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Mount King Edward 3490 m

B.C. Rockies

A climbing group pauses at King Edward to witness the rare "Red line effect". The crux is the last part.

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Mount King Edward is one of the seldom-climbed big peaks of the Canadian Rockies, sitting west of Mount Columbia and north of Mount Bryce at the western edge of Columbia Icefield. Tsar Mountain lies further west yet. Bush River logging road from Golden, British Columbia provides access, and it is 126 km from Golden. Most of this road is gravel. Bush River area is wild and remote, with vast glaciers, grizzlies and magnificent peaks all around. The mountain provides interesting climbing near the top, and you cross crevassed glacier to reach it.

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On our first of three attempts, we drove from Calgary to a small campsite at km 96, then to drove roads' end the next day and hiked in by late afternoon. We set up camp at the south side of the peak, which gave a fine view of the north face of Mount Bryce. Car to camp was about 5 hours.

My partner ascending the south slopes on my third attempt. The first time, in late July, avalanche-prone snow stopped us near the top. Second trip, bad weather stopped us from even crossing the glacier. This time, late September, despite unsettled weather, we were finally successful.

On top, with bad weather all around. From our camp at the edge of the glacier, the climb took about 12 hours round trip. Our equipment included crampons, ice-axes, glacier travel gear, a 50 m rope, plus a few pins and screws and slings. The crux is just below the top, where you climb a rock chimney after traversing across an ice slope. Highly recommended mountaineering trip! You won't see a crowd here---guaranteed.

Like Mounts Tsar and Bryce, an ascent of Mount King Edward involves a lot more than just mountaineering. The approach is a long drive on gravel roads where active logging occurs, and wildlife (bears, porcupines) can pose challenges or at the least, damage your vehicle and complicate your trip. Unlike more popular mountains like Rainier or The Matterhorn, there is no rescue service here. You're on your own. In the Canadian Rockies, big peaks like these are best done in August and September.

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