The Devils Range is a line of twelve named peaks in the Valhalla Ranges (part of the Selkirk Mountains which are part of the Columbia Mountains) in the West Kootenay of southern British Columbia. The 12 peaks run in an east/west direction between Gwillim Creek to the south and Evans Lake to the north. It is about nine kilometres from one end to the other. Many of the peaks have a dramatic spire shape, are made of gneiss, and make for excellent rock climbing.
The only reasonable access is the Hoder Creek Road (high clearance, overgrown for the last 2 km), which gives access to the Drinnon Pass trail and Gwillim Lakes. Black Prince, and Lucifer are climbed from the Gwillim Lakes Basin (Trident and Mephistopheles can also be climbed from here or from Gwillim Creek). The rest are climbed from Gwillim Creek. There is no trail access to this part of the range.
They were named by members of the Kootenay Mountaineering Club.
The names all convey some image of the devil. The following list starts with Black Prince on the west end and ends with Devil’s Couch on the east.
THE DEVIL. The Devil (from Greek diablos = slanderer or accuser) is believed in many religions, myths and cultures to be a supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly, ranging from being an effective opposite force to the creator god, locked in an eons-long struggle for human souls on what may seem even terms to being a comical figure of fun or an abstract aspect of the individual human condition.
While mainstream Judaism contains no overt concept of a devil, Christianity and Islam have variously regarded the Devil as a rebellious fallen angel or demon that tempts humans to sin, if not commit evil deeds himself. In these religions – particularly during periods of division or external threat – the Devil has assumed more of a dualistic status commonly associated with heretics, infidels, and other unbelievers. As such, the Devil is seen as an allegory that represents a crisis of faith, individualism, free will, wisdom and enlightenment.
In mainstream Christianity, God and the Devil are usually portrayed as fighting over the souls of humans, with the Devil seeking to lure people away from God and into Hell. The Devil commands a force of evil spirits, commonly known as demons.
The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) describes the Adversary (ha-satan) as an angel who instigates tests upon humankind. Many other religions have a trickster or tempter figure that is similar to the Devil. Modern conceptions of the Devil include the concept that it symbolizes humans’ own lower nature or sinfulness.
1. BLACK PRINCE. (2790m) The westernmost peak of the range is at the apex of the watersheds of Woden Creek, Gwillim Creek, and Evans Lake. The first recorded ascent was Ron Anderson, Stan Baker, Vince Joseph, and Peter Wood in 1975. Nontechnical by many approaches but usually climbed via south slopes from Gwillim Basin.
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376) was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England. He was called Edward of Woodstock in his early life, after his birthplace, and since the 16th century has been popularly known as the Black Prince. He was an exceptional military leader, and his victories over the French at the Battles of Crécy and Poitiers made him very popular during his lifetime. In 1348 he became the first Knight of the Garter, of whose Order he was one of the founders.
Edward’s brutality in France is also well documented, and it is believed that this is where the title has its origins. The French soldier Philippe de Mézières refers to Edward as the greatest of the “black boars” – those aggressors who had done so much to disrupt relations within Christendom.
2. LUCIFER. (2760m) First ascent Bob Dean, Howie Ridge August 24, 1970. Usually climbed via the east ridge (class 3) from Gwillim Basin.
Lucifer means “shining one, morning star, the planet Venus”, or, as an adjective, “light-bringing”. The pseudepigrapha of pre-Christian Enochic Judaism, which enjoyed much popularity during the Second Temple period, gave Satan an expanded role, interpreting Isaiah 14:12-15, with its reference to the morning star, as applicable to him, and presenting him as a fallen angel cast out of heaven.
Christian tradition, influenced by this presentation, came to use the Latin word for “morning star”, lucifer, as a proper name (“Lucifer”) for Satan as Satan was before his fall. As a result, “Lucifer has become a by-word for Satan in the Church and in popular literature”, as in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno and John Milton’s Paradise Lost.
3. TRIDENT (2730m) First ascent as a traverse of Trident, Rosemary’s Baby and Mephistopheles by Howie Ridge, Gordon Stein, and Peter Wood early September 1973. The hard bit was the SW ridge of Trident class 5.3 and the rest of the traverse is easy. Most commonly climbed as a traverse from the Mephistopheles/Rosemary’s Baby col. Approach from Gwillim Basin or Gwillim Creek.
A trident is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. Poseidon the Greek god of the sea, Greco-Roman Poseidon, or Neptune the Roman god of the sea, and the major Hindu Lord and God Shiva are all classically depicted bearing a trident. Tridents can be distinguished from pitchforks in that the latter is an agricultural tool with two to six tines (also called prongs) which are shaped in such a way that they can be used to lift and pitch (throw) loose material. The Grim Reaper carried a scythe.
4. ROSEMARY’S BABY (2700m) The mountain, on profile, looks like a pregnant woman lying on her back.
Rosemary’s Baby is a 1967 best-selling horror novel by Ira Levin, his second published book. It sold over 4 million copies making it the top bestselling horror novel of the 1960s.
