Mount Robson - Southwest Face

Though perhaps a bit less spectacular than the ridiculously steep Emperor Face or the glaciated Kain Face, the Southwest Face of Robson offers its most popular route, on the South Face (line 5), allowing relatively straightforward access to the summit after a night in the precariously perched Ralph Forster Hut. Another major line, the Wishbone Arête (line 4) was a great prize of the mountain, but people who climbed it have been remarkably consistent in advising against future ascent..

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Route List

1: Emperor Ridge, TD 5.6, R. Perla, T.M. Spencer, 07/1961
2: Kinney-Philips (Disputed), G. Kinney, C. Philips, 08/1909
3: Southwest Face,A. Waterman, A. Spero, 1974
4: Wishbone Arête, TD- 5.6 WI3, D. Claunch, H. Firestone, M. Sherrick, 08/1958
5: The Great Couloir, 50°, C. Lustenberger, G. Pierrel, 02/2025
6: South Face (Normal Route), AD WI2, M.D. Geddes, T.B. Moffat, M. Pollard, C. Kain, 07/1924
7: Spencer Variant, WI3, T.M. Spencer, 1959
8: Hourglass Variant, C. Kain, W.W. Foster, A.H. McCarthy, 07/1913 (Descent)
9: Fuhrer-Hall Variant, H.S. Hall, H. Fuhrer, 08/1936
10: Kain Face, AD WI3 45°, C. Kain, W.W. Foster, A.H. McCarthy, 07/1913
11: Patterson Couloir, 1963

Sources

• “Dragons in the Mist, Mountain Profile: Mt Robson,” Barry Blanchard, Alpinist Magazine, Issue 29, Winter 2009-2010

• “Selected Climbing Routes of Mt Robson,” Gregory Horne, Gregory Horne Photographics, 1989

• “Climber’s Guide to the Rocky Mountains of Canada

• North,” William L. Putnam, Robert Kruszyna, Chris Jones, AAC/ACC, 1974

• “Selected Alpine Climbs in the Canadian Rockies,” Sean Dougherty, Rocky Mountain Books, 1991

• “Mount Robson, Southwest Face,” Alan Dane Waterman, AAJ, 1975

• “Mount Robson, South Face, Ski Descent,” Christina Lustenberger, AAJ, 2026

• Ryan Boyd

• Eli Phillips

Updates

Mar 24, 2026: First version published.

Aug 10, 2026: Added the great couloir ski descent from 2025.