FKT: Braydon Mackenzie - Ossa Mountain (BC, Canada) - 2025-08-09

Route variation
Out & Back
Multi-sport
No
Para athlete
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
8h 45m 52s
Report

Started at the Sigurd Creek TH around 6am. The route starts getting vertical within the first km and stays that way until about km 6 to 7 where it mellows out a bit as you gain the valley. The running in this portion is pretty awesome across rolling, soft forest and meadows with some mild bushwhacking in a couple spots. There's also a river crossing in this section which you either just wade through or take off your shoes, there is no log bridge anymore. Past this it begins to get vertical again until you gain the bowl below Ossa Mountain. The trail here is easier to lose as the orange markers are few and can be easy to miss. Another river crossing is required but manageable without taking off your shoes. Past the river the trail is a bit overgrown until you leave the bowl area and start to gain the ridge on the right. Here the trail is well defined and quite runnable. This trail eventually hits a boulder field and you begin the meandering climb up the ridge. There are no more orange markers and the only defined route is noted by stacks of stones. Its a bit of choose your own adventure until you gain the top of the first ridge section. From here you can see the summit ahead but its up and over a couple steep climbs with class 2/3 scrambling. The final scramble after this bit is found by down climbing into a notch and then traversing out right to the "crux" chimney which will be immediately on your left marked by a stack of stones. I missed this chimney somehow and ended up further out right and climbing a low fifth class section to the summit instead (whoops). Thankfully I found the chimney for the descent. Descended the whole route same way as the ascent.

Overall an incredible route, might be the most perfect SWBC mountain running route I've been on so far. It has a little bit of everything and is a very good challenge. I met a lot of people on the way down and they all were doing it in 2 days. There's plenty of water on the route in the time of year I did it (August), although on the way back make sure to fill up at the first river crossing as there not much good running water next to the trail from there to the TH. Aimed for sub 9 hours and was pleasantly surprised I made it. Was solo unsupported the whole distance.