Hiking Torrent Peak near Pemberton
Contents
Torrent Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 11.25Km
Elevation Gain: 1,150m
Highest Elevation: 2,012m
Average Gradient: 20.44%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to November
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No need for 4×4, some clearance would help on the long FSR.
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Torrent Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°16’17.3″N 122°52’13.3″W
Note: The above coordinates lead to the start of Rutherford Creek FSR. You’ll need to switch to your AllTrails/Gaia map to see the FSR to the trailhead.
Torrent Peak Overview
Torrent Peak is a summit located slightly west of the town of Pemberton, typically accessed via Rutherford Creek FSR, or less frequently via Soo River FSR. This is an infrequently hiked mountain that requires self-navigated travel in the backcountry, though it’s a technically straightforward ascent with little in the way of scrambling and no exposure.
Torrent Peak offers rewarding views from its summit, with excellent views of the nearby Rhododendron Mountain, Ipsoot Mountain, the Pemberton Icefields, Mount Callaghan, Rainbow Mountain, and many more peaks.
Due to the long (17km) drive down Rutherford Creek FSR, Torrent Peak is only accessible when the snowline is above this elevation. Therefore, this hike is not feasible in the midst of winter, however spring, summer and fall will all work once the snowline is high enough. Typically this will mean ~June to November, depending on the year.
The hike begins by following an old (undriveable) FSR before departing into the forest and self-navigating through it. The bush should be fairly manageable and a route may be flagged, though you shouldn’t rely on this being there. Out of the forest you pass over a marshy area before a steep, rocky climb up to the summit, optionally with glacier travel.
Rutherford Creek FSR is typically well groomed and suitable for most vehicles, though some ground clearance is always beneficial. This hike is dog friendly.
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Is Torrent Peak worthwhile?
Torrent Peak offers fairly rewarding views for moderate effort, with panoramic views from the summit. The hike is short but fairly steep most of the way, with most parties finishing in a reasonable time. This makes for a great snow objective due to its short stats, however summer seems to be more common due to the access issues in snow.
How difficult is the hike to Torrent Peak?
Physically speaking Torrent Peak is a fairly steep but short hike, with an average gradient above 20%. A third of the elevation gain is following an FSR, with most of the rest coming towards the end as you climb rocky terrain to the summit. The brief 1.5km stretch in the forest is more mellow though involves some simple route finding and light bushwhacking.
Technically the hike is quite straightforward, though that depends what route you opt for at the end. Once you are beyond the marsh you can optionally reach the summit via glacier travel (with obvious risks), by skirting the edge of the glacier, or (as we did) by going up a short yet steep couloir. The couloir option may only be worthwhile in snow. Most parties will likely opt to skirt around the east side of the glacier with some simple, unexposed scrambling likely involved.
Torrent Peak Route Information
The hike to Torrent peak begins from a spur road near the end of Rutherford Creek FSR. The GPX above may not show the spur road to the trailhead, however if you follow Rutherford Creek FSR to the point directly north of the trailhead, there will be a bridge over Rutherford Creek that you can drive over and park at the trailhead. As noted, Rutherford Creek FSR is typically well graded and mellow, most vehicles should be okay driving it, though an SUV is always recommended as a minimum.
After parking you will see a rugged FSR heading west which you will want to begin hiking up. Capable off road vehicles may be able to drive shortly up this branch, however the road has been completely washed out a little further up so don’t expect to get far.
The first 2.2km of the hike ascends this FSR at a fairly steep gradient, dispatching around 400m of elevation gain right off the bat. Pay attention to your map at this point as the FSR actually continues, yet you now want to depart the FSR and enter a cutblock on your left. The initial travel through the cutblock will be a bit finicky, however you should soon reach the forest canopy at which point you may begin seeing some markers. If in doubt, refer to your map.
The general direction should be fairly intuitive as you follow a creek through the forest, and any bushwhacking should be fairly light. After a kilometer or so you’ll cross over the creek, where shortly ahead you’ll reach the marshy area. You’ll also now see a false summit of Torrent Peak behind.
Work your way through the marsh however best you see fit, in snow we could easily skirt around it, but presumably in summer it might be a bit more involved. On the other side of the marsh you climb steeply, and you’ll want to trend to your left as much as possible, as you’ll essentially be arcing around in a counterclockwise manner towards the peak.
After a steep climb up you’ll top out and then you’ll be able to decide which route to take in order to summit. We spotted an easy looking snow filled couloir on our approach and opted to take that route, but in the summer most parties will follow our descent tracks in each direction, avoiding the couloir and instead working around this steep bluff. Some people opt to travel on the nearby glacier, which is less steep. The glacier is reportedly minimally crevassed, though obviously take great care any time traveling on glaciers.
After you top out of the couloir (or after you’ve worked around it), you’ll be at the base of the summit block. Here it’s essentially a pick your own path to the top, with plenty of options available. For the most part it should just be hiking, though you may put your hands down here or there. There is no exposure.
After around 150m of climbing you’ll reach the summit, where the views will now be on full display. To the east will be Ipsoot Mountain, Rhododendron Mountain and the Wedgemount peaks. To the north will be the Train Glacier peaks and Mount Sampson. To the west will primarily be the Pemberton Icefields and Mount Callaghan, and to the south will be Rainbow Mountain, Whistler and the Garibaldi peaks.
After resting up on the summit and enjoying the views, you simply return the same way you came.
When should I hike Torrent Peak?
Access to Torrent Peak requires Rutherford Creek FSR to be free of snow, which rules out winter. The trailhead isn’t that high though, at around 880m, so spring will usually work okay. Most years you’re probably looking at late May – early November, but it really depends on the conditions. Most groups will likely go in the midst of summer regardless, just be wary of mosquitoes in the early summer, as they can be horrendous around the Pemberton Valley at this time of year.
Top Tip
You’ll certainly want an offline map for Torrent Peak as there is no trail, and you can’t rely on markers either.
You can continue along the ridge to Zener Peak if you want a longer outing, though this peak is lower and the views aren’t any better. It would also mean returning via the glacier unless you retrace your steps back along the ridge over Torrent Peak again.
