Mount Colonel Foster is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
located on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
in
Strathcona Regional District
The Strathcona Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. It was created on February 15, 2008, encompassing the northern and western portions of the former Regional District of Comox-Strathcona. The partition left th ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
. At , it is the fourth highest peak on the island. It is one of the nine
Island Qualifiers
An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be ca ...
.
Mount Colonel Foster is located across the Elk River from
Elkhorn Mountain
Elkhorn Mountain is a mountain located in the Elk River Mountains of the Vancouver Island Ranges of British Columbia, Canada. At , it is the second highest peak on Vancouver Island, second only to the nearby Golden Hinde which lies to the so ...
. The east face is a wall.
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History
Mount Colonel Foster is named in honour of Colonel (later Major General)
William Foster William Foster may refer to:
People
Arts
*Will Foster (fl. 1990–), keyboardist for English rock band The Tears
* William C. Foster (1880–1923), pioneer of cinematography
* William D. Foster (1884–?), African American film producer
* Willi ...
who was war veteran, a provincial government official, an avid mountaineer and an anti-union business leader. It was during the 1912
Alpine Club of Canada
The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) is an amateur athletic association with its national office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, ...
ascent of Elkhorn Mountain, which was led by Edward Wheeler, that a jagged peak at the head of the Elk River Valley was noticed and named after Foster.
[Elms, p. 94]
The mountain is regarded as technically difficult and was not climbed until July 1968 by Mike Walsh during a solo attempt. The East Face above Landslide lake has a drop of up to , longer than that of El Capitan in Yosemite, making it one of the tallest continuous mountain faces in the world. While there are numerous rock and winter routes, the mountain is still relatively unknown outside a circle of dedicated climbers. Notable climbs include the first ascent of the East Face by Dick Culbert, Paul Starr and Fred Douglas over the Labour Day weekend 1972, the first solo ascent of the East Face by Joe Bajan in August 1974 when he climbed the Grand Central Couloir and the first winter ascent of the East Face was by Joe Bajan and Ross Nichol in January 1979 when they climbed the Directtisma Route. In January 1985 Doug Scott, Greg Child and Rob Wood made the second winter ascent of the East Face via Bajan's Grand Central Couloir.
Access
Access is via the Elk River Hiking Trail to Landslide Lake.
See also
* List of mountains in Strathcona Provincial Park
The list of mountains in Strathcona Provincial Park lists all mountains in Strathcona Provincial Park recognized by name. All of these mountains are part of the Vancouver Island Ranges.
Mountains of Strathcona Provincial Park
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Sources
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colonel Foster
Two-thousanders of British Columbia
Vancouver Island Ranges
Nootka Land District