Date: August 26, 2023
Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Total Trip Distance: 5.74 mi / 9.23 km Total Elevation Gain: 3,312 ft / 1,009 m
Trip Duration: 4 hours 24 min
Team: With Alex Catalfamo
Field Notes: Maybe the most accessible scramble in the Fernie area as 99% of this trip is on trail. Although the scrambling is only a short section before reaching the true summit, do not be fooled - it's a solid 40 feet / 12 meters of no-fall class 4 scrambling. A fall here would be catastrophic and the climbing at times is vertical. You could argue the crux is easy class 5. There was still a small stream running at 5,800 feet / 1,767 meters in late August on a low snow year.
Rating: Class 4
Approach
The Ghostrider Mountain scramble is one of the most popular in the Fernie area. With that being said, when most people think of going up Ghostrider, it is typically via the hike that stops at the false summit. The true summit is about 30 meters higher and is a class 4 / class 5 scramble depending on who you ask. The trail is accessed via Hartley Lake Road that is a bit rough for our low clearance 2wd car, but is totally manageable if you go slow. Being that we've been down this road two times before to do Mount Hosmer and Three Sisters we were at the trailhead in no time. We were surprised to see the small lot almost full!
The trail up to Ghostrider is extremely efficient and we found ourselves at the false summit in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Once you break treeline the scenery becomes beautiful with expansive views of Mount Proctor, Three Sisters, Mount Bisaro, and more. As we reached the final ridge connecting to the false summit, you get an amazing view of Mount Hosmer (which is an awesome scramble).
Ghostrider Scramble
Once at the false summit we eyed up our objective. Not going to lie, I was a bit taken back. There was a near vertical crack and exposed climbing that led up for about 12 meters. The two other people at the false summit eyed us as we put on helmets - "you guys are going up that?" At this point I was in the mindset to just go look at it first and make a decision. We climbed up and around a few short but exposed pinnacles before reaching the base of the crack.
As we looked up at the crux I said "holy shit." This was way steeper than I was expecting. Not only steep, it was quite a long section. My heart was pounding. I figured I would work up the first 4 meters and see how I felt. From what I saw, I felt confident in the holds that I could spot from ground level and if there was any issue I could down climb. I took a minute or two visualizing the route and moves.
For the sake of this post, let's call this class 4. I think it's really easy to say "it's only class 4." But with that said, there is almost no difference between class 4 and easy class 5. The difference is typically subjective and in the mind. Here's the catch - if you fall on class 4 you're either dead or really badly fucked up. I fell from about 6 meters and shattered my heel bone that took 7 years of obsession and dedication to get to the point where I can even write trip reports again. So don't make mental mistakes. I called down to Alex - "you absolutely can not fall on this." That was more of a note to myself than anything. As I climbed above the crux I worked my way right (barely) to a narrow ledge. From there, I waited for Alex to come up. I was super impressed. He was climbing really well. He looked strong and confident. I think climbing Mount Tekarra solo in icy / snowy conditions gave his mountain confidence a bump. As he reached the ledge I climbed up to the summit. Shortly thereafter, Alex arrived.
We gave a high-five and took in the views. Honestly, I couldn't enjoy it! I was absolutely nervous about the down climb. Like I said, the steepness and length caught me way off guard. I realized my mind was on a mission to produce fear, so I took control of my breath and quickly visualized successfully down climbing the route. I looked at Alex and said "let's get out of here." He was 100% on the same page and started the down climb first.
As mentioned earlier, Alex was looking great today and was at the bottom in no time - "Safe!" Now it was my turn. With heart pounding, I locked into the moment. I down climbed the rock leading to the ledge, worked my way left, and made a move to place my left leg on the opposite side of the crack. From there, I worked my way down to the base. Alex and I both breathed a sigh of relief. Now the endorphins surged.
From there we climbed back across the pinnacles and sat on the false summit where we could truly enjoy a well-deserved break and food. If one does go up this route, there is a rappel ring right off the summit to avoid the exposed down climb.
We enjoyed our lunch, the clear air, and the company of two other hikers on the summit.
Happy days...
Comments