Hiking Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk near Chilliwack
Contents
Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 9.00Km
Elevation Gain: 800m
Highest Elevation: 1,799m
Average Gradient: 17.78%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 9 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Summer
4×4 / High Clearance Required? Yes
Scrambling / Exposure: Class 3 scramble up to Meroniuk, short class 2/3 scramble up to a bump along the ridge
Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°04’22.7″N 121°21’18.5″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.
Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk Overview
Paleface Mountain and Mount Meroniuk are a duo of infrequently summited peaks situated on the eastern slopes of Chilliwack Lake. Thanks to the Paleface North FSR, hikers are able to drive to 1,200m in a capable 4×4 high clearance vehicle, before beginning the hike on the established Trans Canada Trail. Once reaching Paleface Pass at 1,400m, hikers must depart the trail and self-navigate up very steep, bluffy terrain to Paleface Mountain, before following the ridge over to Mount Meroniuk, and descending back to the Trans Canada Trail via a boulder field before exiting.
Due to the elevation of the trailhead this hike is only feasible once the snowline has receded to a suitable level so as to allow access to the trailhead. Most parties will aim to complete this hike in spring when a snowpack will hopefully cover much of the bushy terrain, otherwise hikers can expect a fair amount of steep bushwhacking in order to reach Paleface Mountain.
Following the ridge over to Mount Meroniuk involves ascending a steep bump along the ridge, before the crux of the day, the summit block of Mount Meroniuk. Most people ascend Meroniuk via a steep gully often filled with snow in spring, usually requiring an ice axe and potentially mountaineering crampons due to the steep gradient. Without snow you can expect a class 3 scramble up and down the gully, using any vegetation you can get your hands on to assist.
As noted the season for these peaks is generally spring and summer, as once the snowline falls below 1,200m you will no longer be able to access the trailhead. May and perhaps early June are usually your best bet if you plan to go with snow coverage, after that you can expect a snow free climb up until the snow returns, usually in October or November.
This is a dog friendly hike, though most will struggle to get up Meroniuk due to the steep gully climb.
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Are Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk worthwhile?
Paleface Mountain and Mount Meroniuk is a short but steep hike, offering fantastic views of Chilliwack Lake and the surrounding peaks on a clear day. With good timing you can benefit from a deep snowpack covering the bushy terrain, making the trip fairly short and sweet. Without snow you’ll be in for a bit of suffering, particularly on the climb up to Paleface, which is steep, bushy and bluffy at times.
Following the ridge from Paleface to Meroniuk is very pleasant, with fantastic views all around. Summiting Meroniuk is optional, with some parties choosing to instead descend back down after seeing the tricky route up. The views from Meroniuk are not as good as Paleface, so don’t feel hard pressed if you opt not to bother.
Overall this is a great hike that adventurous parties will enjoy.
How difficult is the hike to Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk?
Physically speaking this isn’t the most challenging hike at just 9km and ~800m elevation gain. Don’t let the stats fool you too much though, as despite the shortness of the hike most parties can expect to take anywhere from 6 – 7 hours to complete this. There are also some very steep sections of this hike, particularly from Paleface Pass up to Paleface Mountain, which ascends around 350m elevation in just 800m distance, for an average gradient of over 40%. That being said, due to the ruggedness of the terrain you are slowed down quite a lot (hence the slow time to complete this hike), which means you probably won’t actually be that out of breath for most of the hike.
Technically this hike certainly has its challenges, which will somewhat depend on whether you go with snow on the ground or not. With snow you can expect some very steep snowy terrain that some people may want mountaineering crampons for. An ice axe is also strongly advised, especially if you are intending to summit Mount Meroniuk. Without snow you will find much of the route is bushy, with several sections no doubt requiring vege scrambling. Obviously there is also a significant amount of route finding given there is no trail or markers along the hike.
Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk Route Information
The hike begins from 1,200m elevation on Paleface North FSR, at a junction with the Trans Canada Trail. You’ll want to verify against a GPX that you are stopping in the right place to begin the hike, as Paleface North FSR actually continues even higher if you keep following it. Paleface North FSR branches off of the Chilliwack River FSR and includes numerous cross ditches of varying depths that will likely stop most SUV’s and certainly any low clearance vehicle.
