| Mt Arrowsmith Mountain/Rock |
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Geography
| Mt Arrowsmith   | 
| Page Type: Mountain/Rock Location: Vancouver Island/BC, Canada, North America Lat/Lon: 49.22400°N / 124.594°W Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Ice Climbing, Scrambling, Skiing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter Elevation: 5961 ft / 1817 m | Page By: vancouver islander Created/Edited: Apr 20, 2006 / Apr 10, 2008 Object ID: 189455 Hits: 1827 Loading... Page Score: 89.95% - 23 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview
The Arrowsmith massif east aspect from Highway 19 |
With the possible exception of The Golden Hinde, Mt Arrowsmith is likely the best known mountain on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. This is hardly surprising given the fact that it presents an eye-catching spectacle from the main Island thoroughfare, Highway 19, all the way from Nanoose Bay to Qualicum when driving north or from as far away as Courtenay when heading south.
Arrowsmith is situated just east of the head of the Alberni Inlet between the Englishman and Cameron River watersheds in a region where the distance from tidewater on the Pacific to that on the Strait of Georgia at Parksville is a mere 40km. Unsurprisingly the mountain makes its own weather and, in winter in particular, enjoys a reputation for “Scottish” conditions. Although not as high as some of the Island mountains to the north, “Arrysmith” has been and continues to be venerated by generations of Island climbers as a training ground, for its abundance of sporting bluffs and gullies and for its history. Just about every route on the mountain can be undertaken as a day trip from cars.
 Wildflowers on Arrowsmith
The formal status of the Arrowsmith massif and the surrounding area has always been ambiguous. The availability of valuable timber has meant that successive governments have leased rights to a number of companies, not all of who have been overly concerned with protecting either the locale or recreational access to it. Several commercial ski operations have been attempted on Mt Cokely but all have been short lived. For the recreationist, of course, all this has had the happy consequence of improved access and for many years climbers, hikers, skiers, botanists etc enjoyed convenient access to what had become a de facto park. Although designated a UN Biosphere Reserve in 2000 the region still had no formal protection from commercial exploitation. This has continued to the present and recently has resulted in road closures and even the threat to log one of the most popular routes on the mountain, the Judges Route.
In order to obviate this and all future threat, the Vancouver Island section of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), as part of its centennial project, and the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC made it their goal to obtain official park status for the Arrowsmith massif in 2006. At the present time (May, 2007) these efforts have been largely succesful and it remains only to formalise the administration of the new park.
Getting There  North section of the "Bumps"  Summit view NE to the "Bumps"  Summit view S to the south summit
Vancouver Island can be reached by air from Vancouver to Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox or Campbell River and by ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria on The Coho and on BC Ferries from Vancouver to Victoria or Nanaimo. Public transport on the Island is relatively poor and anyone arriving by air would be advised to rent a car. Access in this case requires the use of gravel logging roads. Whilst these are often negotiable in a normal 2WD sedan, some sections are rough and in winter, of course, all bets are off. If you have access to a high-slung 4WD, bring it along.
From the Island Highway 19 near Qualicum or Parksville, take Highway 4 west towards Port Alberni. Drive along the south shore of Cameron Lake, through Cathedral Grove Provincial Park and over the low pass, Alberni Summit. Just west (~1 km) of Alberni Summit watch for a left turn on to gravel. Set your trip meter to 0 here. You are now on Summit Main. Drive down Summit to its junction with Cameron Main and turn left. Go along Cameron for several kilometers noting where it crosses the Cameron River. Approximately 1km after crossing the second bridge, you will reach a junction. Cameron Main goes straight on. You want to bear left and uphill on Pass Main. The road ascends quite steeply and is narrower and a bit rougher than the valley main line.
Once on Pass Main count the logging road spurs leading back against the mountain on the right. At km 12.8 you pass the third spur. This gives access to the Lost Gully and Un-Judges routes. At km 13.3 on your trip meter, park at the pullout on the opposite side of the road and slightly uphill from the fourth spur. This one gives access to the Judges Route. Proceeding uphill on Pass Main, at km 15.9 you reach the top of the last of a series of switchbacks. From this point the Main Snow Gully and West Ridge routes go down into a draw then up through the forest. Beyond the switchbacks is a straightaway that leads to a hairpin bend protected by concrete crash barriers at km 17.8. Park here for access to the Arrowsmith/Cokely Saddle and the Bumps/Nose route.
The "Bumps" from the Arrowsmith/Cokely saddle |
Overview of Summit RoutesNormal summer routes
Lost Gully Route. Class 4. AI2 in winter conditions.
Un-Judges Route. Class 4 to the south summit. Then Class 3-4 traverse to the main summit.
Judges Route. Class 3. The easiest summit route.
Main Snow Gully Route. Class 4. AI1-2 in winter conditions.
West Ridge. AI2.
The Saddle/Bumps/Nose Route. Class 4.
Winter routes
Newman-Foweraker Route; 150m, AI3.
Refer to the Island Alpine guidebook – see “Suggested Reading” below.
Ice ClimbingWhen conditions are suitable, several areas on the Arrowsmith/Cokely massif set up excellent ice routes. SP member Stickit has recently set up a separate page, Arrowsmith Ice, on which he has added several routes.
Summit routes of all kind will continue to be reported on this page. If you don’t find your route here, please check Stickit’s page for sport routes in the area.
Red TapeAt the time of writing, you are outside any park and there are no fees to pay. Given the successful negotiations regarding protection of the massif inside a new park, this may change quite soon.
Since you are on your own, essentially outside of any formal jurisdiction, it would be prudent to have left a detailed trip plan with someone responsible. The RCMP and the appropriate SAR agency will respond in an emergency but it is up to you to have the mechanism in place that will initiate call out.
CampingThere is no restriction on camping that I am aware of. I have seen tents on the Arrowsmith/Cokely Saddle and below it by Emerald Lake. The only limitation would be availability of water. Giardia is well documented, so boil or treat all water. Pack a small stove for cooking and don’t light campfires.
External LinksAdditional Information/Suggested Reading
Since Arrowsmith is such an historically important mountain, first time visitors will get the most out of their experience by fully immersing themselves in all the mountain’s lore beforehand. In this regard I highly recommend Beyond Nootka – A Historical Perspective of Vancouver Island Mountains, Lindsay Elms, Misthorn Press, 1996, ISBN 0-919537-29-4
For more route information and even more routes refer to Island Alpine – A Guide to The Mountains of Strathcona Park and Vancouver Island, Philip Stone, Wild Isle Publications, 2003, ISBN 0-9680766-5-3
For precise directions get hold of a copy of Backroad Mapbook. Volume III: Vancouver Island
For more information on the ongoing efforts to achieve official park status for the Arrowsmith massif visit The Mount Arrowsmith website
Vancouver Island Avalanche Conditions Images
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