There are unclimbed mountains in the Rockies? And only 45km from Valemount, B.C ., and Jasper, Alta. … really? YES! Exploration can still be had… Jeannette Peak 3,089 meters / 10,135 feet. Located 45km SW of Jasper & 45km SE of Valemount, in the Selwyn Range of the Canadian Rockies – just outside Mount Robson Provincial Park. A year ago, on a road trip through northern British Columbia while checking out potential places to live, we landed in Valemount, BC. A few months later, when researching potential climbing projects, Jeannette Peak caught my eye. It was at the top of the list of unclimbed peaks in BC due to its ultra-prominence (1,657m / 5436ft) and right out of Valemount - THAT land

First Attempt: March 12-14 2018 Within a week of deciding to attempt Jeannette Peak, after a thorough combing of topographic maps and Google Earth, we were in Valemount at the Robson Helimagic helipad with laminated printouts in hand. Ski-in and snowmobile options had to be abandoned due to inherent overhead hazards in getting to the base of the climb. The 10,135 foot stand-alone mountain has remained unclimbed until now likely due to its narrow avalanche-prone valleys and a perimeter of knife-edge mountains at its base. Jeannette’s upper ridges are also in a horseshoe ring holding a significant plateau glacier. This cool geographical feature and its prominence sure make it stand out among

Second Attempt: April 2-3 2018 We were lucky to have the flexibility to wait for another weather window for our second try; this time, as a team of three, with good friend and mountaineer Vern Stice added to the adventure. Our plan was to bring all our gear for a high camp – just in case the route was not as straight-forward as we’d hoped. Landing once again at Wolverine Camp, we started up the snow slope in cold winter conditions. Pascale making her way up to the west ridge. We reached our high camp, and the sun – it was a c-c-cold start!!! We named it Shark Fin camp for its obvious feature. Shark Fin camp at 8,737ft on the north shoulder of the west ridge of Jeannette Peak. We put up our

As goes with all exploration, there are multiple failures before success can be attained. In the excitement of pioneering this unclimbed mountain and establishing routes, we played through a wide range of emotions. Projects always seem easier after they are completed, once the unknown is now known. We spent a year researching and planning for this climb and were prepared for serious mountaineering. We rated our 1084-meter (3,557-feet) route up the northwest shoulder and west ridge as alpine grade PD. We believe this is one of the few safe routes up the mountain. The north ridge route could be made by a good team looking for a challenge. We would recommend it be done in good snow conditi