MOUNT WILTON (Frog Peak, Sugarloaf) 2300m 7546′
Visible from near Winlaw on Highway 6; nine km west of Passmore. It is south of the upper logging road on Airy Creek. The name Frog Peak best describes it, and it is the subject of a Sinixt Indian story about an ancient drought and the people’s survival.
Difficulty:
Elevation gain:
Key elevations:
Distance:
Time: 5 hours
Map: 82F/12
Drive: Start at the transformer station on Highway 6 at Passmore with a high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle. For the SE ridge route.
0.0 Turn west off Highway 6, the Passmore Junction (substation on the right).
As of 2023, this road has completely grown-in making it impossible to get past 4500 feet, which is not close to the top. The backside is ATV only due to landslides.
3.7km Left, Little Slocan Forest Service Road
5.1km Left, CAMP 5 sign, then past the 1 km Red Forest Company sign, keep straight
6.3km Straight (right is marked “Airy Creek” logging road)
7.5km Right, then past the 4 km red sign
12.5km Right (left is marked YOLANDA), then past the 7 km red sign company sign, keep straight
13.7km Stay left
13.8km Right, start contouring the slope
16.2km Airy Mountain comes into view.
17.5km Stay right.
17.6km Bridge #1
20.0km Bridge #2
22.1km Park
22.5km Road washed out; too far
1. Southeast Ridge. Up the logging roads on the east. On return, the route led by the small lake south of the peak, and followed the stream down from the lake. (III,3,s).
FRA Bob Dean, Pat Ridge, KMC party, 7/7/1973.
A second route may be: Startup through old slash (route finding) and then easy but steep bushwhacking, 2.5 hours to the top. The route goes into a sunny bowl.
2. Southwest Ridge. Approach as for Airy Mountain (Route 1, Airy Creek).
The Airy Creek Road has been deactivated.
From the road, go south up a short, old clearcut and reasonable bushwhacking to rockslides, and a delightful basin of slabs and grass. There is easy access to the southwest ridge. (III,2,s).
FA Bob Dean, Ralph Varney, 22/9/1962.
3. North Face. The north face of Frog Peak is a beautiful Half Dome-like, dark, solid granite wall that is visible from the town of Winlaw. The lower part of the face is broken by horizontal ledges with lichens, and the dirty cracks are not as common and continuous as above. The upper face is quite sheer, with many vertical crack systems, and is marked by a big roof. The route takes the major roof to the left via four good aid pitches; the climb is 10 pitches long and well-protected in general. (IV,5.10, A2).
FA Tom Dool, David Lussier, 09