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DOC Land
Altitude: 977m to 1613m. Gain: 639m. Loss: 367m . Gradient: 23 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
The route to the Fraser follows the stream and gully coming down from between Pt1706 and Pt1856. The February 2020 storm waterblasted the gully and brought down huge amounts of rock, but in general there is straight forward travel up the stream until about the 1240m contour where loose scree takes over. Above here, try and find the firmist stuff as you continue climbing.
Early in the season, such as early January 2024, a snowfield was encontered at about 1400m and an ice axe was useful to get past it. Later on in the season this snow is all gone, but an axe is still useful on the loose scree, which makes up the rest of the slog to the top of the pass.
The Fraser side of the pass is much gentler and firmer scree, and it is a straight forward descent down the old lateral moraine that marked the foot of the now gone Fraser glacier. A rocky outcrop and bluff can be bypassed on scree via either side, the gully on the eastern side leads directly down to the infant Fraser Creek. Grass is encountered on the western side of a flat rocky area and almost immediately camp spots are possible on the true left side of the creek.
Carrying on down Fraser Creek, the stream drops rapidly down to beneath the slopes of Fraser Col (Pt1544) but decent travel can be had sidling across the scree and rock above the true right side of the stream. You can sidel across to begin the climb to Fraser Col, or continue on down the Fraser.