Hiking Vantage Peak near Pemberton
Contents
Vantage Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 17.00Km
Elevation Gain: 1,150m
Highest Elevation: 2,235m
Average Gradient: 13.53%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 9 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 7 – 9 Hours
– Fast: 6 – 7 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round (Winter Preferred)
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Steep class 2 scrambling at the very end.
Vantage Peak Trail
Note: The above trail is the summer route to Vantage Peak. The winter route differs somewhat in that it sticks closer to Cerise Creek through the valley. Both routes rejoin towards the end of the valley to climb up to the col.
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°22’53.2″N 122°24’46.0″W
Disclaimer: Winter hiking (snowshoeing) involves significantly more risk than summer hiking. Hikers should be prepared with appropriate education, training and equipment for all possibilities, including but not limited to avalanches. A mistake such as going off trail, getting lost or injured can be far more dangerous in winter than summer. You are responsible for your own safety, and while I am happy to give my opinion on this website as to the avalanche risk of a specific hike, do not take this as fact and please do your own research. Everybody has different risk tolerances and mine might be different to yours.
Vantage Peak Overview
Vantage Peak is an appropriately named summit in the Duffey Lake / Pemberton region. Located next to the true giants of Joffre Peak, Mount Matier and Mount Howard, Vantage Peak offers unparalleled views of these iconic summits, and on a clear day the views from Vantage are second to none.
The standard approach to Vantage Peak is via Cerise Creek, beginning from a parking lot on Duffey Lake road that is accessible for all vehicles. After following Cerise Creek hikers will ascend steeply to a col between Vantage Peak and Mount Matier, before a steep scramble up to the summit following the west ridge.
Vantage Peak is primarily a two season summit, with the winter likely being the most popular time, followed by summer. The shoulder seasons will prove difficult for this hike as the final scramble is very steep and benefits from either a dry, snow free ascent, or a fully snowed ascent. Mixed conditions will prove challenging for route finding and the scramble itself, so late spring and fall will likely result in a difficult day.
The trail for this hike is somewhat variable dependent on the season, and due to the massive rock slide off the face of Joffre Peak in 2019 that ran through a large section of this hike, the trail is still evolving. As such, especially in the summer, route finding may be necessary in parts as the trail can be rough, overgrown and poorly marked. You can also expect some bushwhacking in the summer.
In the winter the Cerise Creek approach is extremely popular with ski tourers thanks to an abundance of touring options in the area, as well as the nearby Keith’s Hut. This actually helps anybody hiking to Vantage Peak in the winter as following the touring tracks through Cerise Creek is usually a simple task. That being said the tracks may not go all the way to the summit and there is a decent chance you will be breaking trail and self-navigating if so. A winter approach is also complicated by the final scramble, which will require mountaineering crampons, an ice axe and a nerve for very steep snow climbs. You will also want favorable avalanche conditions to even consider this hike in the winter. That being said, I went in winter and stopped 50m shy of the summit, but still consider this one of the best winter hikes I have done, which says a lot about the views.
If you want to break this trip up over multiple days there is a hut in the region known as Keith’s Hut, which can accommodate 14 people comfortably, more if you’re happy squeezing in. This is a very popular hut in the winter with ski tourers. In the summer you can always camp wherever as well, since this is not a provincial park it does not require reservations.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Is Vantage Peak worthwhile?
Vantage Peak comes with some challenges regardless of the time of year that you decide to go. In the summer you will likely have to contend with bushwhacking, route finding and an onslaught of bugs, but the scramble should be much simpler without snow. In the winter the approach is far simpler, especially if you have supportive snow conditions and tracks to follow, but the final ascent will be far more challenging in snow for the average hiker.
Overall though, the views from Vantage Peak speak for itself. It truly does offer an incredible vantage point adjacent to some of BC’s most scenic mountains. The push is well worth the shove, hence Vantage gets a five star rating without any doubt.
How difficult is the hike to Vantage Peak?
Vantage Peak is certainly a difficult hike, and the average gradient doesn’t tell the full story. The first 5.5km or so of the hike is fairly mellow with a gradual incline most of the way. The final 3km up to the Vantage col and along the ridge is very steep with an average gradient above 30%, and the last few hundred meters over 40%.
Technically the hike no doubt has challenges, some of which are season dependent. In the summer you can expect some route finding, self-navigation and bushwhacking, but the final scramble to the top will be a simpler endeavor on mostly class 2 terrain. You will need to self-navigate the ridge, but it is broad and it shouldn’t prove too difficult in the summer to avoid any serious exposure.
In the winter your approach to the Vantage col will be far simpler, likely with ski tracks to follow much of the way and little to no bushwhacking of note. The scramble, however, will be far more challenging in snow. Instead of grippy rock and hand holds, you will need to trust the snow and use mountaineering crampons and an ice axe to climb up the last few hundred meters. Navigating the ridge will be much trickier in snow too, with some complicated micro terrain through a mixed snow / rock climb. There’s also a high likelihood for a large cornice to sit on the summit, so great care should be taken.
Vantage Peak Route Information
This hike begins from the Cerise Creek parking lot on Duffey Lake road, which is 2WD accessible (requires winter tires in winter) and is plowed through the winter to allow access. There is probably space for around 20 vehicles, maybe a few more at a squeeze. The parking can fill up very quickly in the winter due to the popularity of ski touring in the area, so an early start is advised, especially on a sunny weekend. Unfortunately if you’re traveling from Vancouver (or further) that will mean a very early start given the almost 3 hour drive to get here.
