AIRY MOUNTAIN 2554m 8378’
Located 13 km west of Passmore. It dominates the terrain between the Norns Range to the south and the Valhallas to the north. Access is challenging as forestry roads to the north, east and south are either overgrown or deactivated. This leaves only Grizzly FSR on the west in passable condition, a lot of bushwhacking to get to the west ridge and a long day. Climbed only about once per year, usually a KMC trip. The cairn is a 2-metre piece of art.
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Map: 82F/12.
Drive:
From Nelson or Castlegar. Start at the Playmor Junction, the junction of Highways 6 and 3A between Nelson and Castlegar. At 15.6 km, turn north on Hwy 6 up the Slocan Valley. There is a large transformer station at the turn. Turn left (west). Zero odometer.
0.0 Start NW on Upper Passmore Road.
.3km Cross the Passmore Bridge over the Slocan River. Pavement ends at 3.1km. At 3.6km, continue left on the main road.
5.1km Go left up Boulder Creek Rd to access Mts Wilton and Airy. (Continue on Passmore Road to Koch Creek FSR to access Russel Creek and the NE ridge).
6.5km Turn right up Airy Creek FSR, signed on right. Deactivated with at least 60 water bars. Cross the creek to the north side. As of 2016, large boulders blocked this bridge and only ATVs and motorcycles could get around the block. 2kms further, the road was washed out. Bush has made most of the road impassible, certainly for vehicles after 4kms. ATVs can go to the road end.
11.6km Switchback, turn left. Just above this, take the left fork.
12.6km Old parking area just before a creek with a bridge out. Elevation ~4770′. ATVs have pushed access this far but they too will soon be beaten by the bush.
1. Southeast Ridge.
Route: Cross the creek (tributary that flows into Airy Creek from the south). Continue along the road (do not take a more direct route toward the peak, and don’t bushwhack up the cliff). Shortly before the road’s end, head uphill to the right, aiming for the obvious notch in the top of the clearcut. A snowmobile path cut illegally by an excavator in about 2000 goes straight up to the snowmobilers cabin. It begins just behind a dead tree that is snapped off, at the top of the clearcut, on high ground to the right of the notch. If you come to a creek while still in the clear-cut you are too far left, but can follow the creek upstream until you cross the trail higher up in the forest. The trail rapidly goes through the forest along the creek, flattening out as it crosses an interesting boulder field. The cabin is in a meadow just below the tree line. Climb through the open bush to the northeast ridge (above the cabin), don’t go too high, and bypass a false summit on its left.
Though this is longer, this route involves little bushwhacking. (II,3,s).
FA unknown. KMC party, July 19, 1998. FRA KMC group, 22/9/2001.
Descent was by a more direct route toward the road in the clearcut.
2. Northeast Ridge. Russel Creek approaches Airy from the northwest.
0.0 Start NW on Upper Passmore Road. 3.1km – cross the Passmore Bridge over the Slocan River, where the pavement ends. 3.6km, continue left on the main road.
5.2km Left goes up Boulder Creek Rd to access Mts Wilton and Airy from the east.
13.2km Go straight (SW) on Koch Creek FSR. Right goes to Little Slocan FSR.
16.2km. Turn left onto Russel Creek FSR. Zero odometer.
0.0 Turn left off the main road onto Russel Creek FSR.
4km Turn left on the Russel Creek FS Lookout Road (high clearance, 4-WD).
5km. Turn right on spur road up Milton Creek.
Route: Walk up the old Milton Creek road, bushwhacking, to a swamp clearing and a rock slide. Reach the NE ridge and climb it to the top (ups and downs, Class 3). Detour right just below the summit (Class 4, 2.5 m). Descend 60 meters down the northwest ridge, and then stay on the northwest side of the northeast ridge until Milton Creek. (III,4,s).
FRA Bob Dean, Michael Poznikoff, 26/08/1964.
3. East Face. No information.
4. Northwest Ridge. A scramble. Drive up the Grizzly Creek FSR (see Mt. Spiers). At the forks, be sure to go left (right goes to Greasybill Creek). Drive as far as possible, and then hike into the canyon up and left at its head. Several cols on the west ridge give access to the NW ridge of Airy that crosses the Ladybird headwaters bowl a. col 365-877, base of a short southwest ridge, to the small peak high on the northwest ridge b. 365881 (much bushwhacking) or c. 360874 (less bushwhacking but steeper). Long. The steep west face of the summit block requires route finding.
Alternate Drive Upper Norns Creek: From Pass Creek Road turn NW onto Upper Norns Creek Road. At 10 km (6 miles) the left (main) fork up Ladybird Creek gives access to several points on Kamikaze Ridge (between Ladybird and Norns Creeks).
The right fork up upper Norns Creek gives access to:
a. A low pass to Airy Creek.
b. An easy slope to the south end of the Frog Peak ridge.
c. A longer approach to Airy Ridge, the Ladybird ski cabin (just below the south end of Airy Ridge) and Airy Mountain. The last 2 km of the road are very rough, followed by 2 km of easy open trees before the ridge.