Spearhead Huts Project to make Whistler backcountry more accessible

The Spearhead Traverse near Whistler has been a destination forwinter and summerbackcountry enthusiasts ever sinceit was first conquered in 1964.

The spectacular 40-kilometreroute through the mountains counts endless scenery and wildlife,13 glaciers, 14 peaks, and, in the near future, three shelter huts.

• Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations now required for backcountry campers

Jayson Faulkner, the founding chair of the Spearhead Huts Committee, says thanks to a major donor the $1.5 million dollars needed to buildthe first hut near Russet Lake has been secured.

"You're not talking something super fancy, these aren't going to be in the European mould where they're fullycatered and you can have a bowl of pasta and bottleof wine at the end of the day," said Faulkner. "No, these are going to be very nice sheltersbut relatively simple in what they provide inamenities toilets, running water, non potablewater, heat."

Faulkner says the idea behind the hutswhich can accommodate35 peopleis to make the Spearhead Traverse more accessible for the average person.

"When you give people an opportunity to enjoy and see a landscape that is typically only available to half of one percent you change people's perspective about nature and wilderness and the value of those places," he told Rick Cluff on the CBC's Early Edition. "This opens it up to families."

The hutsproject is being led by local not-for-profit alpineclubs and has been in the making for almost 50 years. TheRusset Lake hut is expected to open in early in 2018, with the other two huts following in quick succession, assuming another $3 million can beraised.

"We're in a very unique situation unlike anything else in North America because you're adjacent to one of the top three andlargest mountain resorts inthe world in Whistler. In B.C andwe're blessed with this really remarkable landscapeheavyglaciation, so very dramatic terrain. " he said. "So what makes it special is that unique combination of wilderness, but you're actually quite close to first world infrastructure."

Faulkner says the huts will be bookableonline and will cost approximately $50 per night per person.

With files from the EarlyEdition