Mt Colonel Foster is undeniably the most impressive mountain peak on Vancouver Island and a magnet for all aspiring Island alpinists. Certainly I have found its draw irresistible having made well over a hundred trips up the Elk River Trail to climb the mountain or explore its vicinity. Here are some stories of a few of the ascents I’ve been a part of in over 30 years of obsessing about ‘the Colonel’.
Cataract Arete (1988)
Into the Mystic (1989)
Gambler’s Bluff (2013 – 14)
Great West Couloir winter (2014)
Northwest Arete (2016)
Great West Couloir (2019)