Climbing Conditions

2 photos

Mount Farnham and Mount Peter

Farnham Group, Purcell Mountains

Climbing Conditions

On Aug 13 & 14 we respectively climbed Mount Farnham (3493m) via the south ridge in dry rock conditions, and also established a new route up the NW buttress of Mount Peter (3340m); 7 - 60m pitches of mostly reasonable quality 5.7 with a very short section of 5.8 gets you past the headwall with a 4th class scramble to the summit; descend the same route from predominantly piton stations.

Access up Farnham Creek from Horsethief Creek does not require a 4x4 but high clearance is desired. At present, access up Forster Creek to the Starbird range is blocked at the Horsethief-Forster junction due to fire control operations for nearby wildfires.

We deliberately chose rock objectives to avoid any glacier travel due to hazards from rock fall or weakened/thin snow bridges with no overnight freezes. SW winds have provided some reprieve in this area from wildfire smoke; from the summits we could see that the smoke is much thicker towards to the north (couldn't even see the Bugaboos) as well as the south, especially in the Height of the Rockies area.

Enjoy,
Kirk Mauthner
Mountain Guide

On The Map

These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.