Hiking Brandywine Mountain near Whistler
Contents
Brandywine Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult (Lower Lot) Moderate (Upper Lot)
Distance: 14.5km (Lower Lot) 9.5km (Upper Lot)
Elevation Gain: 1,465m (Lower Lot) 800m (Upper Lot)
Highest Elevation: 2,213m
Average Gradient: 20.21% (Lower Lot) 16.84% (Upper Lot)
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours (Lower Lot) 5 – 6 Hours (Upper Lot)
– Moderate: 7 – 8 Hours (Lower Lot) 4 – 5 Hours (Upper Lot)
– Fast: 5 – 7 Hours (Lower Lot) 3 – 4 Hours (Upper Lot)
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~ Mid-July – Mid-October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No – But it helps make it easier
Scrambling / Exposure: Some simple scrambling with limited exposure
Brandywine Mountain Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°04’45.4″N 123°11’09.5″W
Note that the above links/downloads and trailhead coordinates are all for beginning at the lower parking lot. You cannot direct Google Maps to this trailhead, you need to drive up the Sea to Sky Highway, turn left on Callaghan Road then left again immediately on Brandywine FSR. Follow this road until you see a sign giving directions to the upper and lower parking lot.
Brandywine Mountain Overview
Brandywine Mountain is a summit near Whistler that is quickly growing in popularity due to its relative ease of access, beautiful alpine meadows and stunning panoramic views from the top. Due to the difficulty of this hike, many people opt to hike to Brandywine Meadows & camp overnight before summiting Brandywine Mountain the next day.
It should be noted that there are two trailheads for this hike depending on where you are able to park. The lower parking lot should be accessible for pretty much all vehicles. While the road is a little rough and ready most 2WD’s should be fine getting to the lower trailhead. Alternatively, and preferably, if you have a 4×4 or even a high clearance vehicle you can park at the upper parking lot which significantly reduces the amount of elevation gain and distance and turns this difficult hike into a more moderate hike. The road to the upper parking lot is steep, rocky and passes several aggressive cross ditches, so it shouldn’t be attempted in anything but a high clearance vehicle.
The hike to Brandywine Mountain offers beautiful views throughout, beginning in the stunning Brandywine Meadows, which is filled with alpine flowers and flowing streams, perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day. Many people looking for a more moderate hike choose to simply stay in the meadows without proceeding to Brandywine Mountain, which is still a worthwhile trip. However for the more adventurous Brandywine Mountain itself offers a steep hike, some simple scrambling and panoramic views of the mountain ranges around Whistler. This is an excellent hike for somebody looking to increase their scrambling skills in a fairly low risk environment.
Brandywine Mountain is basically a summer only hike, with the season typically running from Mid-July to Mid-October or so.
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Is Brandywine Mountain worthwhile?
A hike to the summit of Brandywine Mountain offers spectacular views for a large portion of the hike. The views begin towards the start of the trail once you reach Brandywine Meadows and they only keep getting better as you climb higher and higher.
At 2,213m high, Brandywine Mountain is one of the higher summits that can be reached without the requirement of a 4×4 (though it helps a lot) and without a significant amount of exposed scrambling. For that reason this is an excellent crossover hike for anybody wanting to expand their horizons from “just hiking” and more towards scrambling.
How difficult is the hike to Brandywine Mountain ?
If you are starting from the lower parking lot this is a pretty difficult hike with an average gradient of 20.21% and a pretty significant elevation gain overall. I’d even say this is close to being a very difficult hike from the lower lot. By starting at the upper parking lot the gradient falls marginally to 16.84% but you reduce the amount of elevation gained by around 665m, which is significant, and also reduce the total distance by around 5km. From the upper parking lot I’d consider this a moderately difficult hike and from the lower parking lot, a difficult hike.
From a technical perspective, both routes require some scrambling nearer to the summit, as well as hiking on a boulder field and up a very steep embankment next to a stream which can be difficult if it’s muddy/snowy. The scrambling on the hike is fairly straightforward with good holds and limited exposure, so it’s a good test that I think most people can manage without too much difficulty.
Brandywine Mountain Route Information
As noted, the ability to drive to the upper parking lot makes this hike significantly easier, but the drive is not an easy one. The FSR to the upper lot is very steep, very rocky and covers some aggressive cross ditches there nearer you get. There is actually a parking lot around 2km before the final parking lot at the upper lot where many SUV’s stop, before the cross ditches begin, but 4×4’s with high clearance can continue even further to the very end, crossing lots of deep cross ditches on the way.
