Spearhead Traverse
50°05′ N 122°52′ WATES Complex terrain+2,000 mGuide recommendedSeasonal
The Spearhead Traverse links Blackcomb and Whistler mountains across 35 km and 13 glaciers of Garibaldi Park, so it suits fit, glacier-trained ski parties with a stable spring forecast, and the trade-off is complex alpine terrain with no good escape from the Spearhead Range side.
Photo Lucasgreenough · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Backcountry zone · No. 010 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Pack out everything, since the hut has no garbage bins.
Read the terrain
The Spearhead Huts Society describes a 35 km tour across 13 glaciers in Garibaldi Park, and the route bends in a horseshoe from Blackcomb to Whistler. The VOC calls it a committing route in almost exclusively alpine terrain with few ways out in bad weather, and its steepest slope runs about 35 degrees on the south side of Mount Iago. Avalanche Canada added Spearhead ATES ratings to its Online Trip Planner in March 2021, and the older Canadian Avalanche Association list rated the whole traverse complex. The Trip Planner's decision points flag cornices and afternoon warming, and one marks a steep col that often loads with wind.
Gate rules
- Whistler Blackcomb sells backcountry tickets daily through winter operations for a set of lifts to the access points, and the tickets work on no other lifts. Buying one requires skis, a snowboard or a splitboard, skins, a transceiver you can show you know how to use, a probe, a shovel and a phone.
- Every guest using a backcountry ticket signs the Backcountry Access Agreement.
- Whistler Blackcomb lists the 2026/27 backcountry ticket price as to be determined.
- Uphill travel inside the ski area boundary is allowed only on routes marked with signs. Check the resort's Terrain Status Map for which lifts and routes are open, because weather and avalanche work close them.
Watch for these hazards
- The Spearhead Range side has no good escape routes, the VOC warns, and the only ways out drop to Fitzsimmons Creek from the Fitzsimmons Range half.
- The spiralling descent around the north side of Overlord crosses crevasses, by the VOC's description.
- Avalanche Canada's Trip Planner marks decision points for cornices and afternoon warming, and it calls one left-hand col steep and often wind-loaded.
- The south side of Mount Iago runs about 35 degrees and is the steepest slope of the trip.
Pick a route that suits the day
Spearhead Traverse, clockwise from Blackcomb
2,000 m ascent · Complex terrain
From the top of the Showcase T-Bar the route crosses the Blackcomb Glacier to the Blackcomb-Spearhead col, climbs over Decker and rounds Trorey and Pattison before the col between Tremor and Shudder. It strings together the Platform, Ripsaw, Naden and Macbeth glaciers, climbs and descends Iago, crosses Benvolio and spirals around Overlord to Russet Lake, then follows the Musical Bumps or the Singing Pass trail back to Whistler.
See the terrain in 3D
Go with a guide
The traverse starts with a lift. Buy a backcountry ticket in Whistler Village, ride to the top of the Showcase T-Bar at about 2,200 m and cross the Blackcomb Glacier toward Decker Mountain. The VOC runs the loop clockwise, which puts the higher Spearhead Range first while your legs are fresh and saves the 35-degree south side of Mount Iago for a descent. A VOC party made the first full traverse in 1964, before either mountain had lifts, and that original trip took eight days.
Expect a big commitment once you leave Blackcomb. The VOC calls the Spearhead side almost exclusively alpine with no good escape routes, and the only way off comes later from the Fitzsimmons Range down to Fitzsimmons Creek. Avalanche Canada added ATES ratings for the traverse to its Online Trip Planner in March 2021, and its decision points warn of cornices and afternoon warming on the way, plus a col that often loads with wind. The Canadian Avalanche Association rated the whole route complex.
The Spearhead Huts Society built the Kees and Claire Hut at Russet Lake in 2019 and plans two more huts so that each leg takes about the same time. The hut takes reservations only, and members of the ACC and BCMC can book 90 days ahead while everyone else books 60. Garibaldi Park's rules apply at the hut, and they ban dogs and drones. The society operates on the shared, unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), the Líl̓wat Nation and the St̓át̓imc.
Worth knowing
- Leave a trip plan with someone at home with your route, your group, your hut night and the time you expect to reach Whistler Village, plus when they should call 911. AdventureSmart's free planner is at adventuresmart.ca.
- Pack North Shore Rescue's ten essentials on top of your glacier kit, and put a headlamp first.
- Avalanche Canada sets AST 1 at two days or more and offers AST 2 for multi-day trips in complex terrain. Licensed providers list their dates at avalanche.ca/training/courses.
- Whistler Blackcomb points backcountry newcomers to ACMG-certified guides through Extremely Canadian, and a guide is the sensible way to ski the traverse for the first time.
- Pack out everything at the Kees and Claire Hut. It has no garbage bins, and the society asks guests to boil or treat drinking water while its water system waits for approval.
Quick answers about Spearhead Traverse
How long is the Spearhead Traverse?
The Spearhead Traverse runs about 35 km across 13 glaciers, by the Spearhead Huts Society's count. The VOC puts the total climb at about 2,000 m and the trip at 1 to 3 days.
Can you stay in a hut on the Spearhead Traverse?
Yes. The Kees and Claire Hut at Russet Lake opened in 2019 and takes reservations only. ACC and BCMC members can book 90 days ahead with a promo code and member number, and everyone else books 60 days ahead.
Do you need a lift ticket for the Spearhead Traverse?
Most parties buy a Whistler Blackcomb backcountry ticket, which covers a set of lifts to the access points. Buying one requires a transceiver you can show you know how to use, a probe, a shovel, skins and a phone, and the 2026/27 price was listed as to be determined in October 2026.
What ATES rating does the Spearhead Traverse have?
The Spearhead Traverse is rated complex. Avalanche Canada added its ATES ratings to the Online Trip Planner in March 2021, and the Canadian Avalanche Association list rated the whole traverse complex.
When can you ski tour Spearhead Traverse?
The touring season on Spearhead Traverse runs most parties ski it in spring, when the days run longer and the weather settles, the VOC says. The Kees and Claire Hut opens year-round apart from a fall closure and a late-spring closure, and its 2026 spring closure ran from 18 May to 18 June. Avalanche Canada starts its daily forecasts for 2026/27 on 25 November at 4 pm.
Do you need a guide for Spearhead Traverse?
We recommend a certified guide for Spearhead Traverse unless your group can read the snowpack and run its own rescue.
Where do you check avalanche danger for Spearhead Traverse?
Read the day's bulletin from Avalanche Canada (https://avalanche.ca/map) before every tour on Spearhead Traverse.
How do you get to the Spearhead Traverse trailhead?
The Top of the Showcase T-Bar, Blackcomb Mountain (backcountry lift ticket from Whistler Village) trailhead is about 2 hr 15 min by car from Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal in winter, 105 km on the road.
Within 40 km
Ski resorts nearby
Within 80 km
Backcountry zones nearby
Within 35 km
Places to stay nearby
Within 35 km
