South Face of Mt. Wilson
Posted on November 8, 2010 by Scott in mountaineering
The South Face route climbs the left (west) edge of a wall of white quartzite high on Mt. Wilson above the Saskatchewan River Crossing. This wall is very prominent when driving north on Highway 93 N (the Icefields Parkway). The South Face is a good moderate climb; in fact the rock and positions on the final tower are exceptional. The approach is a bit long, but if you go to enjoy the views and are not too concerned about the number of pitches climbed, you will have a good time.
First ascent: F. Beckey and G. Thompson; August 1967.
Time: 9-12 hours round trip.
Elevation gain: ???m from the car, 150 m on the route. The summit is at 3,260m.
Gear: Take a rack of nuts and cams up to 2”.
Season: Due to its southern exposure the route enjoys a long season and is usually climbable from May to October.
TRAILHEAD
FROM Canmore, drive north on the Trans-Canada Highway, exiting north onto Highway 93 (the Icefields Parkway) just past Lake Louise. Continue on Highway 93 north until Saskatchewan River Crossing (158km from Canmore). At the Crossing, turn east onto Highway 11 (David Thompson Highway). Park where an old gravel road branches from Highway 11, 3km east of Highway 93.
APPROACH
Walk up the gravel road. Take the right-hand fork in the road, which leads in a few minutes of walking to an old gravel pit. Try to locate the start of a trail on the upper (north) end of the pit. The trail makes things easier, but should you miss it the forest is open and the walking is easy. Walk toward the mountain, keeping the large stream draining the gully left (west) of the route on your left. Above treeline continue scrambling up broken rock bands interspersed with grass and scree. While it is possible to walk up the gully all the way up to the base of the final tower, it is more enjoyable to scramble the low-angled ridge to its right (east). 3-4 hours.
© Raphael Slawinski
ROUTE
Starting right on the prow, climb the tower in 3 long or 4 short pitches following corners and cracks on good quartzite. 2-3 hours.
DESCENT
Descend the shallow gully immediately north of the route with a couple of single-rope rappels. From the base of the final tower, rather than reverse the ascent route, continue down the ridge to a col and drop down the large gully you have been paralleling on the way up. 3-4 hours.
