Mountain Profile Essays
The Tiedemann Group
Tucked deep within British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, the Tiedemann Group is far less famous than its taller neighbor to the west, Mt. Waddington, but its frozen couloirs and snow-speckled rock faces tell a captivating story of their own. The range remains almost as remote today as it was a hundred years ago when Don and Phyllis Munday first visited. Tami Knight shares its lesser-known history, from the early days of hellacious approaches and fresh summits to modern tales of helicopter access and bold new lines. All tied up in various ways with Serra V, the last major summit to be reached in the group, Glenn Woodsworth, Michael Down, Peter Croft and Ethan Berman detail their own memories and misadventures.
These essays originally appeared in Alpinist 92 as part of the Mountain Profile. Alpinist 92 is now available on newsstands and in our online store. Only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up Alpinist 92 for all the goodness!–Ed.
[Photo] Mt. Waddington (left) and the jagged granite peaks of the Tiedemann Group. Steph Abegg
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1964: Serra V
Glenn Woodsworth writes about the first ascent of Serra V in 1964. Woodworth writes: “During the next day or so of bad weather, we learned that Roy was also flying a strong party into the Rainy Knob area, a quartet of Canadians and Brits who hoped to climb the unclimbed northwest ridge of Mt. Waddington and Serra V. We knew these folks by reputation, but we had only climbed with one of them. They were certainly more confident than we were, and they said, ‘You guys are strong scramblers and hill walkers, but you are out of your depth in…
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1985: The Race for Serra V
Michael Down writes about attempting to snag the second ascent of Serra V with John Howe. It was twenty-one years after the peak’s first ascent in 1964, but that didn’t make the difficulties much easier. They turned around upon finding “rotten and decomposed rock” on their intended route—only to discover more frustrations at their camp.
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1985: Waddington Traverse
Peter Croft writes about “the warm deliciousness of being alive” when he traversed from Mt. Waddington to Serra V with Don Serl and Greg Foweraker in 1985: “It all started out so well. The granite was solid and straightforward, and even though the sky was still scowling at us, I started to believe we might just sneak it out before any nastiness happened. That was before we looked down the other side. If there was ever a poster child for the perils of descents, Serra V would be it for me.”
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2023: The Serra Traverse
Ethan Berman writes about the two attempts he made with friends to complete the “Waddington Loop.” The first effort ended with a helicopter rescue. The second trip was significantly more fun, but they were still humbled by the mountains. Berman writes: “Great success? Giant flop? I’m still not sure what to make of the five days I spent in the Waddington Range with Matteo Agnoloni and Seba Pelletti in early August 2023…. Peter Croft, Greg Foweraker and Don Serl completed the Waddington traverse in 1985. We planned to go in the opposite direction and loop back to where we started,…
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The Stilettos
Tami Knight writes about the Tiedemann Group’s easternmost series of summits, known as the Stilettos. She writes: “The Stilettos are the little siblings of the spectacular mountains right next door, but they attract attention because, once you’re in the area, access is easy and they require a shorter weather window for climbing.”