Mount Fisher

FISHER PEAK IN ROCKIES SCALED BY CRANBROOK MEN. – Dr. R.S. Geddes and Tommy Moore Turn Alpine Climbers And In Record Time Ascend Highest Mountain To Be Seen From This City.     

            This information concerning the climbing of Mt. Fisher will no doubt be valuable information to people of Cranbrook who have been desirous of climbing said peak but have been more or less reluctant about doing so for the lack of the proper information.  This information is taken from the diary of Tommy Moore and Dr. R.S. Geddes who made the ascension Sunday, observing the details which would be of interest to any prospective climbers:-

                                                                                                            July 17, 1932

            “It is the common thought of the Cranbrookites that this peak requires two or three days to ascend.  This is not true as the ascent was made in less than six hours and the descent in three.  We were delayed going up by a heavy rainfall which impeded our progress to the extent of one hour.  We also lost considerable time climbing two different peaks very similar to Fisher only to learn that there was still one peak in the range which majestically towered above these two.  This entailed climbing down and ascending again twice before we could spot Fisher.

            “We left Cranbrook at 4 a.m.  At 5:30 a.m. we left the car and started the climb.  We had no information of definite value by which to guide us so we decided to climb the face of the peak, which incidentally is the hardest route to follow.  We had not heard of this ever having been done so it was our desire to do so.  Weather conditions were very bad for climbing.  We never saw the sun all day through and were drenched with rain, which poured in torrents from 8 a.m. until 10 o’clock.  Fisher was enshrouded with fog and clouds most of the way, which made it very difficult to determine our direction and objective.

            “Mount Fisher lies in the second range of peaks which are visible from Cranbrook and these two ranges are separated by a narrow valley which still has copious quantities of snow adorning its barren, rocky slopes.  While in the process of climbing the first range we encountered a heavy rainfall which drove us to shelter under the hanging boulders which are so prevalent upon it.  Here we remained for quite an appreciable time until it ceased its violent downpour, which was followed by an icy gale from the west, which we estimated had a velocity of 35 miles an hour – which made it very disagreeable.  We scaled our first range, which sometimes required the dexterity of a fly to accomplish our objective.  It is very steep and climbing is slow as footing is very unsure.  Going down the other side was difficult but was accomplished with considerably more ease.  The thermometer then read 49°F. and the temperature of the glacier water flowing through this little valley was 38°F.  There is a small lake located in the center of this valley which has the clearest and best drinking water we have ever seen or tasted.  In fact we could not get enough of it.

            “We reached the second range at approximately 11 a.m., and here we first noticed the rarified air present at higher altitudes.  It seemed impossible to get enough air into our lungs and respiration was noticeably increased.  Temperatures dropped to 42°F. and wind still prevailed.  No timber at this level, nothing but bare, cold rocks, and not much sign of vegetation.  At 1:15 p.m., we were a few hundred feet from the summit of Fisher after hours of steady, hard climbing, but were not aware of its height due to it being enveloped in clouds.

            “Shortly after our reaching the summit, which is only a few feet in dimensions, the weather gave us a pleasant break and the clouds lifted, but a gale was blowing which had all the earmarks of an arctic origin.  Before us we beheld a most beautiful sight.  We gazed upon it with awe and amazement filling our eyes with the most beautiful of scenic views.  We seemed on top of the world surveying a great domain from the mighty Monarch of them all.  We observed the Kootenay River serpentening through the lowlands for a distance of sixty miles it seemed, which appeared as a small ribbon, but lending grandeur and color to our panoramic view.  St. Mary’s Lake could be seen miles away, but a lovely sight.  Behind the peaks to the southeast of Fisher we could look down upon a glacier nestled in a pocket and from it came streams of crystal clear water.  Many lakes were observed.  The mountains seemed to have been tinted by a master artist, all of them lending gorgeous hues to this masterpiece of Nature.  The Elko prairies are visible from this dizzy height, also peaks down in the States.  Mt. Baker has the appearance of a mole hill and Cranbrook looks like a few specks in the distance.  We were able to count eight ranges of high mountains to the east and southeast of our location.  The temperature dropped to 35°F. at the top which made it very unpleasant as we were garbed in summer apparel.  Our hands became so numb it was difficult to write.

            “Upon arriving at the summit we found the cairn erected by our predecessors and a stone slab with five names carved upon it, - and two more were promptly cut upon the slab.  Three of the names were very indistinct, but J. Moffatt’s name was easily discerned, a Cranbrook boy who made the ascent in 1930.  Also the name of A. Holds who put it there in 1865 and was probably the first to have the honor.

            “There is very little life at this altitude, only an occasional sparrow would break the silence of these lonely heights.  A few sturdy flowers lift their heads to the sky as though trying to absorb the limited amount of sunshine which these slopes are bathed in.

            “The eastern side of Fisher is a perpendicular wall which rises approximately 1000 feet and when you look over this edge you are looking into seemingly an abyss which was seething with fog, intermittently.  Fisher proper rises to the southeast of this peak about 300 yards away and is a perpendicular wall with a circumference of about 400 feet and a height of 100 feet, which looks inaccessible to man.  Maybe someone has been on top of this edifice of nature, but we have our doubts, unless they flew up.

            “We remained on top for an hour then started the descent, which was very dangerous and treacherous as we outlined another route to save time.  We made it down to our car in three hours and were not too tired to enjoy a good dinner, which, incidentally, we arrived in plenty of time to devour.

            “All this climb requires is stamina and plenty of it, but we advise no one with a weak heart to attempt the climb.”