From this junction the hike will begin by following the established Trans Canada Trail for the first 2km, rising around 200m in the process. This should be a fairly easy trail to follow without snow, but with snow you may need to navigate your own way through the forest to the pass.
From Paleface Pass you will now be self navigating for the remainder of the hike, so get your map out and check it regularly as you begin to work your way up the ENE ridge of Paleface Mountain. Initially the climb will pass through an old cutblock that should be fairly easy going, but shortly ahead you’ll reach the older forest where the gradient soon increases significantly.
If you have timed it for a deep snowpack you shouldn’t have too much problem avoiding much bush, but without snow you should expect some moderate bushwhacking as you work your way up. The gradient remains very steep the entire climb up, and at times you will reach a bluff that requires bypassing by bushwhacking around it. Overall the climb up is mostly straightforward, just steep and slow going due to the terrain.
As you near 1,700m the terrain begins to open up, and you’ll start to get some views behind you. Shortly ahead will be a slight bit of respite in the climb, but the final push to the summit of Paleface Mountain is the steepest section of the ascent. Some people may opt to use an ice axe here.
From the summit of Paleface Mountain the views will be fantastic, with Mount Lindeman, MacDonald Peak and Mount Webb all prominent, as well as Mount Edgar, Welch Peak, Foley Peak, Williams Peak, Mount Redoubt, Thompson Peak, Klesilkwa Mountain and many more on display. Of course Chilliwack Lake down below will also offer great views. After resting up at Paleface summit you’ll be able to see your next objective, Mount Meroniuk, at the end of the ridge.
Following the ridge down is straightforward, offering even better views of Chilliwack Lake as you descend. After descending around 170m you’ll find yourself below a steep bump that you’ll need to climb up. You may be able to bypass this to the right, but most parties opt to climb straight up it. This will be steep, requiring kick steps in the snow and potentially an ice axe for added security. From the top of this bump you’ll continue along the ridge towards Mount Meroniuk.
The summit block of Mount Meroniuk is a challenging one with a couple of options. Most parties opt for a gully, with the other option an imposing class 4 climb up a near vertical slab of rock. The gully looks intimidating from afar, but once you get up close it’s not as bad as it looks. With snow you can expect to kick step up, with an ice axe and pole to assist on the climb. Without snow you will need to scramble up using whatever ledges and vegetation you can find to help pull yourself up. While the gully is steep it’s also quite short, and any fall would likely stop fairly quickly.
Once at the top of the gully the summit is just a few minutes ahead, with little in the way of concern for the remainder of the ascent. The views from Meroniuk are much the same as Paleface, only this summit is partially forested, offering no views to the south. Most parties don’t stay here for long, so after a quick rest you’ll head back down the gully and return to the bump you previously climbed along the ridge, where the descent back to the TCT begins.
From the bump you’ll descend its northeast ridge heading towards an open cutblock at the end of the ridge. Refer to your GPX if in doubt. As you near this cutblock you’ll reach a steep boulder field to the left. With a deep snowpack this will offer a great glissade back down into the forest, but without you’ll simply descend this steep boulder field. Either way this is a much more pleasant descent than the ascent route as the terrain is open and unimpeded. At the base of the boulder field you’ll now self-navigate through light forest back to the Trans Canada Trail, with minimal bushwhacking necessary. Once you rejoin the Trans Canada Trail you simply follow it back to the car.
When should I hike Paleface Mountain & Mount Meroniuk?
As noted, spring is the ideal time to hike Paleface Mountain and Mount Meroniuk, when the road should be snow free but the hike benefits from a snowpack covering the bushy terrain. These conditions can be hard to time as they may only last a few weeks, typically in mid-May to early June. After this the remainder of the summer will be fine, you’ll just have to accept it’ll be a bushy day. Once the snow returns for winter, usually in late October or early November, the season will be gone again until next spring.
Top Tip
If you don’t care about bagging peaks you can leave Meroniuk and instead continue along the ridge to the descent route from the bump in between the peaks. This will still offer great views and will avoid the worst of the scrambling.
Timing this hike for snowy conditions will make life much easier, though you should be prepared with ice axe and potentially crampons, especially if you intend to summit Meroniuk.
