Hiking Peregrine and Frodo Peak near Birkenhead Lake
Contents
Peregrine and Frodo Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 8.20Km
Elevation Gain: 690m
Highest Elevation: 2,266m
Average Gradient: 16.83%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 3 – 4 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~July to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Minimal
Peregrine and Frodo Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°34’10.3″N 122°39’09.9″W
Peregrine and Frodo Peak Overview
Peregrine Peak and Frodo Peak are two of the easier summits to ascend in the Tolkien Range, typically accessed via Phelix Creek, with most people combining these with other peaks in the area and likely an overnight stay at the Brian Waddington Hut (or camping outside at Long Lake).
The stats above assume starting and finishing at the hut/campgrounds, so if you plan to do this as a day trip (manageable as a big day), you will need to add on the hike stats to and from the Brian Waddington Hut. Given the long drive from Vancouver (3.5 hours), most people will do this as an overnight, perhaps combining these peaks with other nearby Tolkien peaks, such as Mount Gandalf, Mount Aragorn and/or Mount Shadowfax,
One major consideration for hikers to make note of is that the VOC strongly discourages visitors to the Tolkien area between August 15 – October 15 to allow grizzly bears to feed without human interference. This is a prime feeding spot for bears in the mid to late summer, so the VOC has made a request to voluntarily close the area during this time. Of course, this is not enforced and access is still possible, but ideally it should be respected.
From the hut, there’s a couple of standard approaches to summit Peregrine and Frodo Peak. The route described here is the most direct, ascending a boulder field between the two peaks, tagging them both and then descending the same way. Alternatively you could hike up the standard route to Mount Gandalf, then at the Gandalf/Frodo col, ascend Frodo, traverse over to Peregrine, then descend either the boulder field between Peregrine/Frodo, or return back over Frodo and descend via the same route you ascended. There’s also a possible route going up/down the nearby Cabin Hill, though this is less common and requires a bit more route finding.
The route has moments of following a trail from the hut and around Upper Long Lake, but most of it is self navigation in the backcountry with no trail to follow. The route finding is generally simple and there is little scrambling required, with no real exposure.
Timing a visit to the area is tricky. The snow will generally only melt away at these elevations in late June, and with the closure from Aug 15 – October 15, most of the prime summer season is gone. July and early August is therefore your best bet, but unfortunately this ties in with peak mosquito season. After October 15 the snow will likely have returned to the area, though you may have a couple more weeks if you’re lucky.
Dogs are allowed in the area, though I wouldn’t stay in the hut if you do bring one as other people may not be keen with sharing with a dog.
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Are Peregrine Peak and Frodo Peak worthwhile?
The Tolkien area is a beautiful region not too far from Vancouver. Even with just one night stay at the hut/campgrounds you will be able to summit every peak in the vicinity. These peaks are feasible as a very long day trip, but I would sooner suggest an overnight trip to make the drive out more worthwhile. Peregrine and Frodo tend to be the lower priority peaks in the region, as Gandalf, Aragorn and Shadowfax are all higher and offer broader views. That’s not to say Peregrine and Frodo aren’t worthwhile mind you, they are well worth the effort and won’t take very long. These are easy peaks to do in the morning before you return home, assuming you’re doing an overnight in the region.
How difficult is the hike to Peregrine Peak & Frodo Peak?
The linked stats are for a round trip from the hut, excluding the hike into the hut itself, so it’s fairly moderate. From the hut this is a pretty short and steep trip that should only take 3 – 4 hours for most people. If you add on the hike from the Phelix Creek trailhead, you’re looking at adding on another 10km and 500m, assuming you can drive up the FSR, making this more difficult but still a perfectly manageable day hike. It’s a long drive on top of that as well (7 hours round trip) though, so most people will do this overnight.
Technically speaking this hike involves plenty of unmarked backcountry hiking without any trail, but with a GPX in hand it’s all straightforward. There’s a smidgen of scrambling towards the summit of Peregrine, but it’s short, simple and easy to avoid exposure.
