Mount Coulthard
- Physical DifficultyThis is the average user-submitted rating on the physical difficulty of this route. In general, green is beginner, blue is intermediate, black is advanced/most difficult and double-black is expert-only. It is recommended that users build up to black and double-black routes.
- Technical DifficultyThis is the average user-submitted rating on the technical difficulty of this route. In general, green is beginner, blue is intermediate, black is advanced/most difficult and double-black is expert-only. It is recommended that users build up to black and double-black routes.
Located in Castle Wildland Provincial Park, the scramble up Mt Coulthard takes you through a spectacular and lush alpine basin, an historical plane crash site, and provides wonderful up-close views of the spectacular peaks of the Flathead Range.
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Route Description for Mount Coulthard
From the trailhead, the initial part of the route is along an old ATV road. Unfortunately, logging in the area has made biking this section unrealistic. The route along this ATV Track is long, going SW to start and then curving around, with Mt McLaren on your left. You can see Mt Parrish and Andy Good Peak ahead of you as you continue on this clear path.
Near the end of the valley, go to your left and follow the path through the trees before coming out almost directly north of Mt Coulthard.
From here the entire ascent of Mount Coulthard is nothing more than a steep slog, and most of it is on pleasant green moss. The upper mountain is scree, but by choosing a path carefully and following sheep trails whenever possible it is not too difficult.
Mount Coulthard actually has three summits, but this route only ascends the eastern one; it's the highest and official one, the northern one is much lower and the western summit a bit more technical. While the traverse to the eastern summit appears to be a bit tedious and potentially exposed from a distance, a sheep trail traverses most of its length. We found only one short section mildly unnerving. Outside of this, the route is really nothing more than a hike.
Enjoy your time at the summit (weather permitting of course!) then start back down, utilizing good and loose scree for a few hundred meters before moving back to the green moss. From the base of the mountain, a 7.5 km long, hot trudge then brings you back to the start.
Insider Hints for Mount Coulthard
- Stop by for some ice cream at The Old Dairy Ice Cream Shoppe in Bellevue, it’s a great option after a wonderful scramble.
Getting to the Mount Coulthard Trailhead
From Coleman, head south on 86th Street, which merges into 16th Ave. Go left on 81st Street and then again on 15th Ave. Turn right onto 83rd Street and then right again on the second cross street (13th Ave). Continue straight on this dirt road, and the trailhead will be on the left after about 5.7 km.
Route Information
Mount Coulthard Elevation Graph
Weather Forecast
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