Route track 07/27/2019-07/29/2019.
2900 metres, 37km
Started at the Zopkios truck stop
Up the old Ottomite Road
First clear glimpse of Zupjok
Getting high on the Zupjok trail, views open to the south; Needle Peak &etc.
Crested Zupjok, where Alpaca, Vicuna and Guanaco become visible under grey skies.
Past Zupjok and hiking the ridge bumps
Looking ahead on the ridge to Llama, Alpaca. Vicuna and Guanaco at right.
Filtered sun through the western valley below.
Filtered sun and the Anderson River group.
Day Two. Early morning light near ridge camp
Sunrise above the upper Coldwater valley
Morning light on a cairn and the Anderson River group
and on Old Settler
and on some alpine trees near camp.
and on the ridge leading back to Zupjok
Clarke, Recourse and Viennese, distantly.
Heading down to the treeline to bushwhack into the upper Coldwater valley and access Vicuna/Guanaco.
Had to bypass some slimy slabs, which steepened at bottom.
aforementioned slabs having been bypassed to the south.
A KM or so of full-on bushwhacking followed
Followed, an hour or two later, by an extremely overgrown but navigable logging road
upon which were some ginormous hoofed tracks
Moose? Elk?
Finally on the actual approach road to the Vicuna/Guanaco trail.
Up the very muddy at times, but scenic Guanaco/Vicuna access trail.
Resident marmot.
Getting into alpine, contouring around Vicuna
Looking up and left at this point is a sight.
Up at the saddle and eyeing the route up Vicuna.
A super zoom of Alpaca's summit (two folks and a dog), from the Vicuna/Guanaco saddle.
Another long zoom between Steinbok and Ibex reveals Clarke-Recourse-Viennese and Judge Howay lining up closely.
On the way up Vicuna, a look back at the saddle and Guanaco
Yours truly just below the airy Vicuna crux. A futile effort with a wonky knee and super blistered feet... and probably wrong footwear. Tough pill to swallow. I'll probably be back.
Mario at the same spot, heading down on the somewhat iffy fixed line.
A closer look at the east approach to Vicuna. Standard route follows the ribs and cracks at right. An alternate 4th class approach appears possible-- complete with barely visible fixed line-- using steep grassy slopes and treed ledges left of centre.
Some dejection going on.
Descending the always-photographed natural staircase.
Back to the overgrown road. Complete with 10L of water from Coldwater Creek in the pack. No water available near ridge camp. Camp was located on top of the distant ridge bump.
After a slog back to camp, some magic hour light on Mt. Baker.
Sunset over the Anderson River group.
Day three. Morning shadow.
Looking ahead to the trip's final objective, Alpaca.
A look down at the Upper Coldwater valley, site of yesterday's "tougher than it looks from here" bushwhack.
A young and unafraid ptarmigan.
Carved out tarn between Llama/Alpaca.
How many ptarmigan?
Can't tell at all I'd been wearing the same shirt and shorts for the entire trip!
Summit area of Alpaca Peak.
A look south from Alpaca towards Llama and Zupjok. Needle, Flatiron, Markhor, etc.
Coquihalla and Jim Kelly distantly seen at left.
Mario gets a closer look at the not-so-connecting ridge to Vicuna and Guanaco.
East face of Alpaca and the complex and interesting terrain beneath it.
Very sore feet pointing towards the Anderson River group; Steinbok and Ibex most prominently.
Closer look at the logging-scarred bowl beneath the Anderson River group's granite.
One more battle with the krummholz, near Llama peak.
The ridge that leads back the way we came.
Prominent bump between Zupjok and Llama.
Final look back at Llama and Alpaca. Some fine ridge hiking here.
Last glimpse at Upper Coldwater valley, Vicuna and Guanaco. From Zupjok.
Back on the Ottomite Road nearing the highway. Needle Peak in background.
