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British Columbia is a province covered in huge tracks of rugged mountain wilderness. From the vast coast range to the drier interior ranges such as the Selkirks and Bugaboos, BC is literally made up of alpine playgrounds. It would not be possible to adequetly detail all the alpine possibilities of BC on this site - even the many guidebooks available for the various ranges cover only part of what is really out there. This page is mostly intended to provide some basic information as well as some of my opinions and perhaps point in the right directions for those seeking more detailed information. I've included some opinions and beta on some of the routes that I've done however.
Coast Mountains
The Coast Range is enormous, stretching the entire length of the province from the Vancouver to the Yukon, from the Pacific Ocean to the interior plateau 200 km inland. The range is characterized by sweeping granite peaks and glacially carved valleys. And bush, lots of bush. But for those willing to brave the sometimes arduous coastal bushbashing on the approach, there are fantastic rewards. From long easy scrambles to difficult alpine rock climbs, snow slogs, steep icy couloirs, or all of the above, there is something to suit almost anyone in the coast range.
With such a huge region to cover, there are a number of guidebooks to the coast range. The most comprehensive for the southern areas is Bruce Fairley's Hiking and Climbing in Southwestern British Columbia (1985). It is a bit out of date but contains a huge amount of information, albeit often vague and occasionally incorrect. The just out Alpine Select (2001) guide by Kevin McLane of Elaho Publishing is an excellent resource to some of the best alpine climbs within range of Vancouver. This guide also includes very detailed and much welcome access information for the areas covered, and has numerous quality aerial photos of the peaks. Dick Culbert's 1975 guidebook is long out of print, but still of interest for historical reasons. As a final addition, the recently published The Waddington Guide by Don Serl and Elaho is the only guide for this remote and adventurous region of the BC coast.
In addition to printed guidebooks, there are a number of useful internet sites. For years, bivuoac.com was one of the primary resources for any coast range climber, containing a vast amount of information, including new routes, updated snow and access conditions and trip reports. Since becoming a pay site however, its use seems to have declined. Washington based cascadeclimbers.com is a good source of condition and trip reports as well as general internet spray and posing. Finally, westcoastice.com and the Canadian Avalanche Asssociation are are crucial resources to check up on ice and avalanche conditions.
North Cascades
While most of the range is south of the border, the northernmost peaks of the Cascade Range are in British Columbia, just south of Chilliwack. This area includes some excellent alpine granite including Mt Rexford and the Nesakwatch spires, as well as Mt Slesse and its classic NE Buttress route. The most popular routes are in the Alpine Select guide (McLane), while more complete coverage is given in Fred Beckeys Cascade guides.
Interior Ranges
The mountains of the interior of BC tend to be drier and taller than those on the coast. The ranges are mostly smaller and more distinct, a mix of limestone, quartzite and the predominant granitic rock. The lower mountains of the western interior are aften similar to the coast, and offer mostly alpine rock climbs. Further east towards the Rockies, the mountains become higher and more glaciated.
Selkirks
The Selkirks are a large range in eastern BC just west of the Rockies. I haven't actually climbed there but I've driven through lots and supposedly it is really good. A recently published guidebook in two volumes by Dave Jones, the The Selkirks Alpine Guide South (2001) and North (2004) is the primary resource for the area. Both are published by Elaho.
Bugaboos
The Bugaboos are a small group of tall granite spires rising up from the glaciers just west of the Rockies in eastern BC. Impeccable rock, countless fine cracks, easy access, and an fantastic position make the Bugs one of the premier alpine climbing areas in North America. Historically, the Bugaboos have played an important role in Canadian mountaineering history, with legendary ascents by pioneers such as Conrad Kain dating back nearly a century. The area is a provincial park although it is primarily maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada. The recently published guidebook by Elaho is a significant improvement over the old guide published by the Mountaineers (or it's recent revised edition).
