Red Peak II (North Buller Pass Peak) 

June 26, 2010 

Mountain height:                     2774 m
Total elevation gain:                approx 1250 m
Ascent time:                            3:45
Traverse time to GR210395:  0:30
Descent time:                          2:10         

Solo hike/scramble.

In February of 2009, Mark and I ascended unofficially named North Buller Pass Peak via Buller Creek. The weather conditions throughout were fairly miserable and given the potentially outstanding summit view, we vowed to return under clearer skies. 6 days later the skies were clearer and so we made another stab at it, but via the north ridge of Mount Buller. That attempt was thwarted by very deep snow.

A year and a few months later the stage was once again set: the weather forecast was perfect, snow was unlikely to be an issue, and coincidentally I had very recently received a copy of Gillean Daffern’s excellent, new edition of the Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, which contained the route description (hence the name change to “Red Peak”).  

The trip went without a hitch, but unfortunately the weather refused to cooperate. Clouds built up throughout the ascent and I arrived at the summit to almost completely overcast conditions. Given that my only motivation for repeating this ascent was to see the summit view with cloudless skies, I felt extremely short-changed and therefore engaged in some of my best whining to date (in my head of course, since I was by myself!).

I then whined all the way over to GR210395, took in another excellent, but cloudy view, and then whined all the way back to the car.

An excellent day of very productive whining!

Looking north to Big Sister and The Rimwall

On the north ridge of Buller; Red Reak is at the left and GR210395 just right of centre

The weather clears a little

Mount Bogart peaks over another mountain

The north ridge of Buller

Interesting rock on one of many outliers of Buller and good weather

Same as above

Looking back

GR210395 and the ascent slope to the col; still hope for clear skies at the summit

On the ridge

The summit ridge to the left, with little hope of the perfect weather I was looking forward to 

At the summit, looking north

The nasty ridge to the north; Red Ridge at the lower right

Bogart

Heading over to GR210395 (left)

The summit block

Looking back to Red Peak; Sparrowhawk to the left

The view to the west

Mount Buller; Eon to the left and Assiniboine to the right

A huge pinnacle in the valley

The ever-popular view of Nestor and Old Goat

LOG