Climbing Hut on Lake Lovely Water
The Tantalus hut was built by the ACC in 1961 as a base
for mountaineering in the Tantalus Range. It is located at the outflow
end of Lake Lovely Water (elevation 1,173 m / 3,850 ft) in the Tantalus
Range in the Coast Mountains, approximately 64 km northwest of
Vancouver. There are excellent mountaineering objectives and additional
opportunities for swimming, canoeing and fishing.
The hut is a
two-story wooden structure with a large kitchen / dining room on the
main floor and a sleeping loft with foam mattresses for 16 people above.
The kitchen is equipped with propane cooking as well as cooking and
eating utensils. There is a dock nearby with two large rowboats and a
canoe.
While there are only two short hikes, Lamda Lake and Niobe Meadows, there is a wide variety of climbing opportunities of various grades. Classic alpine routes abound on such peaks as: Alpha 2,305 m (7,562 ft); Niobe 2,021m (6,630 ft); Omega 1,918m (6,293 ft); Pelops 2,015m (6,611 ft) and others. Climbing in the area is covered in Climbing and Hiking in Southwestern B.C. by Bruce Fairley, and in Alpine Select by Kevin McLane.
Access to the Lake Lovely Water trail requires crossing the Squamish River. There are a number of options: