Have you been climbing for awhile and feel ready for the next step up? Maybe you have a long time ambition to climb a peak or a route but can't find the right partner. Robson, Alberta, South Howser Tower, I have climbed these peaks and other big classics multiple times and can help you acheive your goals. Pick a route and let's get on it!

Mt Robson (3954 m/12,969 ft), Kain Route - Rockies

In 1913 Konrad Kain chopped 1000 steps up this peak, making a major step foward in North American climbing standards. These days crampons and modern ice tools mean the ascent goes faster, but it is still a difficult route and certainly an ice climbing testpiece. There are a variety of ways to approach this peak but I recommend a helicopter flight to the Robson Glacier, from where we climb up to Camp 1 below Mt Resplendent. The next day we climb to our high camp on The Dome. The third day is summit day, expect a very long climb and descent, 12-16 hours. Depending on conditions we can move together for a good part of the route with short sections of belayed ice climbing, or it can be mostly ice where we have to do many pitches. Day 4 we descend from The Dome to our heli pick up. A fifth day is reserved for bad weather or an ascent of Mt Resplendent.

Difficulty: Heavy packs to get to high camp. Glacier travel with large crevasses and a serious icefall with objective hazard. About 900m/3000 ft of 45-50 degree snow and ice climbing, with descent by the same route. Maximum guide:guest ratio 1:2.
Trip length: 5 days. Shorter and longer options available. >>Contact me for more details.
Season: August is best, late July to early September possible.
Prices start at:
1 person - C$2755
2 people - C$1655 per person
Price includes guiding fee, food, group camping and climbing equipment. Price does not include 5% GST tax. Price does not include helicopter fees. Helicopter costs can vary, but expect a minimum cost of $1000 per trip. >>Contact me for more details.

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Mt Alberta (3619m/11,870 ft), Japanese Route - Rockies

Mt Alberta was the last high peak to be climbed in the Rockies, in 1925. A technique employed on that ascent involved a 3-man stand, with 3 climbers standing on each other's shoulders to overcome a difficult bit. We'll try to avoid that manoeuver! Although "only" about 5.6, the climbing remains challenging. There is a lot of climbing on easy (4th class) but poor quality rock to get to the fifth class climbing, where the rock quality improves a lot. About 10 pitches up that leads to the long and exposed summit ridge, which may be rock or snow covered. We descend the same way. I do this trip in 5 days: a day to the >>Lloyd McKay Hut, another day to the bivy, and a day for the climb itself. A fourth day is reserved for bad weather or another climb in the vicinity such as Mt Wooley. The last day we walk back to the road.

Difficulty: A total of 3 days walking with overnight packs. A long, hard summit day of 14-17 hours. Climbing on easy but very loose rock. Multi-pitch climbing up to 5.6 on better rock with mountain boots on and a daypack. A long, narrow summit ridge. Multiple rappels and downclimbing on descent. Maximum guide:guest ratio 1:1.
Trip length: 5 days (includes a bad weather day)
Season: Late July - early August
Prices start at: C$2665 (one person only)
Price includes guiding fee, food, hut and park fees, group camping and climbing equipment. Price does not include 5% GST tax.

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Mt Bryce (3507 m/11,503 ft) - Rockies

Mt Bryce is one of the great peaks of the Rockies, rising high above the Bush River on the west side of the range. When I first climbed it in 1988 we had to walk 2 days to get to the start of the route. These days we can drive in from the west on logging roads and shorten the approach to one day. There are two good routes on the mountain.

Mt Bryce, NE Ridge
A classic climb, the best mixed ridge in the Rockies. We climb over all 3 peaks of the mountain. From the end of the road we walk to the bivy at the end of the ridge. The next day we climb the narrow ridge, which is rock to begin with and has a 5.6 step in it. After the first peak the ridge narrows and becomes more snowy over the middle peak and up to the main peak. After descending a short way we make another bivouac on the glacier below the summit, at the top of a couloir on the South Face. We may descend that route or return down the ridge that we climbed up.

Difficulty: A full day approach with an overnight pack. A long summit day on a narrow mixed ridge, up to 5.6, carrying an overnight pack. Descent is back down the ridge or via the South Face, which is a long snow and ice couloir up to 35 degrees, a broken g lacier and a long walk down rocky and at times bushy slopes. Maximum guide:guest ratio 1:1.
Trip length: 4 days
Season: July and August.
Prices start at:
1 person - C$2020
2 people - C$1980 per person (2 guides)
Price includes guiding fee, food, group camping and climbing equipment. Price does not include 5% GST tax.

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Mt Bryce, South Face
An elegant, direct line to the summit. We start by walking up a steep avalanche path to get to a bivy at the base of the glacier. An early start the next morning takes us up the steep, broken glacier to the upper couloir, which is about 35 degress in steepness. This brings us to a col below the final climb, either up a 45 degree snow/ice face or up to the final part of the NE ridge route, depending on conditions. Descent is by downclimbing the same route back to the bivy and then down to the road.

Difficulty: A full day approach up steep ground with no trail, with an overnight pack. A long summit day up a glacier and moderately steep ice and snow. Potentially some easy mixed climbing near the top. Descent by downclimbing the same route. Expect a 12-14 hour day on the summit day. Maximum guide:guest ratio 1:1.
Trip length: 3 days
Season: July is best.
Prices start at:
1 person - C$1585
2 people - C$1550 per person (2 guides)
Price includes guiding fee, food, group camping and climbing equipment. Price does not include 5% GST tax.

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Mt Temple (3543 m/11,621 ft), East Ridge - Rockies

One of the classic ridges in the Rockies, with only about a 30 minute approach! This route starts as a rock climb on good, solid quartzite. It's mostly 4th class but has a couple of pitches of up to 5.7 climbing. Then it turns into a mixed climb, snow and rock, in the middle section. Finally it ends on an elegant ice arete, which leads directly to the summit. A beautiful and imposing mountain, outstanding climbing, a classic line! Descent is easy, down the SW slopes. This route is big, a good 1500 m/5000 ft long.

Difficulty: A long day with a variety of climbing encountered. Up to 5.7 rock in mountain boots. Expect 12-16 hours round trip. Maximum guide:guest ratio 1:1.
Trip length: 1 day
Season: Mid-July to early September
Prices start at:
1 person: C$600
2 people: C$550 per person (2 guides)
Maximum 2 guests per trip. Price includes guiding fee, transport, group climbing gear. Price does not include 5% GST tax.

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S Howser Tower (3364m/11,033 ft), Beckey/Chouinard - Bugaboos

Oh, this is the line. Simply the best rock climb I have done, ever. Baffin, Cirque of the Unclimbables, Chamonix, none of those areas has a route like this. Reasonably easy access, a remote feel, sound rock quality and stellar, stellar climbing. How does miles of 5.8 climbing in hand and finger cracks on knobby granite sound? Throw in two short bits of 5.9 to spice it up and you have a classic. I do this trip in 5 days: 1.5 days to approach, a day on the route, a day in case of bad weather (or to climb another route), and a day back to the road.

Difficulty: 1.5 days with overnight packs to approach (heli access option: >>contact me for details). Lots of moderate climbing to 5.8. Two short sections of 5.9. Up to 20 pitches of climbing. Seven rappels and downclimbing on snow in descent. Expect 12-16 hours on summit day. Maximum guide:guest ratio 1:1.
Trip length: 5 days.
Season: August
Price: C$2765
Price includes guiding fee, food, hut fees, group climbing and camping gear. Price does not include 5% GST tax. Ask about a shorter trip option with helicopter access.

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