From the parking area the trail drops down into the treeline and soon crosses a small wooden bridge over Cayoosh Creek. Back in the forest on the other side of the bridge the trail should be fairly well marked with orange markers on the trees. This is likely a very overgrown area in the summer, but in the winter there should be an abundance of touring tracks through here, making travel very simple and quick.
After a kilometer or so in this forest you will come out at the Cerise Creek summer trail, which for now is shared with the winter route. This follows an opening in the forest that is probably overgrown in summer but again easy to follow due to an abundance of ski tracks in winter. After following this trail for almost a kilometer you will reach Cerise Creek, and this is where the summer and winter route somewhat differ.
In the winter the ski tracks will simply glide over the boulder field which resulted from the Joffre Peak rockslide and cascaded through the valley all the way to this point, but in the summer the trail actually stays a little higher, away from Cerise Creek and up in the forest. The route you take through here in the summer is likely somewhat developing since the rockslide altered the terrain so dramatically, so some route finding may be necessary here. In the winter it should be a very simple case of following the ski tracks directly through the boulder field, sticking near Cerise Creek. The views once you reach Cerise Creek are great and only get better and better as you progress, with Vantage Peak immediately visible ahead, Mount Matier and Joffre Peak next to it and Mount Rohr behind you.
As the summer route continues in the trees it actually heads up towards Keith’s Hut, while the winter route remains down by the creek. Either way the summer route will eventually descend again back towards Cerise Creek after passing by Keith’s Hut with both routes now aligned once more.
Cerise Creek will now give way to a variety of streams that connect to form it, with the route following one of these streams towards the Vantage / Matier col. You might want to refer to your map at this point for the general direction. In the summer I would expect you’d be route finding from here as there are no defined trails, and in the winter you may or may not have ski tracks to follow up to the col.
As you approach the col you’ll start to appreciate the sheer scale of the terrain you are in, no doubt feeling extremely small below the overwhelmingly massive Joffre Peak, Mount Matier and Mount Howard, which has now also come into view. The terrain steepens considerably the closer you get to the col, and in the winter especially you may need to zig zag up the hill when the gradient steepens further.
Once you gain the col between Vantage Peak and Mount Matier the views are immediately incredible. Not only do you have a full line of sight to the giants you’ve been below so far, you’ll also now have your first views of the also impressive Snowspider Mountain and Mount Duke to the southeast. This is a good place for a rest (and potentially leave some gear) before the hard part of this hike commences.
The west ridge of Vantage Peak will now be straight ahead and at first glance may not seem too steep. From here on out you’ll be self-navigating through micro terrain, with a map only providing the general direction up the ridge. The first half of the ridge is fairly benign, definitely steep but perfectly manageable without requiring much, if any, scrambling. Even in snow you can likely keep your snowshoes on for this part. About half way up the ridge you will reach a flat bench before the second, much steeper part of the ridge begins. If you’re traveling in snow this is likely where you will want to switch to crampons and get your ice axe out, and in the summer you can prepare for more involved scrambling ahead.
The ridge immediately steepens and the terrain becomes more complicated, with rocky bluffs dotted throughout. Even in the winter much of the ridge will be snow free, creating some mixed climbing conditions that can be awkward and narrow your route options. The closer you get to the summit the steeper the terrain gets. In the summer you’ll be scrambling up with your hands, and in the winter you’ll need to kick step up, using your ice axe for hand leverage. Navigation may be finicky and you have to be careful to avoid taking a route that becomes exposed, but for the most part it shouldn’t be too much of a concern as you can always backtrack to a different route. The most challenging aspect is just the steep terrain as any fall here would result in a long tumble down the ridge. If going in winter hikers should be very aware of the potential for a massive cornice to form on the summit, making sure to give it a very wide berth.
At around 50m below the summit I actually called it a day since I was hiking alone and didn’t feel comfortable with the final ascent in snow. The views up to this point were more than enough for me to be happy and it just didn’t seem worth the risk at the time. That’s the nice thing about this hike, you will absolutely feel it’s worthwhile even if you don’t summit like me.
For those that do summit the views are much the same, only now you will also have views looking east towards Mount Caspar and Duffey Lake. The showstoppers of Matier, Joffre, Howard, Snowspider and Duke will remain jaw dropping, and you’ll also see Mount Marriott, Cayoosh Mountain and Mount Chief Pascall out to the northwest.
When should I hike Vantage Peak?
This is really dependent on your experience and confidence in snowy terrain. For me Vantage Peak is a better winter objective thanks to the much easier approach on the snow and the frankly incredible scenery in this region in snow, but it does require stable avalanche conditions, mountaineering crampons, an ice axe and a nerve for steep snowy travel. This will likely put a lot of people off as most don’t have the necessary experience in winter travel unfortunately. As noted though, even if you only make it to the Vantage – Matier col you will be richly rewarded, and this only requires snowshoes. The only point you need crampons and an ice axe is the final stretch of the ridgeline scramble. The winter season is likely late November to late April.
For anyone not wanting to hike in snow I would suggest summer, but you will have to put up with bushwhacking, route finding, bugs and the potential for bears (including grizzlies). The peak summer season is likely around July to September.
I don’t think Vantage Peak will be great in late spring/early summer or fall/early winter due to the challenging mixed conditions you would face throughout.
Top Tip
Summer: You’ll likely be facing bushwhacking and route finding throughout parts of this hike so prepare accordingly. Bring plenty of bug spray and bear spray. You’ll want good grippy hiking boots/shoes for the scramble.
Winter: Get there early. You’re going to need stable avalanche conditions and preferably a crusty, supportive snowpack. You’ll need to bring most of your winter gear, think snowshoes, mountaineering crampons, ice axe and potentially avalanche gear. Beware of the cornice on the summit.
Both routes will require an offline map as there will be navigation required either way.
