MULVEY BASIN TO DRINNON

This high-level traverse served as the access to Drinnon/Gwillim before the trail up Hoder Creek was developed, and Bannock Burn gave the only access to the south Valhallas.

When the coin was flipped from 1980 to 1989, and Bannock Burn FSR was closed, there was no easy access to Mulvey Basin, and this route again enjoyed some popularity as a result of necessity.

Parks decided to remove the cairns in the mid-1990s for safety reasons (I don’t quite understand that logic). Some inexperienced souls had some problems on the traverse that entails going over three ridges. 

The Route:
• Start at the Gimli Ridge/Mulvey Basin trail. Ascend the trail to the saddle below the south ridge of Gimli. Either go to the ridge, descend the steep snow/ice and work your way west to the Niselheim/Midgard col or drop off the trail before the ridge and work around the south base of Niselheim. 
• Contour to the west under Midgard and the East, Centre and West Summits of Mount Prestley. This is a pleasant ramble on good rock. Continue under Unnamed 2730, the last significant peak of the Prestley Group on the ridgeline.
• Pass through the col to the west of UN2730 and descend due north directly to Valhalla Lake. Camp.
• From Valhalla Lake contour west under the north face of Drinnon Peak, ascending to cross the NW ridge of Drinnon Peak.
• From the ridge, descend SW to Drinnon Lake and the trail out to Hoder Creek.