I joined forces with some guys from Club Fat Ass (Bagger Challenge) to try Echo (Perrault) Peak from Lynn Lake as David had found a record of BCMC ascents from there back in the first half of the 20th century. A prominent gully went from just west of the lake up to the north ridge of Echo which I think is the one they took (there is also another major gully further south that goes to the north ridge too). We, however did things a little differently.


The legendary Tom Fyles (or he is the photographer) atop Echo (in the 1920s I think).

5 of us met up at Lynn Headwaters - David, Ran, Neil, Mike and me. From there we headed up valley to the Hanes/Lynn Lake junction and on to Lynn Lake. The trail has seen some maintenance with most blowdown removed, fresh yellow markers and plenty of orange flagging. This was my first time to Lynn Lake and it was nice to cross it off the list.

Lynn Lake.

David and Mike wanted to check out the end of the valley and poke around for a route up to the ridge. After that we backtracked past the lake and tried to find a creek bed on the map that might lead to a gully. That wasn't working out so well so we bushwacked for a bit and started up the eastern ridge/buttress of Echo with the idea to maybe hit the gully west of the lake further up. The bush didn't relent for a fair portion of this journey up to the north ridge.


This was often the view.

Plenty of hauling ourselves up whilst holding on to plant life and steep slopes but things progressed well. We had been angling over towards the gully but when it came into view it was a steep drop of at least 50m so we chose to stay with the ridge. Someone else had the same plan as we were seeing flagging tape every once in a while too. A wall of rock stopped us in our tracks but Mike found a way to get around and above it and shortly we started to hit some open areas and get our first view of Echo.


Ran and Mike with a rather sheer looking peak. Approach to the north ridge continues up at right.

After a quick break we continued up to the north ridge and the sheerness of Echo hadn't really improved. Very steep forested ramps on the north side might work... Flagging had still been seen this far so would it continue?


The north side of Echo Peak.

A piece of flagging did indeed mark the ridge (and a rough game trail) so we headed on with Mike leading the way as the route went over to climbers left tucking around to the northeastern side. And still with some flagging too. A ledge got us around a rock band where a chimney/gully was.


Waiting for me to take the picture so they could get off the ledge.


Mike's shot of us exiting the ledge and gaining the base of the chimney.

Near vertical ascending here but there's good holds and you don't feel exposed at all. Another piece of flagging tape is passed then the grade eases as we exit and it's a short walk to the summit where David pulls out 5 beers, we do a toast and (sadly) some of us start using our electrical devices for work related purposes. Along the north ridge and on the peak David had been yelling echo at the top of his lungs and was satisfied with the reverberating result.


1389m summit shot: Me, Neil, Ran, David and Mike.


David: "Tell him I'll take it for 5 mil, but not a penny more"; Neil (email) - If you don't get that shipment out by tonight, we're going to lose the Rockfella account; Me: "Put me down for $20 on Sweet Pumpkin in the 3rd and $50 on Shaky Legs in the 5th."

The views are all pretty familiar but great to look at just the same and we spend most of our time enjoying them. A yellow Talon chopper landed on a shoulder of Burwell across the valley and what we think was a golden eagle flew by just overhead.


Sky Pilot Group, Ben Lomond and Red, Garibaldi, Bagpipe and Haggis Peak (in shadow) to the north.


Strachan to Windsor above the Capilano River Valley.


Crown and its intriguing north side.


Me, Neil and David with Cathedral, Burwell and Coliseum behind.


Distant view towards Bonnycastle, Hixon and Five Fingers with Burwell at right.


Zinc Peak the twin bump centre shot with Goat Ridge and Goat centre rear to right. Lynn Peak rear left with part of Metro Vancouver in the distance.

The route from Echo to Zinc is pretty easy going with some bush and a game trail. Some of the guys were now in familiar terrain as they'd come up this way before from Hanes Valley. We weren't too sure which peak was the highest so we visited both. I got 1m higher (1313m) on the western one but the eastern one had a cairn.


Davids shot of Ran coming off the southwestern side of Echo.


Echo from the western peak. Cathedral on the right.


Runner and Seymour beyond The Needles from the eastern peak.


Good aspect of Cathedral, Burwell and Coliseum.

We didn't spend too long here as time was getting along. Back to the western peak then a short search to find a way down the ridge to reach the old Zinc mine/exploration camps. Pretty steep for one part where some care was taken.


Ran coming down (steeper than it looks).


Old aviation fuel cans at the upper camp.

Mike has the route dialed in pretty good now (David too) as he'd been up around here last year and we were soon heading down the "regular" route (trailbed at times and flagging) into Hanes Valley passing a couple more camps. Plenty of big timber to view as we got lower. And plenty of berries too - big juicy ones.


Doing alright.

We hit an old creek bed then the Hanes Valley Trail, follow that back to Lynn Creek for much needed water top ups and rinsing off then continue the long march back to the trailhead. Mike gps'd the route at about 33km and it was a little over 12 hours. The route worked out well even though we didn't quite follow in the footsteps of Tom Fyles (sorry Ted) and it was a great group to hike with. The flagging was a bonus and it also means that what we thought should work, somebody else did too.


Mike's gps of the trip.


Map of area and rough idea of the route.

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Enjoying your TRs of obscure north shore peaks. Nicely done!

That takes some dedication to do those peaks with that amount of bushwacking. Go green!

That 3rd picture pretty much sums up my attempt at Perrault (Echo). Well done, pretty cool loop.

Props to David for hauling up beer! Looks like a fine way to spend a Thursday.

I was looking for a route up that ridge last fall and left some pink flagging. However, I didnt get past the rock wall (rainy day) so the taping further up couldnt be me. Nice to know the ridge can be done all the way.
I saw dac-vans TR on Echo as well and wondered if the gully was the best way up. For myself, I would choose a veggy ridge over a rubble gully most of the time.

We'd wondered if you'd been up this way, no surprise that you have. I think we went right at that rock wall/cliff.