Mount Currie to Blackcomb traverse

Skins-check, rope and harness-check, water-check, sunscreen-check…. appetite for a ski tour- check Mate!!!! (As said in OZ!)

What a better way to see part of the Garibaldi Provincial Park than a classic ski tour from Mt. Currie to Blackcomb, including a ascent and descent of Wedge mountain (9,527 ft the highest mountain in the area)

The trip can be done in either direction, using the lifts on Blackcomb and skiing down the Spearhead glacier to Saucer creek and onto Wedge Pass. This would mean a big climb up the South face of Wedge Mountain. Those that do the work will get the reward of the North Couloir on Wedge. Another option is to traverse around the base if conditions aren’t stable.

There is some great skiing around the Mystery Glacier (great camp) and the base of Wedge (nice camp) or at the Wedgemount shelter.
The Owls are just plain sick. The North face lines make me want to spend more time up there.

This trip makes a great 2 to 3 day trip. We have done it in one day but it is better as a two to three day trip, as there are many side lines to take advantage of!

You can also start in Pemberton and travel up the valley to the East Face of Mount Currie. Then you will get a great south facing descent of down Mount Currie! This is the classic face that everyone sees from Whistler and Blackcomb.

Wedge can be climbed from a few different ways. The north couloir is a great line 50 degrees near the top!
The Weart glacier is a long and flat glacier in the middle of the tour. A more exciting way is via Mount Moe and Mount Cook onto the Armchair Glacier. The Wedgemount hut is at the bottom of the Wedgemount glacier and across the lake and can be used as an escape route if the weather and time doesn’t let you finish the trip!


Do not attempt to reach the valley floor via Wedge creek or Rethel creek. I learned the hard way a few years ago during a bad weather exit!


If returning to Blackcomb you can use a bench to traverse the East facing slopes to breach the Phalanx shoulder and drop into the area near the Poop Chutes.


It definitely doesn’t see as much traffic as the Spearhead traverse, and offers some sweet lines. The distance is a bit further, with big climbs at both ends, depending on the route. It is a range of Mountains many people see in Whistler, with some big peaks to ski along the way. The proximity to the village is unbeatable.


You can see the entire route and the different variations on the Topo Map “Whistler” (92 J/2)
Check out the photos and video from our one-day trip in May 2007!