TRAFALGAR MOUNTAIN 2553 m 8376′
Located 2.8 kilometers east-southeast of Mount Chipman, and 9 km west of Kootenay Lake. It is a distinct pyramidal shaped peak, at the head of Bjerkness Creek, behind Mirror Lake.
Difficulty: C3
Elevation gain: 3200′
Key elevations: Park 5100′; Summit 8380′
Season: mid-July through September
Access: Difficult
Map: 82F/14 Slocan.
Drive: Drive up Fletcher Creek FSR 2 km north of Woodbury Marina. Go right at 1.2km. 16km Park at the end of the road near its drivable end at 5680′.
1. FA A small cairn with a stick was found in 2007.
2. Southwest Gain the high logging roads above Kaslo and Mirror Lake (town) and go up to the north side of True Blue Mtn. (at 1040m, 3400 feet). Go south, backpacking and bushwhacking, to the south side of Bjerkness Creek, and camp at the lake at the head of its north fork.
Gain the col to the west, and go south along the ridge to the west side of Trafalgar. Climb the southwest corner, avoiding difficulties by keeping left, hard Class 3. (II,3).
FRA Don Hunt, Terry Turner, July 25, 2007.
The lower summit is more difficult (not climbed).
This is an account of an unsuccessful attempt to climb this remote mountain.
Walk the old road through a cut block to pick up the signed “Abbey Trail” at a switchback in the block’s far end. Walk 90 minutes on an excellent trail to height to land at 7000′, some 500′ above Upper Fletcher Lake. Switchback down to the north and then in a long descending diagonal around the upper Fletcher basin.
Ascend NW to gain a north-south ridge and follow north to an unnamed blocky peak. Reaching a point at 8000′ (990-207) on this peak’s east ridge. A 1000′ down to Bjerkness Lakes and a similar climb up was necessary to gain the easy west ridge of Trafalgar.