Mount 5040 & Cobalt Lake

With stunning alpine views, the summit of Mount 5040 has everything for a day hike or expedition tour. The route from Marion Main to Cobalt lake will take around 2 hours for a hiker with good fitness levels. The trail is well marked and climbs steadily following the outflow of Cobalt Lake. Even in summer there is access to water at several points on the trail as it winds up the hillside through new forest, older growth trees, rock bluffs and more. Camping at Cobalt Lake offers amazing views across the valley at the Triple Peak and back to the summit of Mount 5040, high above the lake cauldron.

From basecamp at Cobalt Lake, it's a day hike to the summit of Mount 5040, with views on a clear day past Sproat Lake, the Georgia Strait and across to Courtenay in the far distance. An alternate route is to summit Mount 5040 directly along the Northwest Ridge. This route has several sections that go through old growth forest, onto alpine and then scree and snow fields. The trail is challenging in places, and a longer hike than the trail to Cobalt Lake. The trail takes you to the summit of Mount 5040 where you can see Cobalt Lake and the new (under construction as of Sept 2017) Alpine Club of Canada cabin. For either route, participants must be fit, capable of hiking for long periods of time on uneven terrain and able to pack an overnight pack of up to 25lb.

Difficulty: 
3
Strenuousness: 
4