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Mount Columbia (3,747m) Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Mount Columbia (3,747m)

	Athabasca Glacier to East Face Mod. Snow
	Bush River to East Face T Mod. Snow
	North Face/North ridge T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b WI3 Steep Snow

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Elevation:	12,294 ft	3,747 m
GPS:	52.1516, -117.3889 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	9,350 total · 56/month
Shared By:	Ken Trout on Dec 29, 2010
Admins:	Mark Roberts, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra, Kate Lynn, Braden Batsford Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

The second highest peak of the Canadian Rockies and highpoint of the Colombia Icefield. Named after the river in 1900 by the first climber to attempt the Bush River approach, Norman Collie.

The standard route is the East Face, usually approached from Alberta by skiing up the Athabasca Glacier.

The lesser known British Colombia route to the East Face trades a long hike & the falling ice hazard of the Athabasca for a rough drive, brush fighting, bear whispering, talus stumbling, a choice of cols, and an unpredictable crevasse ridden glacier to reach the flat spot on the icefield below Colombia's East Face.

The tremendous North Face/North Ridge can also be better approached from the end of the Bush River road. Starting from the true base of the North Face is more pure, But the tainting is trivial because the traverse is exposed alpinism.

Getting There

From Golden, drive almost to Donald and turn off on the Big Bend Highway which merges further north with the Bush River logging road. 125 kilometers of mostly good dirt roads, often used by logging trucks too. Snowmachines can be used too. After narrow passage along the Bush Arm of Kinbasket Lake, there is a campsite at Valenciennes Creek, about 100 km. Just up the road, across the river is a logging camp. The crux of the road is the last set of switchbacks up to the end of the road shown on the map, rough. Two cars is always good for long remote approaches. Have a good porcupine kit too.