South Powell Divide Traverse

The South Powell Divide traverse, as the name implies, traverses the southern half of the beautiful and remote Powel Divide. A route that links a series of alpine ridgelines that separate Powell Lake and Jervis Inlet. Because of how remote this traverse is combined with a few technical sections, it sees very few people despite the stunning beauty, relatively easy travel (despite the lack of a trail) and cool swimming in the abundant lakes. The trek generally stays above 1500m (4900 feet) which may not sound that high but it's in the alpine and makes sense when you consider that the highest peak in the area, Mt. Alfred, is only 2420m tall.

The route starts at Emma Lake with a night at the cabin of the same name. This first casual afternoon is spent swimming and exploring the area around the lake before a good night sleep in the hut. The next morning the hiking starts by heading on to Emerald Valley, a stunning alpine area with three pristine blue-green lakes, before ending the day at yet another lake Lorac Lake. The following morning a short, but a little technical at times, hike deposits us at a tarn (small lake) at the toe of a small glacier and the location of the food cache. As this is a short day it allows lots of time for exploring the area and potentially climbing Overlook Mountain. This evening there's some fresh food for dinner from the cache and maybe even a little wine. The following morning we climb back up to the ridge and follow it along for several kilometers before dropping down to Skwim Lake for the night. This larger lake has some great camping and is ideal for swimming. A lazy start the next morning and we're on our way back down the mountain to our car.