Mount Arethusa

The approach

Mount Arethusa is a deceptively difficult summit over the Highwood Pass. If you know what you're doing and can maintain a good pace, it can be a quick summit though. 

It was getting pretty late in the season so we were looking for a summit that wasn't supposed to take very long. Jenn added the requirement that our trip be exhilarating and scare her a little so Mount Arethusa seemed like a great option. 

We had a few road bumps getting on the highway so we didn't get to Highwood Pass until almost 9:30. The drive out on Highway 40 was fairly eventful with the usual amount of wildlife making an appearance on the shoulder. The trailhead for Arethusa is an obvious pull off 1.3 kilometers past the Highwood Pass parking lot and trailhead. 

Mount Arethusa

We started up the trail at a good pace. So quick that we actually passed the first geocache we were aiming for without realizing it and decided to pick it up on the way out rather than doubling back. 

The trail quickly took us to a small meadow offering us our first really good views of the mountain. Storm creek passes through this meadow and there's a small pond that was covered in a thin layer of ice that morning. We surveyed the route carefully as the beta we had indicated that if there was any snow along our intended descent route that it would be impassible and we would have to turn back. Fortunately it all looked clear so we continued on. 

Our lunch ledge

Our line took us to the right of a direct line to the base of the mountain. There was an obvious trail but we discovered an easier route through a thin patch of forest on our return. From the lower meadow the route up to the ridge was plainly visible but not obvious. We were uncertain whether to go up the slopes on the right or straight up through the cliff bands at the end of the ridge. Fortunately it became clear that straight up through the cliff bands would be the better option as we approached the toe of the talus field.

Our ascent passed through the awful scree and had us sliding back nearly as much as we could move forward. As we progressed we found bits of solid rock protruding from the scree and took full advantage of the more stable footing for an easier climb.

Farzad after gaining the ridge

The wind was howling and the temperature was brisk. We stopped for lunch about three quarters of the way up on a well protected shelf with a large overhanging wall that made a nice pocket for us to take shelter in.

The last push to the summit was pretty easy as there was more and more solid rock among the scree. Here the scramble became much more enjoyable and more of a climb at times. The ridge revealed itself in no time and the slope became much more manageable.

Portions of the ridge were very thin and with a howling wind it was easy to feel a slight sense of vertigo but crossing the ridge was little more than walking until we reached the crux. The photos we had seen of the crux did a poor job of illustrating just what it was going to be like. It was intimidating but not overly difficult.

Farzad descending the crux

The crux is little more than a chimney you have to down-climb. The only tricky part is in how steep it is and how exposed the base is. A fall down the chimney would likely lead to a fall over another large cliff below the it. Fortunately the holds are huge and the route has been cleaned well. A distinct contrast to the rest of the mountain that is largely just loose rocks wedged between other loose rocks. The holds in the chimney were solid and I tested each carefully.

Sitting on the ridge

After the crux the route drops a few meters below the ridge proper. Here the ridge is narrow and exposed. Traversing the top would be dangerous. Instead the route picks its way through some narrow ledges with moderate exposure. Falls here would be painful but probably not fatal.

Before long the ridge widens and becomes a very easy walk while teasing you with a false summit. While it was disappointing to have further to go it was a relief that the true summit was only minutes away. Here though the route crosses some narrow sloping ledges covered in loose rock with severe exposure. If a fall here wasn't fatal you would certainly be wishing it had been.

On the summit

The summit was tiny with little more than enough room for us to crowd around the summit cairn and take a group photo. We had taken longer than we had planned to reach the summit and were in a hurry to get down. Our ascent time had nearly reached the planned time allotted for the entire hike.

The descent gully

From the summit we doubled back a couple meters and began working our way straight down through some ledges until we found a good route to the planned descent gully. The gully is on a ridge that separates Ptarmagin Cirque from Arethusa Cirque. From below it appears as though there are many gullies but from above it's clear that only the first is an option as the notch it creates would be impassible without climbing.

The last drop into the gully is down a steep slab. The best way down is the less than graceful butt-scoot or a crab-walk. It's not pretty but it's the best option. The top of the gully is full of loose large rocks. In hindsight I think we should have stayed together a very tight group never more than an arm's length from one another but we opted to descent independently which required us to do our descent in stages, one at a time.

A rock ptarmigan

Rock fall is a severe hazard in the gully. We were constantly dislodging large football and basketball sized rocks along with innumerable baseball sized stones. Each would tumble the entire length of the gully bouncing unpredictably off the walls.

As we progressed we found corners and ledges we could take refuge on while allowing us to regroup. We dubbed the last long and smooth section the death trap and I opted to head down first. Despite the smooth walls and the strain of pressing against the walls for traction it was relatively smooth going. That is until I reached a huge boulder lodged in the middle.

Storm Creek

I knew immediately that this was the crux of the descent. I searched for a way over the boulder and found that I could use the crack it had formed as an undercling hold. I carefully climbed down the 15 or 20 feet down and resumed my descent but now full of worry as to how my companions were going fare.

Fortunately they both managed to make it down with only a small slip each. Farzad banged up his knee but was still able to walk out with a slight limp. Once out of the gully we made our way over the talus and made our way back to the car.

It wasn't an epic day but it took us longer than it should have. The summit of Mount Arethusa isn't anything spectacular and is lower than a lot of the surrounding peaks but the climb is a lot of fun and makes the trip worth the effort.