Mount Bardean and Mount Ratney

Mount Bardean and Mount Ratney are two rugged, iconic peaks located in the Chehalis Lake area of Harrison West, BC. This is a demanding route involving bushwhacking, route-finding, slick rock slabs, and boulder hopping. The Chehalis FSR was in good condition until KM 15, after which we encountered numerous potholes. The final 4 km on Skwellepil Creek FSR is very rough; a 4x4 with high clearance is mandatory. We parked at a massive rock slide, roughly 1 km shy of the trailhead at the drainages. We began by hiking up a grass rib between the two drainages before transitioning into some bushwhacking. After some steep climbing, we reached the rock slabs. Due to rain and snow the day prior, the slabs were wet, and the green moss made footing even worse. We had to be extremely cautious with every step. Strangely, the videos and pictures did not show the wetness. At one point, we bypassed some steep, wet slabs by bushwhacking horribly for around 30 minutes. Progress was slow, but the powerful creeks and waterfalls provided excellent scenery. With many route-finding decisions, we finally made it above the tree line and started the long boulder hop. We climbed up to a bench area via a wet and somewhat exposed route, but we found good handholds and footholds. Once on the bench, we followed a small drainage, scrambling up to the peak of Mount Bardean. We took a lengthy break at the top to enjoy lunch and the views. After taking some pictures, we headed toward Ratney. Fresh snow on the rocks slowed our pace again. The climb to Ratney was not technically difficult - just steep hills with loose rocks. There was one tricky, exposed section, but we used tree branches for assistance and passed it safely. We spent quite some time at the summit before starting our descent. Descending was not faster than the ascent, but the rocks and slabs were drier than in the morning. We tried to stay on the slabs as often as possible. It was interesting to see the creeks and falls. We assumed the water was from large snowpacks above, but we saw nothing but a small snowpack. We are still wondering: where did all the water come from? C2C: 11 hours 6 minutes Distance: 13.09 km (Note: my friend’s GPS recorded 11 km) Elevation gain: 1592 m