We hiked up Brandywine Mountain from the upper parking lot, but I have spoken to friends who hiked from the lower parking lot to get an idea as to how the trail begins until they meet up just before Brandywine Meadows.
From the lower parking lot the first 1.3km or so is a fairly mellow gradient, rising around 100m while hugging a steep hill (the upper parking lot being at the top of this steep hill!). I don’t think there is a lot to see on this trail but again, I haven’t hiked this part! After 1.3km there will be a trail to the right where the real climb begins. Over the next kilometer or so the hike goes through a forest and climbs steeply, rising over 300m. I’m told this was one of the toughest parts of the hike for those starting at the lower parking lot so do try and find a 4×4 if you can skip this!
After this grind through the forest the trails from the upper and lower parking lot become parallel and soon enough meet up. I don’t think I missed much by starting at the upper lot other than a horrible grind through a forest, so I’m glad I found a 4×4 to get me there!
Once the trails from the upper and lower lot merge the trail the trail eases into a much easier gradient and follows one of the streams coming from Brandywine Meadows, quickly becoming extremely muddy, at least when we went in August. This hike is pretty muddy all year so definitely prepare for that possibility.
After following the stream for a short while the trail breaks out of the trees into beautiful open meadows with picturesque streams meandering through them. If you are going in mid-summer the alpine flowers should be blooming in full force and the meadow should be a lush green. Brandywine Mountain will provide an awe inspiring backdrop to the whole ordeal to the north, and if you look behind you you should notice the Black Tusk in the distance.
If you’ve come from the lower parking lot you might need a quick rest at this stage, perhaps filling your water bottles in the stream and preparing for the next climb. If you came from the upper lot, well, you haven’t done much yet so crack on, no rests for you!
Once you’ve reached the very northern tip of the meadows you’ll begin to climb. The trail here will be less obvious but should still be relatively easy to follow. Essentially you climb a very steep hill to your left. When we went it was quite slippery due to the wet grass/dirt so we kind of just picked the best route up and didn’t follow any trail. Soon enough the grassy hill will fade out and you’ll be faced with an equally steep climb up a boulder field. Make sure to keep looking behind you as the views from above the meadows are spectacular.
Once on the boulder field it’s really now just picking your own route up. I’m sure the trail is marked but it’s better to just take an offline map and make sure you’re following the general direction. When we went there were still snow patches on this boulder field and some of our group actually preferred using them over the boulders (especially coming down), but I stuck to the boulders personally.
It’s not too long before you reach the top of these boulders where you will gain the ridgeline for Brandywine Mountain and the steep ascent is over for the time being. Following the ridgeline to your right the views to the east will now be endless. Many people like to rest along this ridgeline after the lung busting ascent up the boulder field.
From here on out the trail is unmarked but is pretty self evident. You’ll continue following the ridgeline which will now, at times, involve some minor scrambling with limited exposure. At one stage you will descend down a fairly steep cliff but again it’s straightforward and brief. Soon enough you’ll be on the home stretch where the push for the summit is a simple, but steep, hike over now jagged rock.
Huzzah! You’ve made it. The views will now be 360 degrees and breathtaking in every direction. The summit itself isn’t very big but you can walk around just beneath the summit and see Brandywine Glacier and a small glacial lake nearby. There’s also a couple of nice photo spots to get a photo from of yourself on the summit with mountain ranges behind you. This seemed a pretty popular spot so if it’s free you’d best jump in.
After finishing up at the summit you simply head back the way you came. When descending the boulder field you can really go anyway you like, we ended up taking a different route down that was a bit more direct and offered some nice views of the meadows below, but by now you’re likely tired and just want to get back, so go whichever way you prefer.
When should I hike Brandywine Mountain ?
This is a hike you want to save for the peak of summer or even late summer/early fall. When we went in August there was still some snow kicking around, though not enough to cause any issues. There was also a ton of black flies that were honestly a massive annoyance up until the ridgeline. I can only assume they like the dampness of the meadows area. If I were to go back I’d aim for late September to avoid mosquitoes/flies where possible, but the season will typically be from July to Mid-October.
Top Tip
Well first of all I definitely recommend bringing DEET for this hike as the bugs were quite annoying throughout.
This is also a very sun exposed hike. Once you’re in the meadows there is no shade for the entire day, so definitely bring sunscreen, a hat, long sleeves potentially. Whatever you prefer on a sunny day as this is a long one!
