| Adder Mountain Mountain/Rock |
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Geography
| Adder Mountain   | 
| Page Type: Mountain/Rock Location: Vancouver Island/BC, Canada, North America Lat/Lon: 49.25000°N / 125.317°W Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Skiing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall Elevation: 4944 ft / 1507 m | Page By: vancouver islander Created/Edited: May 31, 2007 / Sep 16, 2009 Object ID: 297537 Hits: 3030 Loading... Page Score: 89.3% - 20 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
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Adder Mountain |
Only one paved road crosses Vancouver Island from the heavily populated east coast to the open Pacific on the west. Year round, thousands of cars stream along Highway 4 bound for Long Beach and the ever-popular resort towns of Tofino and Uclulet. Once over Sutton Pass, however, few stop along the way or wonder where all those gravel roads might lead to or what might be beyond those steep forested hillsides. Climbers on Vancouver Island are grateful for such a dearth of curiosity because up those roads lies access to an empty, pristine and expansive alpine area that offers unparalleled hiking, climbing and especially skiing opportunities.
Directly to the south of and almost 1400 metres above Sutton Pass lies the north aspect of Adder Mountain. A benign, domed summit in summer, Adder is a different prospect in early season when a typical winter’s snow accumulation makes road access difficult, hides a wealth of hazards in the forest and results in huge cornices that threaten any significant slope with a northern aspect.
Adder Mountain can also be climbed from the east via the Nahmint Valley. However, I have never been that way and will therefore leave information on this approach to others or until I have done it myself.
Adder was not named for any reptiles that may be found there, nor for a mountaineering mathematician. The mountain is named for the Northern Adder’s Tongue fern, Ophioglossum pusillum, which is apparently prevalent on the lower slopes. I have to admit that I’ve never seen any.
Various publications refer to the mountain as “Adder Peak” or “Mt Adder”. These names are not correct. The only official name of the mountain is as given above.
Getting There
Vancouver Island can be reached by air from Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary and Edmonton 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 notoriously poor and anyone arriving by air would be advised to rent a car.
Access in this case involves steep, rough, de-built logging roads with deep water bars. A 4WD vehicle with high clearance is essential in order to reach the very top of the roads that give access to the alpine. Chains may also be required if the roads are still under snow. This can occur well into May.
From Parksville or Qualicum Beach on the Island Highway 19, take highway 4 west towards Pt Alberni and Tofino. Pass the Mt Arrowsmith access road just after Alberni Summit and proceed down into Port Alberni. Go all the way down to the bottom of the hill and turn right at the signal light following signs for Tofino. Drive west out of town, along Sproat Lake, across the Taylor River at the end of the lake and finally up Sutton Pass. Immediately after the elevation sign (175m) at the top of the pass, watch for a gravel road on your left (south). It forms a V junction with the main highway. Turn up here and engage 4WD.
Within the first few hundred metres you hit the first water bar. If it’s any consolation it’s one of the worst, clearly put there by the logging company who lease the land in order to discourage anyone from proceeding further except those with serious intent. The access roads are not all shown on the map but are quite easy to follow. In general, keep right at any junction you come to. As mentioned above, the roads are steep and rough and, in all, there are a dozen or so water bars to cross. It takes 15-20 minutes from the main highway to reach the top of the road you want. The coordinates of the top of the road are (NAD83) N 49° 16.75' W 125° 20.2'.
The road end is flat with plenty of room to turn around and pitch several tents. Water is only a few metres away down the hill if you need it.
The north aspect of Adder in early May. Skiing anyone? |
From this point on refer to the “routes” page attached.
Red TapeNone. You're on crown land leased to a logging company.
Make sure that you 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 the call-out process if it becomes necessary.
Camping  Camp at the top of the approach road
At the top of the logging road in the comfort (?) of your vehicle or anywhere else on the mountain you care to pitch your tent. Fires are strictly prohibited, so you must pack a stove. Bear and cougar frequent the mountains and forests of Vancouver Island, so proper back country methods – hanging food bags out of reach, cleaning up all cooking scraps, good toilet practice etc – are essential. Giardia is well documented throughout the Island, so boil or treat all water.
WeatherNearest points current conditions and forecast.
West
East
Additional InformationThe best map for this trip is the government 1:20 000 topographical map sheet 092 F024, “Adder Mountain”. The usual 1:50 000 sheet is inadequate for this trip. Advance copies can be ordered on-line at BC government maps on-line. Copies are usually readily available in good bookstores and outdoor stores throughout the Island.
Suggested Reading
Island Alpine – A Guide to The Mountains of Strathcona Park and Vancouver Island, Philip Stone, Wild Isle Publications, 2003, ISBN 0-9680766-5-3 and/or visit Island Alpine Climbing Guide
North face |
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Summit view west |
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