Mount Whymper Route Map (see link in desciption - or click here - for interactive version).

Starting up the overgrown slopes leading to the base of Mount Whymper. The route goes up the right-most gully in this photo, directly below the summit of Whymper. Apparently you head straight up, until through the middle orange cliffs, and then just angle left to the ridge. We'll see about that...

The slopes below the first rock band. I hiked up on the right side of the gully, while my dad opted to give the left side a go. Apparently he had nice "steps" the whole way, but either side will suffice.

My dad scrambles up the right side of the gully, before traversing towards the center, as we near the first set of cliffs.

My dad traverses along a ledge to join me in the center of the gully to tackle a weakness through the first rock band.

Scrambling up on solid rock...Apparently this is the steepest rock band if on the "moderate" route the whole way...Let's just say it wasn't that way for us!!

My turn! Photo credit: Dad

Hey Kaitlyn! I found the giant steps! No need to hike up Paradise Valley again, haha!

Guess who just got passed hahahaha...

...oh shoot! How'd you get up there so fast!! I went to check out a pinnacle, while my dad carried on up steep, step-like terrain just below the orange rock band.

Making my way through the orange rock band. Photo credit: Dad

Up until the orange cliffs, I found there to be no real difficulties...Once passed them however, the terrain steepend considerably on down-sloping ledges, covered in loose scree. Although this terrain was still manageable, and not too difficult, it was frustrating overcoming the rocky "steps", which had no good holds for pulling oneself up and over. All you got was handfuls of loose scree, just waiting for any force to send it waterfalling down.

We may have started angling left too early, not sure what to make of Kane's subjective description of angling left "when the rubble gets tedious", and ended up traversing below, and then up and around, the left side of these rock outcroppings. We were far on the left side of the main gully at this point, and our path even briefly took us into a smaller side gully, left of the main one. We did see a couple cairns over here though... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Once atop the rock-outcropping, we seemed to be on a ridge between the main ascent gully and another gully to our left. The summit of Whymper lies upper-right in this photo...Some real intimidating cliffs are blocking the way though!!

We didn't think we were supposed to leave the main gully, so we started traversing right, along the base of the cliffs, hoping to find a weakness. My dad embraces his inner chameleon and blends right in with the rocks!

This was where all our excitement started...After traversing along the cliffs for a bit, we arrived at a "do-able" looking weakness. To begin climbing however, we needed to reach the right side of a steep, hard-packed, dirt slope (this picture is taken once across to the right side). The slope is not given justice in this photo, and is steeper than it looks here, not to mention my dad's grips having seen much better days, worn down to almost smooth rubber (needless to say, he's in the market for new boots!). To top it all off, a slip on this slope would send you hundreds of meters below, in a less than ideal state. After a series of events, including my dad's hat being blown off and landing in the middle of the dirt slope; him having the idea of hammering foot holds (seen in the picture) into the slope with his hiking pole; making it across and heading up the weakness, only to come back down (terrain lying above the first scrambly bit apparently looked far from appealing), and traverse back to the left below the cliffs; giving multiple possible avenues a try, only to end up blocked by vertical cliffs on every one; and finally heading back to the original weakness to give it our best shot...

...A long time passed before this picture. Unfortunately I have no pictures of us scrambling through our chosen weakness, as I was too focused on route-finding and staying alive!! All I can do for a description is give it my best shot through words. So here we go! The weakness began with blocky rock, often blanketed with loose scree (seems to be a trend on this mountain). We climbed up on the right side of the dirt slope (as stated earlier), then a short zig-zag (first left on a loose "widish" scree ledge, then up and to the right and along a very narrow ledge - this was a very short section and this all happened in quick succession), led us up to the "bowl" above. From here, straight above lay ever increasingly steep down-sloping scree ledges (out of the question). I chose to head right, onto orange, blocky, ridge-like terrain. These big blocks often required some awkward moves to scramble up, as blocks above would overhang, complicating movement from below. Some blocks were precariously stacked, and we made sure to check their structural integrity (as best we could), before putting our lives in their hands. The solid rock was a pleasant change though, and I was happy not to be on the extremely steep and loose-looking gully to our left. With all that said, in this picture we are slightly past that ridge-like section (which is characterized by the blocky outcropping slightly down and left of my dad) and heading up loose scree, before traversing below the summit cliffs to the ridge. I apologize for such a long paragraph and know a picture is worth a thousand words (I think we might have got close here ;)!), but hope this may offer some insight on where we went!

The traverse below the summit cliffs. Although this traverse looks quite daunting (and a slip would definitely not be good...), it actually didn't feel too bad compared to what we just came from! Note the cairn (barely visible) at the end of the traverse.

Finally on the ridge!! It was a relief to be out of that gully and know that there was an alternate route down!

Summit selfie!

Mount Hector dominates the distant skyline, sandwiched between Bident (left) and Panorama Ridge (right) in the foreground.

Boom Mountain's ascent route is readily seen from this angle.

Storm Mountain rises majestically across the highway.

Mount Ball (left) and Stanley Peak (right) never fail to impress with their hanging glaciers.

Looking down the ascent gully. We came up there somewhere...(the blocky "ridge" we ascended can be seen just below the black cliffs (far right) in this picture). I did my best at drawing our route in.

View towards Mount Haffner (foreground left) and Vermilion Peak (foreground center-left), with Foster Peak rising in the distance (center).

Unique view north-west! "Chimper Peak" (center-left), Chimney Peak (center-right), Quadra Mountain (far right), with multiple summits from the Valley of Ten Peaks rising behind!

Mount Bell.

Mount Goodsir really is something else!

"The Rockwall" comprised of Mount Drysdale, Rockwall Peak, and Limestone Peak (left to right), with Helmet Mountain rising behind (right).

Castle Mountain in the shadows.

Describing our adventure in the summit register!

My dad, on the summit of Mount Whymper, with Ball in the background!

Happy I finally knocked this one off the list! :) Photo credit: Dad

Examining two other mountains that are at the top of my list!

Close up of Chimney Peak.

Floe (left), Vermilion (foreground), and Foster (center).

Looking off the edge, trying to figure out where we came up!

Making our way down the ridge.

Looking back at the blocky "ridge" and steep traverse below the summit of Mount Whymper...Not going back that way!

We followed the ridge until the last gully on the right, and descended until we could traverse out to the next gully (left), then descended to the orange rock band (as described by Kane). We then traversed below it (as seen here), until we could descend the gully below.

Making our way down the gully.

Down I come, with the fancy-looking orange cliffs behind. Photo credit: Dad

Close up of the day's accomplishment, with our approximate route (up - red, down - yellow)!

That's all folks! :) Photo credit: Dad