BALDY MOUNTAIN 2320m 7612’
Baldy Mountain is northeast of the town of Ymir, on Highway 6, south of Nelson, and south-southeast of Ymir Mountain. The summit is visible .8km (0.5 mile) from Ymir and has brilliant white rock at the top.
Part of Darkwoods, access is by permission only. See Darkwoods post.
FRA Topographical Survey, date and route unknown.
Drive: On Hwy 6, 1km north of Ymir, turn right on Wildhorse FSR,
0.0 Start on Wildhorse FSR, a rough road on Ymir Creek. High clearance, four-wheel drive.
13 km (8 miles). Old parking area.
17km Darkwoods gate. Check access. If open, continue to the height of the land and park in the clearing.
Approach: Walk south to the top of the hill and Baldy comes into view. Contour around the hill to an obvious col and head up the north-facing ridge. Class 3-4: moss, small and dead trees, loose rocks, and some exposure.
1. West Face, Traverse. Cross the creek and bushwhack to rock slides below the summit about 2 hours from the vehicle. Climb the west face, and go down the south-southwest ridge. The edges of the rocks at the top are very sharp, and some rocks can be slippery. (II,3,s).
FRA Bob Dean, Dennis Holden, Wm. Michaux, Bert and Sue Port, Howie Ridge, 21/6/1970.
2. North Ridge.
Drive: Pass the gate of the Ymir Creek road (marked “Wildhorse”) at km 17 (10.6 miles), and continuing to the height of land. (Park in a clearing; obtain permission from Darkwoods Forestry to enter.)
Route: Contour around the hill to an obvious col (some bushwhacking). The north ridge has a little exposure, and some loose rock, moss. (II,3,s).
FRA Bob Dean, Earl Jorgensen, Andrew Port, Norm Thyer, 6/6/1993.
3. South-Southwest Ridge.
Drive: From Ymir, go 2.8 km, 1.7 miles, south on the Porcupine Creek road (high clearance, four wheel drive) on the north side of the creek. (Obtain permission from Darkwoods Forestry to enter.)
16 km, 10 miles. At the local watershed, descend into the uppermost reach of Cultus Creek on the east side of the watershed and drive north-northwest toward Baldy as far as possible. Climb the south-southwest ridge, easy. See Route 1 also (descent).
One may also reach the south-southwest ridge by driving up the Wildhorse road for 16 km. Head due east, going up an old cutblock, followed by an open cedar forest and a bushwhack through the low bush. Then contour right into an open rocky basin and scramble to the col.
Route: The south-southwest ridge has loose quartzite blocks (caution). (II,3,s).
FRA Kim Kratky, KMC party, 25/6/1989.