The Valhalla Range is a dramatically diverse area in the Selkirks of SW British Columbia, about 100km south of the Bugaboos. Along the southwestern boundary of Valhalla Provincial Park is an outstanding group of spires including Mount Dag, Wolf's Ears, Gimli, Asgard, and Gladsheim, all over 2,660m. These peaks offer great climbing.

The lack of published beta for these climbs is part of what makes the Valhallas unique and challenging. It is nice to find an area of great climbing where there is not a myriad of route descriptions detailing every turn on every possible climbing line. With the internet, many climbing areas are suffering from beta overload. I was strangely pleased when a Google search of the Valhallas yielded only ample information on one climb - the popular South Ridge of Gimli (my trip report given above) - leaving the other peaks/climbs relatively untainted. There does actually exist a guidebook for the area. An out-of-print Columbia Mountains of Canada West & South (by Whipple) reportedly contains errors and lacks descriptions for more recent routes. A new 2009 West Kootenay Rock Guide (by Kristiansen and Hempsall) provides some useful updated information on accessing the Valhallas, but contains only a few of the routes on just a couple of the peaks. For most climbs in the Valhallas, the only route description that exists is the feature name (i.e. "south ridge", "east face", ect.), so finding and climbing the route lines on the peaks themselves is a challenge left up to the climber.

Although I'm of the opinion that the Valhallas should be kept untainted by today's tendency to overdo route beta, below I've summarized the useful information on the Valhallas that I was able to glean from the guidebooks and internet searches. I've also provided lots of photos and trip reports for the climbs I've done in the Valhallas (on this page and others), but I've tried to leave the beta on the climbs themselves relatively vague. As I mentioned, most climbs in the Valhallas are just described by their feature name.

The Valhallas are located at the south end of Valhalla Provincial Park in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The are above the border of Washington and Idaho. They are not far to the SW of the Bugaboos.

The first part of the approach is getting to Slocan, B.C. – there are a number of ways to do this: either from the north through Revelstoke (which involves a free ferry ride) or from the south via Castlegar. Slocan is situated at the south end of Slocan Lake, adjacent to Valhalla Provincial Park to the west and Kokanee Provincial Park to the east.

Just south (about 1 kilometre) of the main exit (well signed) to Slocan there is a road called the "gravel pit road" – turn west here (right if coming from Revelstoke). Follow this road across the Slocan River and south until the 15 kilometre road marker, at which time you will turn right. Follow the blue "Valhalla" signs until you reach the trailhead at 26km (16 miles). The road is 2 wheel drive.

From the trailhead, Gimli is visible to the north. Gimli is the closest and most climbed peak, and the route can be done car to car in a day for a relatively fast party starting early. It takes less than 2 hours to get to the base of Gimli, which is 2.5km and 700m elevation gain from the trailhead.

The trail to Gimli starts out relatively flat but after crossing a log bridge is switchbacks up steeply all the way to a small saddle near the beginning of the South Ridge. The peaks on the southern side of the range - such as Dag, Wolf's Ears, Gimli, and Niselheim - can be approached from here.

The trail continues to the col between Niselheim and Gimli, and from here down to Mulvey Lakes. Crampons and ice axe are needed for the descent from the col. It takes a couple hours to get from the base of Gimli to Mulvey Lakes. From Mulvey Lakes, the peaks on the northern side of the Valhalla range - such as Midgard, Asgard, Gladsheim, and West Molar - can be climbed.

There are a couple of camping spots below the South RIdge of Gimli, less than 2 hours from the trailhead. There is an outhouse here. The water source here is a couple of snowpatches, which could be gone by late August/September.

Parties planning on an extended stay in the Valhallas often base themselves in Mulvey Lakes basin on the north side of the Gimli-Niselheim col about 2 hours further from the camp under the S Ridge of Gimli. There is always water here. There are nice camps in the upper basin or along the shore of the largest Mulvey Lake below. There is always water here. From here, the peaks on the northern side of the col can be climbed.

There are mountain goats and snaffels in the Valhallas, so make sure to hang your food from boulders.

There are several peaks in the Valhallas. Most climbs in the Valhallas are just described by their feature name, and there is very little beta on the climbs themselves, which is part of the uniqueness and appeal of the area. Below, I've provided a list of routes on the major peaks. There are doubtless some climbs I have missed, and there's lots of potential for new routes in the Valhallas, so my list will become outdated with time.

This list was initially compiled by Clint Cummins. (Link to Clint's page.) Here are the sources he used:
Sources
• AAJ = American Alpine Journal (online and in print)
• RC = rockclimbing.com
• CC = trip reports on cascadeclimbers.com, by Drew Brayshaw and John Frieh
• Gripped magazine August/September 2008, article by Kim Kratky www.gripped.com
• Guidebook 1992 (out of print and with some errors; I have not looked at it): The Columbia Mountains of Canada West & South, Earle R. Whipple, et al, ed, American Alpine Club Press, 1992.
• Guidebook 2009 (short section on Valhallas): West Kootenay Rock Guide, by Aaron Kristiansen, Vince Hempsall. $26.95 (CND). Distributed by MEC, also available at Valhalla Pure Outfitters and Gravity Climbing Gym in Nelson, BC.