See Alpine Select route #7: "This is a classic of mountaineering in the Tantalus a popular climb with short-lived difficulties. A fit and fast party can do it from Squamish in a day."

Leave from Vancouver early on Saturday morning and drive to Squamish. Details of access to the Squamish River will be worked out closer to the trip date, but potential options for making the crossing include a Tyrolean traverse over the cables or hiring a ferry - trip participants to discuss.

Once across the Squamish River, we will hike the BC Parks trail to Lake Lovely Water (2-3 hours). From there, we will bushwhack and scramble to the based of Alpha's east ridge. The ridge consists of mostly 3rd class to low-5th class scrambling, with 1-2 short sections up to 5.7-5.8. Descent via the south facing slopes near the Alpha-Serratus col (possible rappel), and more bushwhacking/scrambling down to Lambda Lake, and the onwards to Lake Lovely Water and the trail down to the river.

We will carry some minimal overnight gear, in case we are not able to complete the climb and descent in one day and we have to bivy somewhere.

Trip organizer will supply some of the group gear, including map, GPS, satellite messenger and first aid kit. Shared tents, stoves and ropes will be organized once the trip participants are finalized.

Each trip participant needs to provide his/her own: helmet, harness, steel crampons, ice axe, belay/rappel device, warm & weatherproof clothing, enough food and hydration to stay on the move for 12-15 hours at a time.

NOTES

• please consider NOT seeking to join this trip unless you have conducted your own research into the route, and compared that with your own experience, fitness level and skill

• if minimum safety levels are not met (because of weather, conditions, etc.) the trip will be canceled, last minute cancellations do occur.
• if you want to receive a response you must clearly answer  ALL "Trip Planning Questions".
• if you haven't received response, check your email in Spam folder (some eager service providers mark club's messages as such).
• logistics are self-organized - please use the Planning Forum attached to this trip page to organize rides to the meeting point.
• Please update your BCMC Account Profile with your emergency contact information. To do that you have to login on the website, click the "My account" button at top right, then click on "edit profile information", then select the "private information" tab and enter your emergency contact information -- this info will stay in your profile and is made available to a trip organizer automatically -- it saves time at the meeting point.
• if you have previously "bailed" less than a day before the start of, or been a "no show" for, one of the trip organizer's previous trips, you need not apply to join this one - you will not get a response.