MOUNT FREYA 2517m (8259′)
On the north-south ridge between Hoder Creek to the east and Koch Creek to the west. The mountains from north to south are McKeen Lakes (Mt Woden & Mt McKeen), Mt Harlow, Mt Ludlow, Mt Freya, and Mt Flynn and Mt Heimdal at the south end of the ridge, a distance of 17 km
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Map: 82F/12
Drive: To access the southern Valhallas, drive south from New Denver or north from Playmor Junction (between Nelson and Castlegar).
From New Denver. Start at the Petro Canada Station at the junction of Hwys 6 and 31A in New Denver. Drive Hwy 6 south, along Slocan Lake’s east shore, 32.5km (20.2mi) to the village of Slocan. Near the village, ignore the signed turnoff for Drinnon Pass, but turn right (west) onto Gravel Pit Road. Zero odometer 0.0
0.0 Start west on Gravel Pit Road. Go straight and cross the bridge over the Slocan River.
.8km (.5mi) Stay left on Slocan West FSR.
1.2km (.7mi) Cross a bridge over Gwillim Creek.
2.3km (1.4mi) Go right on Little Slocan FSR.
13.2km (8.1mi) Right is Bannock Burn FSR to Gimli Ridge / Mulvey Basin TH.
Bear left SW on the main road for the rest of the Valhallas.
20.3km (12.6mi) Right is Hoder Creek FSR to Drinnon and Gwillim lakes. Left continues south west on Little Slocan FSR. Reach Little Slocan Lakes FS campground in 200m.
32.3km 3-way junction with Koch Creek FSR to right and Upper Passmore RD to left (13.2km to junction of Upper Passmore Rd and Hwy 6).
From Nelson or Castlegar. Start at the Playmore Junction, the junction of Highways 6 and 3A between Nelson and Castlegar. Turn north on Hwy 6 up the Slocan Valley.
The southern Valhallas are accessed from the Passmore Road, 15.6kms from Playmore. there is a large transformer station at the turn. This is 12.1kms south of Winlaw on Hyw 6. Turn left (west). Zero odometer.
0.0 Start NW on Upper Passmore Road.
.3km (0.2mi) Cross the Passmore Bridge over the Slocan River.
3.1km (1.9mi) Pavement ends
3.6km (2.3mi) Continue left on main Upper Passmore Rd. Red 44 KM sign.
5.2km (3.3mi) Straight on main road. Left goes up Boulder Creek Rd to Mt Airy.
7.5km (4.7mi) Go straight on main road.
9km (5.6mi) Stay straight (right), following a sign for Valhalla Provincial Park.
13.2km 8.2mi Go straight up Koch Creek FSR. Right goes NE on Little Slocan FSR. Zero odometer 0.0
Koch Creek FSR
0.0 Start on Koch Creek FSR. Go straight. Right goes to Little Slocan Forest Rd 13.2 from Passmore Rd/Hwy 6 junction.
9km Stay right on main road. Left goes to Grizzly Creek Recreation Site (2 tables, above creek gorge, no flat parking) and Greasybill Cr Rd.
11km Go straight. Right is Marioka Road.
16km Stay straight and level. Then pass two ascending right forks (second one has 51km sign).
17km Cross bridge over creek. Turn right up Watson Creek FSR (rough) opposite where the power line turns to the northwest. Koch Ck FSR continues straight. Zero odometer.
Watson Creek FSR
0.0 Start up Watson Creek FSR heading generally north.
2.0 Huge boulder in the road.
3.5 Go straight. A sharp right turn is south approach to Freya; 4.1 Spur to left, stay straight. 4.5 Go left. 5.5 Road brushy, park. Within 1km of the summit of Freya.
6.0km Turn right to go up the north side of the creek coming from between Freya and Ludlow. This ends about 2km from the summit of Freya on the SW slope of Mount Ludlow.
1. Southwest Face.
Climb up gullies (several) of the west ridge by descending into the valley, going south through forest and along the lower edges of rock slides.
Beyond the west ridge, the southwest face is an even slope of vegetation and rock. The ridge above gives good access to the summit, about 3 hours from the road. (II,3,s).
FA unknown. Bob Dean, Norman Thyer, KMC party, Sept. 3, 1995.
The southern road appears practical also, but rougher (to the south ridge).
The northeast ridge appears good.
2. South Ridge. Descend from the summit, on snow partly, to a col 150 meters below the first major drop in the ridge, and glissade on north-facing slopes.
FA KMC party, 26/6/2004.
Mount Freya, 2522 m., June 26 by Sandra McGuinness
In 1973, the KMC had Mount Freya on the schedule, and, it was climbed again from the Ludlow side in 1995 (thanks to Norman Thyer for this information).
On June 26, 16 KMC’ers left Playmore Junction at 6.30 am for the dusty drive up Koch Creek FSR. An unnamed logging road travels up the eastern tributary of Watson Creek to an elevation of 6,500 feet in a basin below the SW face of Mt Freya. We had a minor struggle with a huge boulder on the road near km 2, but in the end managed to reach 5,500 feet where the road became too busy to continue.
In a short time, we hiked the remaining 2 km to the road end where we turned north and hiked 500 feet up to a col on the western ridge of Mt Freya. Most KMC’ers hiked straight up the SW face to the summit, while Doug and I rambled along the west ridge to the top.
It was only 11 am so we decided to continue our trip by descending the south ridge of Mt Freya with a view to ambling along the long west ridge to the south of Watson Creek. A pleasant descent on snow brought us to a flat section of the ridge and a short uphill on snow put us above the first major drop on the ridge. By the time we had scrambled 500 feet down to the next col the forecast afternoon showers were looking imminent so we glissaded north-facing snow slopes to the valley below and the road. The rain started just as we got back to the trucks, and the rain gauge in our yard recorded 26 mm in 12 hours.
Participants: John Bargh, Eddy Boxerman, Kjell Bronson, Doug Brown, David Cunningham, David Grant, Don Harasym, Vicki Hart, Ted Ibrahim, Eliane and Steven Miros, Kathie Robertson, Gene Van Dyck, Mary Woodward, Leah Zoobkoff, Kumo the dog, and Sandra Mc Guinness, coordinator.