Elevation Gain: 5386m
Distance: 74km
Total Time: 3.5 days
Date: April 24th – 27th, 2026
stats are for all 3.5 days of our traverse
All of us had finished a quick summit on Stanley Peak and now we were bound for Bridge Peak. To avoid too much undulation we opted for a long side hill around a steep sub-peak to the west. On skis it wasn’t so bad and I had a head start from Alex, Seb and Steven. Around the other side was a bluffy section of ridge and I had to briefly bootpack down one spot before returning to skis.
At the bottom of this ridge we went up and over “snow dome” as labelled on bivouac, but I had hard time believing that it qualified as a summit. After that we parted ways while I made the long but speedy traverse over to the base of Bridge Peak. When I came to rest I setup a nice chair with my foam pad and dispatched with some canned tuna while soaking in the sun and views. There was a genuine silence around and I basked in the calmness of it all.
Eventually the gang caught up and armed with just the essentials we started up the slope on snow shoes and skis. This particular slope had to massive bergschrunds that cut across the face later in the season, but at this time of year they were very well filled in. We crossed both without issue and then swapped to crampons to tackle a short section of steep ridge.
Above that the angle eased off and we walked over to the true summit. The top afforded us views deep down both the Lillooet and Bridge River valleys. A truly unique focal point. Our helicopter wasn’t due until 2PM so we lingered for awhile.
The descent went smoothly and I even had a few good ski turns on the face before nearly spilling it on penetrable crust at the bottom. We relaxed for an hour and a half and then the helicopter arrived right on time. Good thing too, because a system had been building all day to the east and clouds were starting to form around our side too.
Our pilot took us right past Perkin’s Pillar on the return and it was one of the more exciting helicopter flights I’ve had! That marked the end of a short but packed trip through a remote corner. Seeing signs of two other ski parties went to show that this area is more popular than I first thought. I can certainly see why though.
