GRAYS PEAK (HAYSTACK) 2760m 9055′
Located two kilometres east-northeast of Gibson Lake, on the south end of the ridge. This peak is a favourite ascent of local climbers. The south summit (invisible from Gibson Lake) is the higher. A glacier still clings to its eastern slopes.
This is the mountain on the Kokanee beer label. The view is accurate from the north but is reversed.
1. North Ridge. Follow the trail from the parking lot at Gibson Lake until the last sign to the trail on the upper road. Continue on the road a short distance to the mine portal and mine tailings pile. Enter the woods above and behind the portal and travel through light brush following a small water course on its left side. The brush gives way to open grassy slopes beneath some rocky bluffs. Climb up and over the bluffs and work your way straight up until you reach a well-defined gully with a stream entering from the left of your line of travel. At this point look up to your right and Grays Peak is visible with an edge of the glacier showing. Traverse meadows to the right (southeast; northwest goes toward Cond Peak) and sidehill left up to a ridge which separates you from the access pass. The ridge can be penetrated in two spots (vegetation). Quite low on the ridge there is an obvious grassy ramp used by goats. When you reach the ridge, the route to the low pass (col) between Kokanee Peak and Grays Peak is obvious. Keep high, and scramble over a rocky rib to gain the pass. From this point, it is 45 minutes on snow to the top. (But on return, it is difficult to find one’s way down to the mine )
It is wise to carry a rope and crampons, as well as an ice axe because the top of the final snow slope is very steep.
One can also use Route 2 of Cond Peak, and bear southeast along the alps above the cliffs, but it is quite long (Kokanee Peak descent route, alternate).
Glacier (III,4,s).
FA unknown.
See Kokanee Peak for the descent (from the Grays-Kokanee col) and also the alternate below.
Alternate Approach (or Descent)
The above approach is inefficient because one must traverse southeast (right), and then traverse northwest on the return (long) if one does not wish to bushwhack down. In the early season, when there is snow, it is better to take a more direct line (roughly the line followed by the bushwhack down, see Kokanee Peak). Take the old steep trail (on the hillside at the parking lot at Gibson Lake) until it meets the road. Follow the road uphill and around a switchback until the road crosses a small stream. Head uphill through the bush keeping to the right of the stream, and follow the openings up to the treeline at about 2130m (7000 feet) and then to the col.
A trail cut along this route would save much effort.
2. Southwest Ridge of North Summit. Approach as for Route 1, but traverse right to the southwest ridge. Ascend the Class 4 ridge and avoid some of the gendarmes by moving right. The long ridge arrives at the north summit of Grays Peak and the regular route to the higher south summit is followed (snow, glacier). Glacier (III,4,s).
FRA David Adams, Knut Langballe, about 1973.
3. Southeast Face. Climbed on a traverse from the pointed summit of Grays Peak (see below).
GRAYS PEAK (pointed summit)
The pointed summit of Grays Peak lies south of the main summit, on the ridge between Kokanee and Coffee Creeks. (The main summit is not visible from Gibson Lake.) It is the pointed summit 400-500m north of the most southeastern, flat-topped summit, with a notch between the two.
1. West Approach the same way as for the southeastern flat-topped summit (below), from the west, about 1.6 km (1 mile) on the road, below Gibson Lake, and bushwhack east up a creek bed. The summit is the left-hand of two towers.
Three roped leads (a ramp, a very easy lead, and a thin wall) give way to a very few hundred meters of scrambling. Then climb an overhanging crack and several leads of Class 4 rock to the summit. The rock is firm.
The descent used seven 20-meter rappels, and there is a virtually bush-free route on the return. (III,5.4,s). 18/10/1980.
2. East Rib. Approach via Coffee Creek (road washed out, trail very overgrown – see post) and the four-wheel drive road to the Ministry of Forests recreational site. Hike the Coffee Creek trail for 1 hour, and then leave the trail and diagonal west through timber to reach the alpine zone east of Grays Peak in about 3 hours.
Cross a small glacier and climb the east rib of the peak (S, or SE, of Grays Peak) on excellent granitic rock. The rib is a series of steps, Class 3 and easy Class 4, about 8 hours from the car.
Traverse the ridge north to the main summit of Grays Peak (Class 3-4) using one 25-meter rappel. Scramble up the southeast face of Grays Peak, traverse it and descend the regular route to Gibson Lake and the parking lot, 13 hours. Glacier (III,4,A0,s).
4/09/1987.
GRAYS PEAK (most southeastern summit)
The most southeastern of the four summits of Grays Peak appears to be flat-topped. All the summits are visible from the city of Nelson.
1. Southwest Face. Start from the road 1.6 km (1 mile) below Gibson Lake, and proceed up the steep hillside left of a creek. Reach the upper of two small basins (the lower basin is wooded) and ascend the centre of the face.
Pitch 1. Climb off the snow, on rounded and grooved slabs, friction.
Pitch 2. Ascend a rotten gully left of a cliff band, easier than Pitch 1.
Pitch 3. Free climbing up ramps and ledges.
Pitch 4. Climb a 25m wall, with a waterfall on the left (from a snow- patch). It becomes a nearly vertical inside corner, (5.7).
Pitch 5. Cross the snow patch and go left onto a big block (easy). Pitch 6. Go up a series of ledges and gullies (easy).
Pitch 7. Ascend the final wall, 15 vertical meters, difficult, and emerge just west of the southeast summit. The ridge here is only 0.3 meters thick. (III,5.7,s).
Mid-June 1979.
Using an alternate route (free climbing down), one can glissade towards Kokanee Creek on the descent. Seven hours return to the car.
DESCENT of the FLAT-TOPPED PEAK SE of GRAYS PEAK by Kim Kratky
This must be the October 18, 1980 climb. I’ll give a quick reprise of the outing. We drove about 12 km. up the Gibson Lake road and parked the truck at about 4,800′.
We got away at 9:00, bushwhacking east up a creek bed, and at 12:20 we started the actual climbing on the left-hand of two towers SE of Grays. Three roped leads (a ramp, a real easy lead, and a thin wall) gave way to hundreds of feet of scrambling. Then I got a lead to negotiate an overhanging crack; there then followed several leads of roped class 4 before we reached the summit at 4:00 in very bad visibility.
We rappelled the ascent route by doing 7×60 ft. rappels on Howie’s short 9mm rope, reaching the scree below the tower by 5:55. By 6:30 we were in need of headlamps, but that didn’t bother Howie who navigated us to the car through a virtually bush-free route by 8:00.
Then it was off to the Royal Hotel in Nelson for a few beers.