Hiking Cypress Peak near Whistler
Contents
Cypress Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 20.90Km
Elevation Gain: 1,550m
Highest Elevation: 2,083m
Average Gradient: 14.83%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 9 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 8 – 9 Hours
– Fast: 7 – 8 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Summer
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Class 3, exposed scramble that can be avoided if desired.
Cypress Peak Trail
The linked GPX is the hikers route that avoids the crux scramble, though it goes right up to it. If you want to scramble just continue along the ridge instead of dropping down to the glacier.
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°59’20.6″N 123°11’24.6″W
Cypress Peak Overview
Not to be confused with Cypress Mountain Resort in Cypress Provincial Park, Cypress Peak is a summit located between Squamish and Whistler, typically accessed via Chance Creek FSR from the Sea to Sky Highway. Featured prominently in Scrambles in SWBC, Cypress Peak is a local classic amongst the scrambling community, with its dramatic spire of a summit attracting peakbaggers from far and wide.
Historically hikers were able to drive to a trailhead along Roe Creek FSR to an elevation just shy of 900m, but recently the Roe Creek bridge was destroyed further down at around 700m elevation. A new bridge has since been constructed but the FSR has been decommissioned where the bridge begins. Vehicles can still drive over the bridge should they choose to ignore this, but there is an extremely aggressive cross ditch before it, and many, many more beyond to try and prevent this. Only the most capable off-roading vehicles will make it to the former trailhead at 900m elevation, with the new standard trailhead beginning at Roe Creek bridge at around 700m. This adds 5km of dull FSR hiking roundtrip.
Much of the hike to Cypress Peak is a long FSR walk (a full 12km round trip in fact), before dropping down and crossing over Roe Creek to the base of a long boulder field. Here hikers will ascend the boulder field to gain the northern ridge of the peak. Following the ridge is mostly simple, except for one challenging scramble. Shortly before the summit hikers will reach a gendarme towering 20m above. There are a couple of ways to tackle this and the standard route is to scramble up, which is Class 3 with exposure. A simpler scramble is possible just to the right of the traditional route, though it’s still Class 3, just less exposed and shorter. Alternatively, for those not wanting to scramble at all, you can bypass the gendarme by dropping down onto the glacier on the west side of the peak (this is the linked GPX). This involves elevation loss and regain in both directions, but is a fine option for those not wanting to deal with exposed scrambling. The glacier is benign with no visible crevasses, and in late summer you can possibly avoid it entirely by remaining close to the cliff band.
Cypress Peak tends to be a summer objective due to access difficulties in winter. Feasibly once you can drive to the Roe Creek bridge this hike is possible, but most parties will tend to wait until summer, preferring a snow free ascent. This will usually mean a July to mid-October or early November season, though if you don’t mind snow you can certainly extend that. Dogs are permitted on Cypress Peak but most will not be keen on the long boulder field and all will need considerable help on the scramble. The majority of dogs should realistically be left at home.
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Is Cypress Peak worthwhile?
Cypress Peak is a classic in the scrambling community thanks to its scenic ridgeline and fun scramble. Its prominent 3-star feature in the timeless Scrambles book has provided consistent, albeit not overwhelming levels of interest. The views from the ridge and summit are indeed excellent, with glaciers to boot. The biggest drawback of Cypress Peak, and the main reason it’s not a 5 star hike, is that much of the hike is quite boring thanks to the long FSR walk to begin. Even the boulder field climb is not that scenic, there are no lakes and very few flowers or greenery to appreciate on the way, so you really need to put in a lot of effort to get the views here.
How difficult is the hike to Cypress Peak?
Physically speaking Cypress Peak is quite a challenging hike. The first 6km are a fairly long trudge on an FSR, gaining around 500m in the process. The remainder of the hike is a steep climb up boulders and loose gravel to the ridge, gaining around 1,000m over just 5km. There are also a couple of creek crossings that could prove challenging in the early summer when runoff is high. Be prepared to potentially get wet feet.
Technically most of the hike is straightforward all the way to the gendarme below the summit block. If you choose to scramble up this just note it is Class 3 and exposed scrambling, although quite short. If you choose not to scramble up the gendarme you will instead have to drop down off the north ridge towards a glacier on the west side of the summit and work your way around the gendarme before climbing back up to the ridge on the other side. This glacier is more like a permanent snow patch with no crevasses of note, though you’ll of course have to make your own conclusions on the day. Sticking close to the cliffs you may be able to avoid the glacier entirely later in the summer. Once you’re beyond the gendarme the rest of the hike to the summit is simple, unexposed and mostly just hiking on loose boulders.
Cypress Peak Route Information
The trailhead for most vehicles will be at the bridge over Roe Creek along Roe Creek Road, which is accessed via Chance Creek FSR off of the Sea to Sky Highway. The FSR up to the bridge should be accessible for most vehicles, there are typically no cross ditches to navigate, just some potholes that lower vehicles may need to maneuver around. The road beyond the bridge has been decommissioned, with a massive cross ditch immediately before the bridge that will stop most vehicles. Very capable, high clearance vehicles can still likely get over this cross ditch, but should be warned that there are numerous more, just as aggressive cross ditches for the remainder of the road to the former trailhead at around 900m elevation.
