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Mt. Shuksan is a mountain that I long considered so far outside of my skillset and comfort zone that I would never climb it. While the slopes on Shuksan’s south side are lower angle and more approachable, the final ~800’ summit pyramid is steep—a sustained 40 to 50 degrees, and even steeper on the final 20’-30’. But, after successfully climbing Garibaldi and expanding my comfort zone skiing steeper slopes, Shuksan suddenly felt more like a possibility. Because I thought I’d never be able to climb the mountain, I avoided even stepping foot on it. I figured why climb 90% of a mountain if I don’t have the skills to make it up the last 10%? This season, I finally felt ready to at least step foot on the mountain, set eyes on the summit pyramid, and assess the terrain for myself.

The Spearhead Traverse is a route I learned about shortly after getting into backcountry skiing in 2018. It is regarded as one of the most scenic traverses in Canada and has been called the “Haute Route” of North America. The route connects Blackcomb to Whistler by way of a meandering traverse that crosses 11 glaciers, winds around 17 peaks, and travels through some of the most spectacular alpine terrain. It’s about 21 miles, give or take the exact variation one chooses (and there is no shortage of variations from which to choose), and about 5,600’ of gain if you exit via the standard Singing Pass route. Oh, and it also requires at least 21 transitions. It’s no small undertaking physically or technically, so I kept this route in the back of my mind as I accumulated more experience in glacier travel, reading terrain, navigating, and improving my endurance these past few years.