Harmston, Argus and the Red Pillar

I have been trying to get into the Red Pillar for a while now. It is a pretty fantastic spot and you get the added bonus of a canoe ride on the approach. Aaron and I had a mini-epic a couple of autumns ago on an attempt. It poured rain the entire time. We were soaked to the bone half-way through the canoe ride, before we even started hiking. By the time we made alpine the rain had turned to sleet, then snow. As darkness was appraoching, we finally made alpine and set the tent at the edge of a pond, dove into the tent, and tried to warm our semi-hypothermic bodies (it was bordering on a serious situation). When we awoke the next day the pond we had pitched the tent next to was now under the tent. We headed down, and found that the lake had risen a foot or two, and our canoe was floating in water at the shore. Aaron summed up the trip pretty well-"if we hadn't had such a fun time it would have been the worst trip of my life". Of course a trip with Aaron involves as much of a work out with my laughing muscles as my legs...

Wanting to get back into the area (with some better weather) I decided to post a trip on the club schedule, and try to take in Harmston as well (an official "qualifier" peak for the ACC). My "full" trip slowly whittled away, and on the day of it was just Tim and me on our way up the Ash River.

First of all, you get to canoe a few km's down Oshinow (or Deep) Lake. We stashed the canoe, and made our way up the Ash River. Nice valley.



Then the elevation gain begins. We slogged our way and made camp on the ridge below the Red Pillar. As we got into the sub-alpine, the bushes were wet from a recent shower, and it didn't take long to get absolutely soaked. At a snack break we decided to put on the rain gear, and no sooner than we did, it started to shower properly. I was worried that we might have a repeat performance from my first trip in here.



We pitched the tent in the rain, and dove in for cover. By evening it had cleared up a bit and we could get a bit of a view of the area.

Looking back down to Deep Lake from where we launched the canoe.


The Red Pillar


Looking over to Septimus-Rosseau


Shepherd Ridge


We were up early the next day to overcast but acceptable weather. We were off to have a go at Mount Harmston, and Argus Mountain if we had time. We traversed around the base of the Red Pillar, and got fairly close to a route up the west side, and decided to see if we could add it to the hit list for the day.

Mount Harmston, with the route up the right


Argus Mountain, route on left

From the shoulder of the Red Pillar we dropped down onto the Cliffe Glacier, and traversed over into the main part of the glacier below Mount Harmston. It felt a bit more like the Rockies or the Coast Mountains. Yup, there are big glaciers on the Island.


Looking across the upper Cliffe Glacier


From the end of the glacier we scrambled (slogged?) up Harmston. It is the easiest of the Island Qualifiers. The clouds descended on the summit as we arrived

On the south-east ridge of Mount Harmston. Argus on left, which we appraoched via the upper glacier in the middle of the photo. Red Pillar in behind, and we had just come over from the upper glacier on the right side of the mountain.


Looking over to the "back" side of the Comox Glacier and Milla Lake


Climbing the glacier approach on Argus


Red Pillar

South-west ridge of Argus


On Argus

From Argus, we made our way back down to the Cliffe Glacier. The clouds had come down over the Red Pillar, but we figured we had time to climb it as we passed by. From the top of the glacier we worked our way up onto some rock. After a few false starts trying to work up some gullies, we found a route through that was challenging, but passable. Three peaks in one day! We carefully made our way down (which oddly enough seemed easier than going up) and made our way back to camp just as the sun was setting.

We slept in on morning three, and packed up and made our way back down to the canoe. What a great way to finish a trip!