glacier travel may be required
- A good attitude!
Gear Required
Clothes
- 1 set of non-cotton clothes (just the one set)
- 1 additional warm thing (fleece / down jacket)
- water proof pants and jacket (even if the weather is suppose to be good)
- toque (very important!!!)
- gloves
- boots
- sun hat
- gaiters
Technical Gear
Scrambling, especially up steep terrain, often requires rappelling to get back down safely. Also, to accomplish Option 2 we have to cross a glacier.
- harness
- locking carabiner with belay/rappel device
- extra locking or non-locking biners
- 3m of 1" webbing
- 2 prussiks for self rescue (if glacier)
- ice axe
- crampons (if glacier)
- helmet
- Trekking poles
Other
- headlamp
- food
- eating gear
- sleeping bag
- sleeping pad
- sun glasses (important!)
- sunscreen
- toilet paper
- camera
Pack
- a pack to put it all in
Group Gear
- tents
- stoves and fuel
- rope
- snow anchors (if glacier)
- some rock gear (just in case)
Pre-Trip Meeting
The Pre-Trip Meeting will be on Tuesday, July 27 at 7:00pm in the VOC Clubroom
- having it early in the week should give everyone enough time to get their gear
If you want to come on the trip you must be at the pre-trip meeting. If you can't come, please contact Geoff to let him know you're coming and a driver for a ride. You'll also need to arrange a tent with someone.
Sign-Up
Sign up here. Put your experience in brackets (beginner/non-beginner to scrambling), if you have a car or any useful group gear put that down too. If you have skills or experience that beginners can benefit from let us know too.
The trip limit will be 15
- Geoff Martin (non-beginner, tent, stove, rope, will teach/lead/help)
- Mike Duncan (non-beginner, tent, stove, rope, car, will teach/lead/help)
- Ben Singleton-Polster (non-begineer, done rock climbing, scrambling, would prefer to go bag something on the more experienced end)
- Philip Ketterer (tent, stove, rope, rack, can lead trad climbing, almost no scrambling experience, up for alpine climbing)
- Mariana Gonzales (tent, stove, can lead trad climbing)
- Evan Morris (non-beginner, up for leading or following, car, gear)
- Greta Raymant (non-beginner, gear)
- Veenstra (have all the gear you could want including giant pulleys for the cable, partner bailed)
- Nick Matwyuk (scrambling, glacier, and rope travel experience - have tent, stove, jeep)
- Jared "the Beaver" Easton (Beginner, 2 man tent, stove)
- Ryan Stelzer (Beginner, has some gear,not sure about scrambling experience but I climbed Mt.Baker last year so hopefully be okay)
- Stephanie Schmitt (tentatively, will be at trip meeting)
- Claire Haddock (beginner, has tent, stove, car, some rock climbing and lots of hiking experience, but little scrambling experience)
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Cars
- Mike's Car - picking up passengers at UBC and nearby
- Nick's car - leaving from Richmond, currently with Nick and 1 other
- Stephanie's car - leaving from Dunbar-ish with 4
- Evan and Greta's car - bringing Evan and Greta
- Toni's car - leaving from Richmond, maybe should join Nick to decrease costs
- Claire's car- coming from Langley, so far only me. Contact me to carpool please
Waiting List
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