The book centres on Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who has just moved into the Bramford, an old Gothic Revival-style New York City apartment building with her husband, Guy, a struggling actor. The pair is warned that the Bramford has a disturbing history involving witchcraft and murder, but they choose to overlook this. Rosemary has wanted children for some time, but Guy wants to wait until he is more established. Rosemary and Guy are quickly welcomed to Bramford by neighbours Minnie and Roman Castevet, an eccentric elderly couple. Rosemary finds them meddlesome and absurd, but Guy begins paying them frequent visits.
After a theatrical rival suddenly goes blind, Guy is given an important part in a stage play. Immediately afterward, Guy unexpectedly agrees with Rosemary that it is time to conceive their first child. Guy’s performance in the stage play brings him favourable notice and he is subsequently cast in other, increasingly important roles; he begins to talk about a career in Hollywood.
After receiving a warning from a friend, who also becomes mysteriously ill, Rosemary discovers that her neighbours are the leaders of a Satanic coven, and she suspects they intend to steal her child and use it as a sacrifice to the Devil. Despite her growing conviction, she is unable to convince anyone else and soon becomes certain that there is no one actually on her side, least of all her husband. Ultimately, Rosemary finds that she is wrong about the coven’s reason for wanting the baby – the baby is the Antichrist and Guy is not the father.
5. MEPHISTOPHELES (2730m) easily climbed from the col to the west.
Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend, and he has since appeared in other works as a stock character version of the Devil. The name is associated with the Faust legend of a scholar — based on the historical Johann Georg Faust — who wagers his soul with the Devil.
Although Mephistopheles appears to Faustus as a devil — a worker for Satan — critics claim that he does not search for men to corrupt but comes to serve and ultimately collect the souls of those who are already damned. Mephistopheles is already trapped in his own hell by serving the Devil. He warns Faustus of the choice he is making by “selling his soul” to the Devil: “Mephistophilis, an agent of Lucifer, appears and at first advises Faust not to forgo the promise of heaven to pursue his goals”. Faustus enters an ever-present private hell like that of Mephistopheles.
6. DEVILS DOME (2790M). The highest mountain in the Devils Range, it is the most impressive of the peaks as seen from the Drinnon Lake approach. First ascent Bob Dean, Howie Ridge July 18, 1971. It has no easy route. It is most commonly climbed via the south face Class 5.5.
7. CHARIOT PEAK (2700M). Located 1.6 km ENE of Devil’s Dome. First recorded ascent Howie Ridge, Gordon Stein, Peter Wood September 1973. A long side-hilling traverse leads to the wide basin at the bottom of the peak. An easy traverse leads over all 3 peaks each with a cairn. The NE end is the highest and has a 2-metre cairn. Descend the east ridge of the SW peak.
I could find no connection between chariots and the devil. Who named this mountain? Maybe they know.
8. DIABLO, MOUNT (2670m) Diablo, Banshee and Satan were first climbed by a large KMC party in August 1974. They are all easy scrambles up obvious ridges. Diablo is Spanish for the devil. Greek for the devil is diablos.
9. BANSHEE PEAK (2730m) The banshee (Irish: “woman of the fairy mounds”) is a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.
In legend, a banshee is a fairy woman who begins to wail if someone is about to die. In Scottish Gaelic mythology, she is seen washing the bloodstained clothes or armour of those who are about to die. Similar beings are also found in Welsh, Norse, and American folklore.
10. SATAN PEAK (2640m)
Satan (Hebrew: “the opposer,”) is a character appearing in the texts of the Abrahamic religions, who personifies evil and temptation and is known as the deceiver that leads humanity astray. The term is often applied to an angel who fell out of favour with God, seducing humanity into the ways of sin, and who now rules over the fallen world.
Satan is primarily understood as an “accuser” or “adversary” in the Hebrew Bible and is not necessarily the personification of evil that he would become in later Abrahamic religions. In the New Testament, Satan is a name that refers to a decidedly malevolent entity (devil) who possesses demonic god-like qualities. In Theistic Satanism, Satan is considered a positive force and deity who is either worshipped or revered. In LaVeyan’s Satanism, Satan is regarded as holding virtuous characteristics.
VADER PASS Darth Vader (born Anakin Skywalker) is the central character of the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists of the original trilogy and as one of the main protagonists of the prequel trilogy.
The character was created by George Lucas and numerous actors have portrayed him. His appearances span all six Star Wars films, and he is an important character in the expanded universe of television series, video games, novels, literature and comic books. The films establish that he was originally a Jedi who was part depicted in the prophecy of being the Chosen One by restoring balance to the Force but fell to the dark side of the Force; he is also the father of both Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, the two main protagonists of the original trilogy.
In Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker feels “smothered” by Obi-Wan Kenobi and is unable to control his life. By Revenge of the Sith, however, Anakin’s “father-son” friction with his master has matured into a more equal, brotherly relationship. Once he becomes Darth Vader, each evil act he commits makes it harder for him to return to the light, but Vader ultimately escapes the dark side and redeems himself before he dies by saving his son and killing Palpatine.