Since the majority of cars will park at Roe Creek bridge, this is where we will assume the hike begins. Hikers will cross over Roe Creek and continue along the wide FSR for the first 2.5km, crossing numerous massive cross ditches in the process. After 2.5km you will reach a switchback where the road continues, though usually it has been blocked with logs across the road to prevent drivers going any further. The trail, however, does not follow this switchback, instead it continues straight ahead, following an old logging road that hasn’t been driveable for many years.
Over the next 3.5km you will continue following this old FSR as it climbs gradually. Large sections of it are overgrown, and if you go early in the morning the branches are often covered in morning dew, leaving you drenched by the time you reach the end. There isn’t much to see along this FSR plod, but you do get some views of Tricouni Peak along the way.
Eventually you will reach the end of the FSR where you’ll need to pay attention to your map and keep an eye out for a faint trail. It leads down an overgrown creek bed where you’ll reach Roe Creek. Crossing this creek can be tricky in the early summer when runoff is high, but it’s a fairly simple crossing later in the summer. Waterproof boots may be handy if you don’t want wet feet.
On the other side of Roe Creek you’ll find yourself in some dense overgrown vegetation that again will usually be covered in dew in the early morning so you might get soaked once more. The trail is often so overgrown here it can be tricky to follow, just keep looking down at your feet to make sure you’re on it as you likely can’t see if when looking ahead. Thankfully this section is brief and soon enough you’ll find yourself at the base of the boulder field.
The beginning of the boulder is fairly well marked with cairns and you can follow a mostly obvious trail in the gravel. After several hundred meters you’ll reach another creek that you’ll need to cross, this one can prove more challenging than Roe Creek depending on the time of year. There is no specific crossing point, instead you will need to pick your own path of least resistance and work your way across the fast flowing creek. Wet feet here are quite likely in the early summer. The creek is so fast flowing it has also carved a path through the loose gravel / rock, with steep embankments on either side. Dropping down to the creek and climbing back out the other side can be annoying and slippery,
Once over the creek you’ll find yourself back on the boulder field where again, cairns will usually mark the way fairly well initially. As you continue climbing up you’ll follow a fairly obvious gravelly path, though at times it’s steep enough that it’s actually easier to hop on the adjacent field than the loose gravel. Now it’s really a “pick your own path” as you continue climbing up this relentless boulder field. There isn’t really a defined route at this point, just keep climbing up, referring to your map to ensure you’re going generally the right way.
At around the 1,700m elevation mark you will reach the base of a glacier on the northeast of Cypress Peaks summit. The route will now loop around the northern edge of this glacier, where cairns should again become obvious. Shortly ahead you will gain the northern ridge of the peak.
Once you’re on the ridge you simply follow it towards the summit, the direction is very obvious though there are sporadic cairns to confirm your route. At around the 1,920m mark you will reach the crux of the climb, a gendarme rising ~20m directly above. There are a couple of routes to ascend this, either going directly up it (Class 3, exposed) or going to the right of it and scrambling up a shorter, less exposed, though still Class 3 scramble. Most people that are comfortable with moderate exposure will be okay on the scramble to the right, but if not there is a third and final option, drop down off the ridge to the west.
Just before the gendarme there is a ramp that you can descend towards the glacier, dropping perhaps 30-50m in the process. In the late summer you can likely stay off the glacier by sticking close to the cliffs, but in the early summer/spring this whole area will be snow covered, so take care (and bring microspikes) as you might be traversing across some moderately steep snow. The glacier itself is benign, with no crevasses noted when I hiked it. It’s more of a permanent snow patch than a traditional glacier.
Once on the snow, stick as close to the rocky cliffs as possible as you work your way around the gendarme to the other side of it. At this point you can pick your preferred point to climb back up to the ridge on the other side of the crux. This is all self-navigated but relatively straightforward.
Once past the gendarme the summit lies shortly ahead. It looks daunting from back here but it is actually quite simple, mostly just hiking with little to no exposure. Soon enough you’ll reach the summit, which has enough space for a handful of people comfortably.
The views from the summit are excellent, particularly of the nearby Tricouni Peak, with all the Sea to Sky classics on full display, such as Mount Fee, Mount Cayley, the Garibaldi Massif, the Tantalus Range, the Black Tusk, the Wedgemount peaks, Mount Currie, Keg Peak, Mount Brew, Brandywine Mountain and countless more.
After resting up at the summit you can simply return back the way you came. Downclimbing the crux can be trickier than up climbing, and if you really don’t want to do it you can take the glacier route which will avoid anything too technical. The remainder of the hike back to the trailhead is slow and fairly tedious thanks to the long boulder field descent and even longer FSR plod.
When should I hike Cypress Peak
Peak season for Cypress Peak is usually August to October, with July and potentially early November okay depending on the conditions. Once the snow sets in this region becomes more of a skier’s playground.
Top Tip
Waterproof boots would be helpful, especially if you go in early summer when the creek crossings will be challenging.
Some people like to bring a helmet for the scramble, or even just because the rock along the ridge is loose and crumbly. In a group of people you need to be aware of the potential to kick down a rock onto other members of your party.
The bugs can be relentless here in early to mid summer, so bug spray and a bug head net are essential.
If you plan to take the glacier bypass I’d advise bringing microspikes just in case. Traversing this solid snow can be tricky without slipping.
