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Canadian Rockies suggestions?


Lambone

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My future wife and I will be spending three weeks up there on a honeymoon/climbing excursion. It will be our first time in the Canadian Rockies...

 

Can anyone recomend some good routes to shoot for in mid-september? We are looking to do some of the classics, near the road(one-two day trips), glacier walk-ups with not much objective danger/ mellow alpine ice colouirs/ classic ridge lines/ or long moderate rock routes, that don't crumble (too much). Basicaly we want to have fun on some relatively low stress climbs, get some good views, and just get aquainted with those awsome peaks. Back packing trips that left a permanent impression would be nice too, or a combination...

 

The Canadian Select guide outlines the popular routes pretty well, just wondering if you folks have any favorites.

 

Cool, thanks.

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I will give you my report on my return. Basically though it is all good if it is in that book. You can also check Bivouac.com of course.

 

I hear the Emperor Face on Robson and N Face of N Twin are classic moderates [Roll Eyes]

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Ahhhh yes Dru! Those will be our next objectives after we warm up on the NF of Temple. [Roll Eyes] You know...jus to get out life together started off on a good foot... [big Grin]

 

I thought about putting a sandbag disclaimer on my original question...but I wanted to see Dru's response, I think Canadians love to see Americans epic on their home turf eh?

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Ahhhh yes Dru! Those will be our next objectives after we warm up on the NF of Temple. [Roll Eyes] You know...just to get our life together started off on a good foot... [big Grin]

 

I thought about putting a sandbag disclaimer on my original question...but I wanted to see Dru's response, I think Canadians love to see Americans epic on their home turf eh?

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quote:

Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman:

I hear the Lowe route on Geikke is a good one if you like to hit up aid climbing in the backcountry.

That one was freed by Slawinski/Dumerac/Nazarchuck in summer 2001. See 2002 CAJ for more details.

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I haven't done a lot of climbing up there, but I believe you and she might enjoy Silverhorn Arete on Athabaska (a very scenic snow climb with about 50' of low angle ice) or the E. Ridge of Mount Temple (a 5.4 rock climb in an awesome setting). Both can done as a day trip from your nuptial suite in Lake Louise, though you might want to spend the night a little closer to the trailheads.

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Lambone -

When I mentioned the E. Ridge of Mount Temple, I actually meant the E. Ridge of Mount Edith Cavelle. The E. Ridge of Temple is 5.7, and although most of it is a scramble it is in reality a rather large and serious climb on which there are great epics on a regular basis. If you are there with a partner who is up for a long day with some complicated route finding on loose rock and maybe a little bit of messy mixed climbing, it is a great climb. But I wouldn't recommend it for your honeymoon unless your wife was pretty hardcore. The E. Ridge of Cavelle is long for a newbie, but much easier and has better rock. If you try that one, consider descending the route as the descent off the back (not altogether trivial) leaves you with a rather long walk home.

- Matt

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quote:

Originally posted by mattp:

Lambone -

When I mentioned the E. Ridge of Mount Temple, I actually meant the E. Ridge of Mount Edith Cavelle. The E. Ridge of Temple is 5.7, and although most of it is a scramble it is in reality a rather large and serious climb on which there are great epics on a regular basis. If you are there with a partner who is up for a long day with some complicated route finding on loose rock and maybe a little bit of messy mixed climbing, it is a great climb. But I wouldn't recommend it for your honeymoon unless your wife was pretty hardcore. The E. Ridge of Cavelle is long for a newbie, but much easier and has better rock. If you try that one, consider descending the route as the descent off the back (not altogether trivial) leaves you with a rather long walk home.

- Matt

Damn when I saw you call ER of Temple a 5.4 I figured you were setting him up for a major sandbag... now you say it was all a mistake [Roll Eyes][Roll Eyes][Roll Eyes]

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Cool, thanks matt...I was wondering about that one...

 

Chrysten isn't a newbie...but she precieves epics in a different light than most of my other partners. A long walk on the descent is ok, it's exposed 4th class downclimbing with loose rock that I hope to avoid for obvious reasons.

 

Edith looks cool. From the photo in the book, route finding looks to be the crux...or do you just follow the fixed gear, and other such since of former newbie ascents?

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On Cavelle's E. Ridge, routefinding is no problem at all. Follow the ridge (really, it is just that simple). You may wander a bit on the moraines approaching the climb, but there is more or less a trail to the route. The downclimb off the back includes some somwhat scary traverssing on a loose rockslope above the big void but it (the scary part) is short and I'm afraid you will not find very many Canadian Rockies peaks that don't have at least some of that kind of thing.

 

[ 07-16-2002, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: mattp ]

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plus the descent down the backside of edith cavell is very scenic. we saw a big big big moose. (we summited just as a thunderstorm appeared and we decided to run down the w. ridge rather than downclimb the e. ridge).

 

the regular n. face of athabasca is also a nice alpine trip if she's into ice climbing, 5 or 6 pitches of moderate ice face with a 10 foot rock step at the top. easy to do car-to-car in a day.

 

haven't done it, but heard good things about roche miete. it looks cool. oh yeah, and mt. louis too, supposed to be fun, reasonable solid, all that good stuff.

 

[ 07-16-2002, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: forrest_m ]

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I think that is a stuffed moose. It was there when we went down that way, as well. It IS scenic back there, isn't it?

 

Another moderate ice climb is Mount Stanley and it too is an easy car-to-car day trip with the obligatory rotten rock descent.

 

Mount Faye, too, has a moderate ice route on the N. Face and the hut is pretty cool. Depending on how you go, you may actually climb 5.6 rock to get to the hut!

 

[ 07-16-2002, 06:18 PM: Message edited by: mattp ]

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You will probably get some cold weather and a few storms while you are there. That said, here are some suggestions you and your bride might enjoy. These are definitely at the lower end of the technical and effort scales:

 

- Abbott via Abbott Ridge in Glacier National Park (BC) near Rogers Pass. Abbott Ridge is a fun ridge romp even if Abbott itself is a pile of rocks. Suggest checking out the Elizabeth Parker ACC hut. Nice hike up forest and meadows to start. Easy daytrip. Great views of Mt. Sir Donald (for future trips). Plenty of stuff to do and look into the other hut higher up in the valley for more climbing options.

 

- Mt. Yukness at Lake O'Hara. Mt. Yukness is a scramble. Some good moderate (5.7) multipitch routes on other peaks around the lake. Lake O'Hara is really beautiful. Either camp, stay at the Lake O'Hara Lodge ($$), or stay at the ACC hut. Lots of great high route hiking around the lake and other options for climbs/scrambles. Possible sidetrip up to the Great Cairn ACC hut and other easy alpine trips. I'd plan to spend a few days here.

 

- Mt. Rundle (scramble route) near Banff. You can't help but notice the peak as you drive into Banff from the west. It is a loose pile but a fun day.

 

Have fun.

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