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Elevation: 10,485 ft
GPS: 51.73467, -117.91557
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 5,692 total · 157/month
Shared By: Robert Hall on Mar 25, 2021 · Updates
Admins: Robert Hall, Mark Roberts, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra, Kate Lynn, Braden Batsford

Description Suggest change

This area covers the peaks and routes that form the huge cirque of the Granite Glacier that drains into Swan Creek.  Most routes would normally be climbed from a base camp at the ACC's Fairy Meadow ("William Putnam") cabin, up to Friendship Col. 

The routes will be organized ROUGHLY in a clockwise ( L > R) direction as “ viewed” by someone standing at the Fairy Meadow Cabin looking towards Friendship Col, starting with the Northwest ridge of Outpost at about 10 o’ clock. However, because there are several ridges and glaciers involved, this organization may not always be precise and is subject to interpretation. 

Generally, the climbs are more mountaineering in nature (glacial, easier rock) than on the southern side.

The COMMENTS in the original Adamants AREA have either been deleted ( obsolete) or moved to this area since they mostly referred to the approach from the logging road on the west side of the Columbia River.

One user commented on the ratings of the “ old school” routes out  of Fairy Meadow, mostly the routes from the late 40’s to the early 60’s. Three things about these ratings: 1) the FA-ers of the day were most generous in naming the routes, so while you may think they started at the very bottom of “ZZZ‘s North Ridge” it is entirely possible they climbed up a snow gully ( now a super choss-pile due to glacial / snow recession) and did the last 500 ft of the ridge. In short, the FA-ers may have just climbed around that hard move you're staring at!  2) Remember, class 4 and 3 are techniques, not levels of difficulty. I encountered this on one of the traverses (not sure which, maybe Outpost to Quadrant) where we were happily scrambling class 3, and my partner (a European-experienced Alpinist) scrambled up a chimney-crack and I just stopped, asked for a rope, then climbed up the 25-30 ft of 5.6 - 5.7 ! I think the route was rated Class 4 in the then-current guidebook. and finally 3) There's "old school" and "ancient school", many of these mountaineering FA's were put in by Easterners LONG before the Yosemite Decimal system made its way to the East Coast.

About the Cabin- This cabin was constructed in the mid-1960’s, largely ( if not entirely) paid for by Bill Putnam. I was there in 1967 and our party of 10 pretty much filled it up. Later ( mid 1970’s) the cabin was expanded ( again, at least mostly at the personal expense of Putnam.) It could now comfortably accommodate 25+. Today it is used both summer for climbing, and winter for skiing. Bill passed away a few years ago and I believe the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) renamed the cabin for him, I'm not sure. There is a bit of irony in that, since due to a "squabble" with the ACC (actually I believe it was Parks Canada who had the "beef") I don't believe he ever set foot in Fairy Meadow again after 1977. On my 1977 trip into Fairy Meadow he and his party were flying out while our party was flying in using the same ‘copter, and certainly when we arrived at the cabin ALL of his personal stuff had been removed.

Getting There Suggest change

In the earliest days (late 1940’s- early 1960’s) of exploration of the Fairy Meadow area you would drive on the Big Bend Highway ( until the Trans-Canada highway pushed through Rogers Pass in the mid-60’s ALL non-railroad land traffic between Golden and Revelstoke took this 280 ( mile or kilometer?) DIRT road With single-lane bridges! ) to a point below the confluence with the Bush River, then paddle across the fast-flowing Columbia River to where Swan Creek entered. From there you thrashed up Swan Creek, usually 2 days thrashing, to where you finally broke up left to Fairy Meadow.  It’s about 5 miles from the Columbia to Fairy Meadow......5 miles...2 days!  Of course, starting in the late 1960’s , for an appropriate number of $$$’s you could have a helicopter pick you up for the 20 min flight from Bush River to Fairy Meadow.

The classical approach to Fairy Meadow changed in the 1970’s when a logging road was put in on the west side of the Columbia river, which gave access to Swan Creek.  However, this road is not well maintained and its condition is unknown and varies with the amount of logging going on.  ( The Alpine Club of Canada in Canmore, BC might know The current status. If you're planning to use the hut, you'll need to contact them well ahead of time anyway.) The Devil's club in the Swan creek valley is pretty ferocious.

The Alpine Club of Canada held General Mountaineering Camps in Fairy Meadow in 1982 and 2000 (? +/- yr?) and they established a trail from a staging area just off the logging road up the south (climber's left) side of Swan Creek. With this trail cut and flagged, and carrying light "day" packs it took about 4-6 hrs to hike up. (ACC helicoptered all food, tents, ropes and 35 lbs per person personal gear, so you had only your day pack.) The condition of this trail is not known, probably overgrown.  For an extra $35 they would fly you in (or out) from the staging area.  Even with a trail, my recollection is that more people flew OUT than flew in. Kind of gives you an idea of the "trail".  

Most parties elect to helicopter in. From Golden, BC this can be many $$$'s! If you have a larger party it may make sense to drive to Bush Harbor (once the tiny hamlet of "Bush River") via the old big bend highway and shuttle in from there.  Your helicopter company can advise what would be the least expensive way. North of Bush Harbor ( the Columbia is flowing northerly here) the old Big Bend Highway is flooded by the huge Mica Dam.

19 Total Climbs

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