Nine Peaks

Nine Peaks is one of the ACC-VI 'Island Qualifiers', due in part to its remoteness. While it has been climbed in a day the summit usually takes 3 to 4 days return trip and requires climbing up and over Big Interior Mountain on both the outgoing and return leg. Spring is an especially good season to climb Nine Peaks as a ski tour. Not only are the long distances quickly covered on skis but the final climb to the summit is much easier with a full snowpack filling the upper gully.

Getting There

Access to Nine Peaks is usually from the north from Buttle Lake Parkway via the Bedwell Trail. The mountain may also be reached from Great Central Lake either from the west out of the trialless McBride Creek valley or the east from the Della Falls trail in the Drinkwater Creek valley. 

Standard Route

Following the standard route up to Big Interior Mountain continue toward Nine Peaks by descending the southwest ridge of Big Interior to a col with Marjorie's Load. Descend off the ridge crest and traverse the east facing slope on talus or seasonal snow making a long descending line down to Bear Pass (between You Creek and Della Lake). The pass makes an ideal base camp for an ascent of Nine Peaks. 

From You Pass hike up talus or seasonal snow slopes in a left trending line to gain a shoulder overlooking Beauty Lake. From here the route ahead up the glacier can be seen. Turn westward and ascend the north edge of the glacier avoiding crevasses and other hazards aiming for the base of the most northerly of the nine summits. From the base of the 9th peak tracer under the east side of the upper pinnacles to an obvious short wide snow gully. Climb the snow to a narrow col and then to the left (south) up 4th class rock to the summit. Descend the same route.