Blackcomb Backcountry & Spearhead

 

Description: Blackcomb backcountry has several great tours that can be accessed through exiting above the Blackcomb glacier.  Most tours cross glaciers, so be prepared. Speaheard is a common traverse that follows numerous glaciers out of Blackcomb around on a large U shape until you wind back into Whistler and the Symphony ampitheater.  

 

Routes: 

Blackcomb Slackcountry: If you've spent the money on a full lift ticket and want to get the best bang for the buck, Blackcomb has excellet terrain that can be accessed with a short 20 minute skin and runs that re-enter the resort.  There are really two directions you can go.  

 

Direction 1: 7th Heaven, You can head up the backcountry access on the blackcomb glacier, catch one of th high points and ski right which will take you to Body Bag bowl and then seventh heaven.  If you take the 1st high point that is straight above the transition point, its all downhill from here - or you can hit the DOA couloir.

The second and third high point drops down to the lake below Decker and then you will need to skin back up and right to the Body Bag bowl exit.  Body bag bowl needs lots of snow to cover the boulder field and lurking death cookies, so enter with caution.  

 

Direction 2:Blackcomb Glacier, You can head up the same transition point but this time take the furthest option.  You will continue traversing above a nice slope and find a steep entrance to the Spearhead glacier.  Either take a nice run down the Spearhead glacier ( it can be broken up) or after the entrance shoot,traverse high and close to the rocks.  Depending on your path, you may need to re-skin for a short skin.  One of the first obvious chutes is the boot back up to Hussume.  Corona Bowl is accessed from the souther shoulder of Phlanx and the Poop chutes are accessed from the far side of Phlanx Mountain.  I've only skied Corona and Hussume and they are excellent runs that take you right out to the Blackcomb Glacier cat track. 

 

Blackcomb Backcountry:  If looking for a longer day away from the resort there are several options.  Most folks ski around Decker where there is great skiing off the summit on 9th hole, blowhole and the finger shoots.  The Decker glacier down to the lake below also offers excellent skiing.  Longer options exist by skiing past Decker and dropping onto the Trory glacier, where Trory, Pattison, and the sub peak north of Pattison provide great skiing.  Beyond that you can access the Tremor Cirque.    The terminus of the Tremor and Trory glaciers connect so it is possible to get a long ski down and then ski out the other.  I believe its also possible to exit from the bottom of both of these glacier's through skiining some steep slopes up towards the base of the Decker Glacier.  

 

 

 

Spearhead:

 

GPS:

Tour around Decker and Pattison

Tour out to camp at and Ski Mt. Tremor

Ski from Tremor Camp to Macbeth

Skiing Down Tremor Glacier and up Trory Glacier to Decker summit and out 7th heaven.