Mt Beecroft
Posted: Mon 06 Feb, 2023 1:58 pmIt's been a minute. I decided to let my body get a wee bit out of control, but felt inspired to hit the trail again when I realised I was still somewhat capable of climbing things.
I first learned about Mt Beecroft when I saw a photo of it, and was blown away by just how pretty it really is. It's one of those places that doesn't get much foot traffic, and that climb up to the top looked like a fun way to spend an afternoon. So... yesterday, I decided to give it a good old fashioned crack.
I left the car on Belvoir Road around 1:30pm, and after the initial climb to just below Rocky Mountain I found it relatively easy going. Just lots of ups and downs without really gaining any significant altitude at all. There wasn't much mud, only on the larger flat button grass area after Rocky Mountain which was no more than ankle deep at its worst. Slow going with the uneven surface and general annoyingness of walking on button grass.
After around 6 or 7 notable ups and downs, I found myself at the head of the moraine that heads to the top of Mt Beecroft. Initially very easy going and quite gentle, it becomes a really steep pinch for around 200 meters - steep enough to get you thinking about how much of a pain this will be to come down. The final ridge to the top is actually quite pretty, with totem like rock outcrops before hitting the plateau with the summit cairn a short distance away.
Time to the top from the car was around 3.5 hours - not bad for super unfit me!!
Coming down to the PCT junction took around 20 minutes, with a very slow slog back to the car, enjoying the sights along the way.
All in all - if you havent done Mt Beecroft, it's very well worth the trip. Fit people could probably do it in much less than the 6.5 hours I took, but you'll probably want to take your time with this one and enjoy it like I did.
I first learned about Mt Beecroft when I saw a photo of it, and was blown away by just how pretty it really is. It's one of those places that doesn't get much foot traffic, and that climb up to the top looked like a fun way to spend an afternoon. So... yesterday, I decided to give it a good old fashioned crack.
I left the car on Belvoir Road around 1:30pm, and after the initial climb to just below Rocky Mountain I found it relatively easy going. Just lots of ups and downs without really gaining any significant altitude at all. There wasn't much mud, only on the larger flat button grass area after Rocky Mountain which was no more than ankle deep at its worst. Slow going with the uneven surface and general annoyingness of walking on button grass.
After around 6 or 7 notable ups and downs, I found myself at the head of the moraine that heads to the top of Mt Beecroft. Initially very easy going and quite gentle, it becomes a really steep pinch for around 200 meters - steep enough to get you thinking about how much of a pain this will be to come down. The final ridge to the top is actually quite pretty, with totem like rock outcrops before hitting the plateau with the summit cairn a short distance away.
Time to the top from the car was around 3.5 hours - not bad for super unfit me!!
Coming down to the PCT junction took around 20 minutes, with a very slow slog back to the car, enjoying the sights along the way.
All in all - if you havent done Mt Beecroft, it's very well worth the trip. Fit people could probably do it in much less than the 6.5 hours I took, but you'll probably want to take your time with this one and enjoy it like I did.