Mt. Fairweather, British Columbia
May 2010
Rich McAdams
Having ascended Mt Columbia, the high point of Alberta, as well as the more pedestrian high points of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, it is now time to take on one of the more challenging Canadian high points. Mt. Fairweather will be that challenge.
Although trip participants will need to stay flexible, it is anticipated that this climb will occur in the May 08th through May 23rd timeframe. If luck (aka weather) is on our side we could return to civilization in as little as 10 days, but to be prudent we will set aside slightly over two weeks to give ourselves every opportunity. Since weather (as in notoriously bad) makes this seldom climbed trip a challenge, it is considered a coveted gem on any climber’s list.
Mt Fairweather is located within British Columbia’s Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, and is truly a spectacular, remote, and untamed part of our North America. Park elevations stretch from sea level all the way to the summit of 15,300’ Mt Fairweather. After the climbing portion of this trip, there are endless sightseeing, kayaking, fishing, exploring, and photography opportunities that each participant may take advantage of.
Our climbing plan calls for taking a charter flight out of Haines, Alaska, to establish Base Camp on the Grand Plateau Glacier somewhere near 10,000’. We will spend the next 10 days ferrying loads and moving up to Camp 1 at 12,000’, then Camp 2 at 13,000’. From C2 we will wait for acceptable weather to make our summit attempt to climb that last 2,300’.
For budgetary purposes, this trip is expected to cost approximately $2200 per person.
If you have questions, or would like to review the application package, please e-mail (Rich.McAdams@hp.com) referencing “Mt Fairweather” in the subject line. To assess your suitability, or to get answers to many of the anticipated questions, please refer to Jack Bennett’s book, Not Won In A Day, as I will use his book as our official point of reference.
