Overlord Mountain

getting there

Drive 2 hours north from Vancouver, BC on Highway 99 to Whistler.  Turn right onto Village Gate Blvd.  Turn left onto Blackcomb Way (T Intersection).  Overnight parking is located in Lot 4.

APPROACH & ASCENT

Follow the Singing Pass Trail located near the base of the Whistler Village Gondola.  The trail starts as a gravel road leading to a large cement water tower.  Follow the left fork road just beyond for 3.1 miles to the old trailhead for Singing pass.  Follow the trail an additional 7.5 miles to Singing Pass and take the Russet Lake trail for an additional two miles to the lake and tent or Hut (Himmelsbach Hut) camping.  Note that most of the approach to Singing Pass can  be avoided by taking the Blackcomb Gondola.  See "Scrambles in Southwest British Columbia", page 90 for this alternate approach details.

From Russet Lake ascend the glacial valley staying right of Fissle and Whirlwind peaks.  Ascend to the col between Whirlwind peak and Refuse Pinnacle.  Rope up here.  Descend to the Overlord Glacier and traverse right going under the cliffs of Overlord staying low to go under the rocky ridge on Overlord's southeast side.  Ascend up the glacier to the south of Overlord to the col and ascent Overlord via Class 2 terrain. 

Descent

Follow the ridge to Refuse Pinnacle and descend to the Refuse/Fissle col and follow this back to Russet lake.  Note that an alternate descent from the col over Fissle Peak is possible (Class 2) if the group wants additional peak baggin g in this spectacular area.

information for leaders

• Considerations for travel to Canada

  • Start by reviewing the latest regulations. Look for information on border crossing and travel to Canada on these websites:
    
    • U.S. Customs and Border Protection
    • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
    • WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation)
    • Government of Canada
  • Everyone must have a passport or other valid ID like a NEXUS card.
  • NEXUS cards can save a lot of time but only work if everyone in the car has one.
  • Make sure your vehicle insurance is valid for Canada.
  • Make sure your health insurance is valid for Canada.
  • Border crossing regulations are strict in both directions. Know what you’re allowed to take and declare everything to avoid problems.
  • You may be able to save time by checking alternate border crossings.
  • See the Travel Industry Council of Ontario's 9 Travel Tips for Crossing the Canadian/U.S. Land Border blog post for some good tips on traveling to Canada.

• Suitable Activities: Climbing
• Climbing Category: Basic Alpine
• Seasons: June, July, August, September
• Weather: View weather forecast

• Difficulty: Basic Glacier Climb
• Length: 27.0 mi
• Elevation Gain: 6,000 ft
• High Point: 8,612 ft

• Land Manager: Garibaldi Provincial Park
• Parking Permit Required: see Land Manager
• Recommended Party Size: 9
• Maximum Party Size: 12
• Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12