Eric Bui, a psychiatrist at the University of Toulouse Hospital, argued at the 2007 American Psychiatric Association convention that Anakin meets six of the nine diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD), one more than necessary for a diagnosis. Bui says he found Anakin Skywalker a useful example to explain BPD to medical students. In particular, Bui points to Anakin’s abandonment issues and uncertainty over his identity. Anakin’s mass murders of the Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones and the young Jedi in Revenge of the Sith count as two dissociative episodes, fulfilling another criterion. Bui hoped his paper would help raise awareness of the disorder, especially among teens.
Darth Vader’s iconic status has made the character a synonym for evil in popular culture; psychiatrists have even considered him a useful example to explain borderline personality disorder to medical students.
11. DEVILS SPIRE (2640m) An impressive peak between Satan Peak and Devil’s Couch. The first recorded ascent was by Ian Hamilton and Howie Ridge, in August 1974. Class 5.3 climb up the middle of the NE face. Exposed on the summit ridge, class 4 and low 5. Two rappels on the descent.
12. DEVILS COUCH (2730m) Originally called King Tut’s Couch. It is the easternmost peak of the Devils Range, NNW of Gladsheim. It is visible from Cape Horn on Highway 6. First climbed in 1967 by Bob Dean, Frank Nixon and his dog. The approach was up the old Gwillim Creek Road, a trail, then bushwhack and many ups and downs on the ridge over 2 days. Now it is reached from Coven Lakes. The west summit is the highest.
CAULDRON LAKE. This pretty lake is 2 kilometres south and 1,900 feet lower than the summit of Devil’s Dome. It is the common campsite for many trips in the Devils Range: to climb Mephistopheles, Devils Dome, False Devils Dome, Chariot, and the cross-country trip to Coven Lakes, at the east end of the range.
Cauldrons have largely fallen out of use in the developed world as cooking vessels. While still used for practical purposes, a more common association in Western culture is the cauldron’s use in witchcraft – a cliché popularized by various works of fiction, such as Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. In fiction, witches often prepare their potions in a cauldron. Also, in Irish folklore, a cauldron is purported to be where leprechauns keep their gold and treasure.
COVEN LAKES. These 5 small lakes are set in a volcanic caldera at the east end of the Devils Range. They give access to climb Devil Couch, Devil Spire, Satan, Banshee and Diablo. The best campsite is on a spit between the two large lakes. It gets a breeze to help deal with all the mosquitos. Looking south are Mt Gladsheim and Asgard in Mulvey Basin. It is a magical place with very few visitors (on average one group per year).
In Wicca and other similar forms of modern neopagan witchcraft, such as Stregheria and Feri Witchcraft, a coven is a gathering or community of witches, much like a congregation in Christian parlance. It is composed of a group of believers who gather together for ceremonies of worship such as Drawing Down the Moon or celebrating the Sabbats. The number of persons involved may vary. Although thirteen is considered ideal, any group of at least three can be a coven. A group of two is usually called a “working couple” (regardless of their sex). Within the community, many believe that a coven larger than thirteen is unwieldy, citing unwieldy group dynamics and an unfair burden on the leadership. When a coven has grown too large to be manageable, it may split, or “hive”. In Wicca, this may also occur when a newly made High Priest or High Priestess, also called 3rd Degree ordination, leaves to start their own coven. Wiccan covens are generally jointly led by a High Priestess and a High Priest, though some are led by only one or the other. In more recent forms of neopagan witchcraft, covens are sometimes run as democracies with a rotating leadership.
WICCA LAKE. This is the lovely lake on Drinnon Pass, above Drinnon Lake. A campsite on its shore has 6 tent pads, a food cache, a toilet and a cooking centre. Wicca is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was introduced to the public in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant. It draws upon a diverse set of ancient pagan and 20th-century hermetic motifs for its theological structure and ritual practice.
Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it. It is divided into various lineages and denominations, referred to as traditions, each with its own organizational structure and level of centralization. Due to its decentralized nature, there is some disagreement over what actually constitutes Wicca. Some traditions, collectively referred to as British Traditional Wicca, strictly follow the initiatory lineage of Gardner and consider the term Wicca to apply only to such lineaged traditions, while other eclectic traditions do not.
Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshipping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god. These two deities are often viewed as facets of a greater pantheistic godhead. However, beliefs range from hard polytheism to even monotheism. Wiccan celebration follows approximately eight seasonally based festivals known as Sabbats. An unattributed statement known as the Wiccan Rede is the traditional basis of Wiccan morality. Wicca often involves the ritual practice of magic, though it is not always necessary.
WARLOCK LAKE. A small lake below Drinnon Pass and Wicca Lake on the trail to Gwillim. It is a common departure point for the bushwhack to Cauldron Lakes and the east end of the Devils Range.
Warlock – a magician who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources. Magicians are common figures in works of fantasy, such as fantasy literature and role-playing games. They draw on the history of such people in mythology, legends, fiction, and folklore.