Peregrine Peak and Frodo Peak Route Information
The route information will begin from the Brian Waddington Hut. To reach the hut you should read this post, which has all the details you should need.
From the Brian Waddington Hut you should find a trail leading from the backside. Follow this trail as it meanders parallel to a creek flowing out of Upper Long Lake. The trail here can be very muddy at certain times due to the nature of the area, so take care with your footing. After around 500m you’ll reach the eastern tip of Upper Long Lake, with nice views of Peregrine and Frodo Peak as your backdrop.
The trail continues to follow the northwestern shores of Upper Long Lake, with much of it clambering over boulders. This should be somewhat marked with cairns, but for the most part just stick near the shore if you lose the trail. Once you reach the western end of the lake you’ll want to pay attention to your GPX as the actual trail will now continue towards the Gandalf/Frodo col (of course, if you’re opting for that route, by all means follow it).
Assuming you’re taking the direct route up the boulder field, refer to your map and begin working your way towards the obvious route. It might look a little steep from your vantage point, but as always it’s easier once you get there. The initial stretches will involve some heather slopes and streams to navigate, but soon enough you’ll be on all talus. All in, you’ll climb around 300m over 1km to reach the col between Peregrine and Frodo, with the final 30m of gain quite steep and loose. Still, it’s perfectly manageable both up and down.
From the col you can select which peak to summit first, but I’ll assume you save the easier Frodo for last. Turning east, you might find a faint trail leading up the initially steep western ridge of Peregrine. This is one of those peaks where you keep thinking you’re at the summit, only to find another higher point further along.
Most of the ridge to Peregrine is straightforward, there will be some side hilling on potentially slick rock, and a bit of scrambling to drop off a false summit shortly before the true summit, but other than that it’s a simple ridgeline wander. It does feel a little frustrating with the constant false summit though.
From Peregrine Peak you’ll have excellent views of Tolkien Peak, Mount Gandalf, Mount Aragorn, Mount Shadowfax, Mount Taillefer and plenty more.
Once you’re finished on the top, you’ll re-work the ridgeline back to the Peregrine/Frodo col, at which point all that’s left is a simple plod up to the Frodo Peak summit. This will feel considerably easier than Peregrine, with no false summits and a smooth 90m elevation gain to reach the top. The views will be largely the same, if not a little worse, but given how easy it is to add on, you might as well.
From Frodo, you return to the hut back the way you came, or alternatively you could continue along the ridge to the Frodo/Gandalf col and follow the actual trail down from there. This would add some distance, but would avoid the boulder field.
When should I hike Peregrine Peak and Frodo Peak?
As noted, timing is tricky here for hikers and backpackers assuming you respect the Aug 15 – Oct 15 voluntary closure. July to Aug 15 is likely the best time to go. If you don’t mind snow around you can probably go in June, and you may get away with late October as well. Typically November to May will be snowy, and while you can readily reach the hut still, exploring deeper into the region will be a lot more involved.
Top Tip
The best time to go to avoid the worst mosquitos but still respect the closure is as close to Aug 15th as possible. That being said, fires can ramp up around here too, so smoke can become a concern (as it was for us).
If you want to stay in the hut, try to avoid Saturday’s. They are often very busy with 20+ people registered to stay there. I can’t imagine how packed that little hut is with 20 or more people. Make sure to check the VOC website to see how many people are registered to be staying on the dates you intend to go.
If you want a bigger day, adding on Frodo Peak and Peregrine Peak is quite straightforward from the Frodo / Gandalf col. Mount Shadowfax could also be added, and if you’re starting early from the hut you can definitely do all 5 peaks in one long day. Most people will split it over two days though, with day 1 hiking to the hut and climbing 2 or 3 peaks (Shadowfax, Gandalf and Aragorn), and day 2 hitting the remaining peaks (Peregrine and Frodo) before hiking back out.
