Mount Hugh Neave
Encyclopedia
Mount Hugh Neave is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located between Hobson Lake
to the west and Goat Creek to the south. Situated in the Cariboo Mountains
of the Columbia Mountains
, it is the fourth highest mountain in Wells Gray Provincial Park
with an elevation of 2829 m (9,281 ft).
and was a regular visitor to those peaks for the next 20 years.
In 1972, Neave and Peter Cowan of New Zealand attempted to climb Mount Hugh Neave via the Hobson Glacier east of the peak. They reached an elevation of 2400 m (7,874 ft) on its south side, but ran short of time for an Azure Lake boat rendezvous and had to retreat through the Goat Creek valley. In those years, the boat did not pass twice a day as it does now, so missing an arranged meeting could have meant a long wait for the next boat arrival.
Neave organized three expeditions to Garnet Peak
, Wells Gray Park's highest mountain, which were all turned back by severe weather. He blazed the first trail from Azure Lake to Huntley Col and improved it with each trip. Today, it is the only trail from the lakeshore and is maintained by its users. Finally, in 1974 at the age of 65, Neave launched his fourth expedition with Barb Hargreaves and Tor Schmid, and they achieved the first ascent of Garnet Peak. Neave named the mountain for the small garnets he found in rock formations near the summit.
Neave also travelled around the world seeking mountaineering adventures. In 1978 he led a month-long expedition to the Andes of Peru, in 1986 he canoed the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City, and his last major expedition was a 1987 trek in the Himalayas at age 78. Neave died in 1988 and Mount Hugh Neave was named the following year in recognition of his climbs in northern Wells Gray Park. Later in 1988, members of the Kamloops Mountaineering Club carried his ashes to the top of Garnet Peak.
On topographical maps, a route up Goat Creek to the base of Mount Hugh Neave appears feasible. The Neave/Cowan expedition of 1972 proved the opposite during their forced retreat to Azure Lake. Neave described Goat Creek in his diary, "It is usually a matter of fighting a recurrent medley of slide alder, devil’s club, scrub growth and a vast jumble of rotting deadfall, eked out by beaver swamps along the valley bottom." His advice to future climbers: "Remember the going will always be tough, daily mileages will be much less than expected, a nose for route finding in poor visibility is essential, and a search and rescue operation will have a minimal chance of success."
Hobson Lake
Hobson Lake is the uppermost lake on the Clearwater River in east-central British Columbia, Canada. Hobson Lake is one of the six major lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park....
to the west and Goat Creek to the south. Situated in the Cariboo Mountains
Cariboo Mountains
The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...
of the Columbia Mountains
Columbia Mountains
The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges located in southeastern British Columbia, and partially in Montana, Idaho and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² . The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench on the east, and the Kootenay River on the south; their...
, it is the fourth highest mountain in Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres...
with an elevation of 2829 m (9,281 ft).
Naming
Mount Hugh Neave is named for Hugh Neave (1909-1988) who was a mountaineer, rock climber and backcountry explorer of Wells Gray Park from 1966 to 1987. He was a latecomer among the explorers of Wells Gray Park, but he was drawn by the scenery and the challenge of mountaineering, rather than by the wealth of mining, trapping or guiding. In 1966, he made his first expedition to the Huntley-Buchanan Ridge north of Azure LakeAzure Lake
Azure Lake is a fjord-like lake located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Azure River which rises from an unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains. The outflow is also called the Azure River, but it is only long before it flows into the Clearwater River...
and was a regular visitor to those peaks for the next 20 years.
In 1972, Neave and Peter Cowan of New Zealand attempted to climb Mount Hugh Neave via the Hobson Glacier east of the peak. They reached an elevation of 2400 m (7,874 ft) on its south side, but ran short of time for an Azure Lake boat rendezvous and had to retreat through the Goat Creek valley. In those years, the boat did not pass twice a day as it does now, so missing an arranged meeting could have meant a long wait for the next boat arrival.
Neave organized three expeditions to Garnet Peak
Garnet Peak
Garnet Peak is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located between Goat Creek and Azure Lake. Situated in the Cariboo Mountains of the Columbia Mountains, it is the highest mountain in Wells Gray Provincial Park with an elevation of...
, Wells Gray Park's highest mountain, which were all turned back by severe weather. He blazed the first trail from Azure Lake to Huntley Col and improved it with each trip. Today, it is the only trail from the lakeshore and is maintained by its users. Finally, in 1974 at the age of 65, Neave launched his fourth expedition with Barb Hargreaves and Tor Schmid, and they achieved the first ascent of Garnet Peak. Neave named the mountain for the small garnets he found in rock formations near the summit.
Neave also travelled around the world seeking mountaineering adventures. In 1978 he led a month-long expedition to the Andes of Peru, in 1986 he canoed the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City, and his last major expedition was a 1987 trek in the Himalayas at age 78. Neave died in 1988 and Mount Hugh Neave was named the following year in recognition of his climbs in northern Wells Gray Park. Later in 1988, members of the Kamloops Mountaineering Club carried his ashes to the top of Garnet Peak.
Access
The Kamloops Mountaineering Club organized two expeditions during the 1990s with the goal of reaching the summit of Mount Hugh Neave. Both flew to Hobson Lake and started the climb from the sandspit about halfway up the lake. They reached the alpine meadows both times after a rigorous bushwhack, but were turned back by severe weather conditions. No other attempts have been made since then. It is possible that Mount Hugh Neave has never been climbed. It is not technically difficult, but the approach through dense forest and undergrowth poses the biggest challenge. Helicopters and float planes require a permit from B.C. Parks to land at Hobson Lake and no other landing sites closer to the mountain are allowed.On topographical maps, a route up Goat Creek to the base of Mount Hugh Neave appears feasible. The Neave/Cowan expedition of 1972 proved the opposite during their forced retreat to Azure Lake. Neave described Goat Creek in his diary, "It is usually a matter of fighting a recurrent medley of slide alder, devil’s club, scrub growth and a vast jumble of rotting deadfall, eked out by beaver swamps along the valley bottom." His advice to future climbers: "Remember the going will always be tough, daily mileages will be much less than expected, a nose for route finding in poor visibility is essential, and a search and rescue operation will have a minimal chance of success."