All packed up with ice axes and crampons for today’s climb of Rainbow Peak (2314m), we left the flat at 6:30 am in order to catch the start of the Subaru Iron Man (Whistler – Canada) race starting at Alta Lake. The lake was freezing cold, but with blue skies overhead we arrived to the incredible site of some 3,000 competitors already in the water and stretching across portion of the lake ready to begin their swim…
Subaru Iron Man Whistler
Subaru Iron Man Whistler – Alta Lake Swim Start
Subaru Iron Man Whistler – Alta Lake swim with blue skies
Shortly after the race was underway so were we. Starting from the Whistler Crematory on Alta Lake Rd, we joined the trail up to Rainbow lake before leaving the beaten track and finding out own way to the summit of Rainbow peak.
Rainbow Peak – Route Map (in red after the marked path)
The route starts off on a fairly gentle climb through the forest, winding and ascending it’s way up over handmade bridges past waterfalls and rickety old boarding over swamps. The walk from the road to the lake to about 2 hours at a decent pace and we got a good glimpse of where we were heading in the far off distance, before arriving at Rainbow Lake:
Rainbow in the distance
Arriving at Rainbow Lake on a perfectly flat morning
Perfect place for a second round of breakfast at the far end:
Rainbow Lake – from the far end
After breakfast number 2, we followed the stream until the path disappear and we were faced with the real start of our climb up straight through the middle of the below picture:
Rainbow Peak Ascent Start
After the green meadow disappeared it was a rock scramble all the way to the top:
Rainbow Peak – Rocks Start
Once of the ridge of this first rock field we came across a small snow pack.
Rainbow Peak – The climb continues
Simply a case of straight over and straight on up, following the sound of running water coming down from the Rainbow Glacier:
Rainbow Peak – Ascending towards the top
Tom demonstrating the idea of going straight up in as straight a line as possible quite literally…
Rainbow Peak – Climbing Straight Up
After we made it over this second ridge we thought we could see a fairly simple final ascent to mound of a summit:
Rainbow Peak – Is this the summit?
We were wrong. We made our way to the base of this phantom summit only discover a huge glacier guarding access to the actual summit with a vertical rock face all around its top outer edge. Nice. Thanks.
Rainbow Peak – Summit finally in view
We headed onto the glacier and followed the top edge all the way around until we found a suitably steep gully in the rock to scramble up.
Rainbow Peak – half way up the final steep gully looking down to the snow (our tracks visible in the glacier snow)
Rainbow Peak – half way up the final steep gully looking up
Almost out of this gully the terrain levelled and we were able to finally see the summit of Rainbow Peak to our left.
Rainbow Peak – Summit now in view
A short while later….
Rainbow Peak Summit
The clouds came in when we were on the top and it was bitterly cold, but they cleared slightly allowing us to take a few shots from the top:
Rainbow Peak – Summit View Looking North back at the route we came up
Rainbow Peak – Summit View Looking West
Rainbow Peak Summit – Looking over Whistler Blackcomb
On the way back down we had a look explore around the glacier…
Exploring Rainbow Peak Glacier
After 10 hours on the hill with the following: Ascent time = 5.5 hours. Descent time = 4 hours. Distance = 35km. Vertical distance = 3400m…
… we definitely felt we had earned the right to a whole roast chicken each. mmm.
Rainbow Peak Roast Chicken
If you want to get involved with any future climbs then get in contact.
cronkski 