THE MUZZLE
The Muzzle is located west of the West Wolf’s Ear. The nose of the Muzzle is overhanging moss.
WOLF’S EARS
Located on the southern edge of the Mulvey Group. The high point in the ridge immediately west of Wolf’s Ears is called the Muzzle. To the west, below the Muzzle, is a snow col and then two tiny pinnacles, the Pups. Higher points lie between the Pups and Gimli.
From Mulvey Lakes, approach up snow slopes.
The Wolf’s Ears are probably significant in the Norse mythology of the Mulvey peaks’ names. A gigantic, ferocious wolf, Fenris Wolf, one of the three monstrous children of the god Loki, dangerous even to the gods, could not be bound by any bond (except a magical one). The Muzzle would avail nothing.
WEST EAR 2670m
1. West Ridge. From Robertson Creek, ascend directly toward the peak by a gully, after passing over a col south of the Ears. It is a challenging scramble, on the north side of the west ridge and the northwest face at the top. Rappel in snowy or icy conditions. (I,4,s).
FRA GB, GB, HB, DD, JR, 31/8/1963.
2. East Ridge. The east ridge is nearly vertical and can be climbed via grooves in the north edge of the (I,5.7,s).
FA Rod Magee, Pat Michael, July 19, 1977.
3. South Face (The Gift). Where the regular Gimli Trail goes above the treeline, maintain altitude (contour horizontally right) and contour a basin beyond Gimli, going east. Aim for the base of a diagonal gully on the west face of a ridge system south of the Wolf’s Ears. Descend, and reach West Wolf’s Ear. Start at the bottom of the south face, and angle up and right, then more or less straight up.
Pitch 1. Start on a broad ledge system 4m right of an obvious diagonal dike. The bolt visible above, six bolts in all. Class 5.8, 45m.
Pitch 2. From a two-bolt belay, step left and go up a right-facing corner system (2 bolts) to a two-bolt belay. 5.10, 26m.
Pitch 3. Move left a few meters and climb a short, steep crack to blocky terrain. Go up and left on the path of least resistance toward the skyline arete (protection in a small crack system). A bolt protects the crux through a slight bulge (bolt visible from belay). Five meters past the crux, step left around the arete and continue up and left to a two-bolt belay. 5.11, 26m.
Pitch 4. Step right to a thin crack system (bolt). Climb the crack to a small roof, and bypass it on the left by a crack system going up and right toward the arete (fixed piton near top of crack; stance, bolt beyond). Strenuous moves up a corner, past a small roof (trend left), go to another bolt and easier ground with a two-bolt belay below a wide corner crack. 5.11, 35m.
Pitches 5-7. Climb the wide crack for a few meters (5.9), then turn left around the corner to avoid the roof. Climb up and right on enjoyable slabby cracks back toward the arete (5.7), where an obvious open book corner begins. Follow the corner to its top (5.6), and continue along a broken ridge to the top, belaying where convenient.
There are many chicken heads and discontinuous crack systems on solid, clean rock. Twenty 3/8-inch stainless steel bolts with hangers were used on the 250-meter climb. Use Camalots to #3, a set of nuts, and small gear (very useful). (III,5.11,s).
FA Ico DeZwart, David Lussier, June 15, 2008.
EAST EAR 2640m
1. West The west ridge of the East Ear has large broken blocks and is nearly vertical. (II,5.0,s).
FA Jim Lucas, Jim Palmer, Rita Polt, July 19, 1977.
2. Southeast Ridge (Rob’s Route). Start at the top of a long, grassy ramp; there is an obvious ledge at the end of the first pitch. The climb on the southeast ridge is very
Pitch 1. Overlapping friction slabs, 25 meters (Class 5.6). Pitch 2. Go right of an overhang on the east face, one half rope length.
Pitch 3. Move left, back onto the crest of the ridge.
There are six leads in all on the southeast ridge, the last lead up a corner on the south face directly to the east summit. The first two leads are hard to protect with chocks. (II,5.6,s). FA Ian Hamilton, Howie Ridge, August 1980.
3. Northeast Ridge. A four-meter vertical gendarme blocks the way (pass it on the left, south). Go up an easy ledge to the base of a vertical chimney that has a thin fin of rock that splits it into two parallel chimneys. Climb the left of the two (Class 5.0, best without a pack).
After the chimney, follow Class 4 grassy ledges, and then a Class 4 chimney (loose rock) that ends on the ridge (60m) just above the top of the gendarme. Then Class 3 on the northeast ridge. (II,5.0,s).
FA Doug Brown, Sandra McGuinness, July 20, 2003.
EAST RIDGE of EAST WOLF’S EAR – A “Very Easy Walk”– NOT ! by Doug Brown
On Sunday, July 20, from a camp at the head of Robertson Creek, Sandra and I ascended the East Ridge of the East Wolf’s Ear in the Mt. Gimli area of Valhalla Provincial Park. The guidebook (The Columbia Mountains of Canada, West & South) rates the East Ridge as class 2 and calls it a “very easy walk”.
We have become so skeptical of the guidebook ratings, that we head off under sunny skies for this easy walk with a 60 m rope and full mountaineering rack. We make our way to the Nott-East Wolf’s Ears col (easy meadow, talus, slabs, and snow), and start scrambling the East Ridge. After a short distance, there is a 40 m vertical gendarme on the ridge that blocks the way. On the north side is steep, icy, and very exposed snow that would take you past the gendarme, but it is unclear how you would manage to regain the East Ridge again. We elect, instead, to pass the obstruction on the south (left). Out comes the rope and I head off up an easy ledge to the base of a vertical chimney. The chimney is made much more difficult by a thin fin of rock that splits the chimney into two narrow, parallel chimneys. I flail about trying to climb outside the chimney but give up and drop my pack so I can climb inside the left half of the chimney. Once I’m in, it goes fairly easily (4th class or 5.0 maybe), but is a few grades harder for Sandra who must climb outside the chimney as she is stuck carrying a big pack. The chimney is followed by class 4 grassy ledges and then a class 4 chimney (loose rock) that terminates on the East Ridge just above the top of the aforementioned gendarme – a full 60 m lead. Fresh rappel slings here suggest others have found this “very easy walk” to be underrated. The rope is put away again, and the rest of the ridge is very pleasant class 3 scrambling on sound rock.
As the weather is perfect, the views of Mulvey Basin are extraordinary. A very fine day out in the mountains. Be warned, however, that this is not a class 2 easy walk. Either the guidebook authors made a serious error compiling the route information for this mountain, or this is easily the worst sandbag I have ever experienced.
Doug Brown
