Lys Ridge

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September 21, 2024. A long, scenic ridge walk on the Autumnal Equinox.

  • Region: Castle Wilderness. Traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Tsuu T’ina, and Blackfoot First Nations
  • Distance: 26.3 km loop
  • Total Ascent: 1695 m (repeated gain and loss of elevation occurs during the ridge walk)
  • Elevation of Objective: 2520 m
  • Total Time: 11h 35m
  • Safety and Disclaimer

Lys Ridge is situated between 2 picturesque valleys in Castle Wildland Provincial Park. Grizzly Creek runs in the valley to the west of the ridge and the South Castle River runs in the valley to the east . The two converge around the northern tail of the ridge before picking up more tributaries and eventually becoming the Castle River. Grizzly Creek’s valley is blind-ending at its southern end where there are two remote and beautiful lakes: Grizzly Lake and Ruby Lake. Across the valley to the west is Barnaby Ridge and to the east are Castle Peak and Windsor Mountain. The whole area embodies the Castle’s iconic beauty.

Traversing the ridge is a fairly major undertaking in terms of distance, elevation gain, and access since there are no bridges over the South Castle River between the access road and the ridge. Doing this on a long summer day would be ideal, but I have held off on a June/July trip worrying that the river may be too high for a easy crossing. This year my August schedule was fully booked so this ended up being a September trip. This worked out fine since, with a brisk pace and reasonably early start, we were able to do the whole trip in daylight. We really didn’t want to be caught in darkness while making our descent or crossing the river. Interestingly, all of the trip reports I reviewed in preparation for this outing were from September and October (see list below).

While an out-and back route is possible, a loop is ideal. This can be done clockwise or counterclockwise. Andrew Nugara describes both options in More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies 3rd ed. We decided to go counterclockwise, following the Grizzly and Ruby Lakes Trail to (nearly) its end, ascending the slopes above Ruby Lake to reach the summit of Lys Ridge, then walking the ridge north. Making our way north we would tag the summit of West Castle before descending adjacent to the large boulder field on the eastern aspect of Lys Ridge near the northern tip. For a counterclockwise loop Nugara’s book describes a different descent – through the woods directly off the north end of the ridge – but we decided to avoid that.

Access is via the South Castle Road. From Pincher Creek take Hwy 507 west, then turn left onto Hwy 774 and pass through the town of Beaver Mines. There will be signs for the Beaver Mines Lake campground at about 14.7 km from the turn. Once on the gravel access road to the campground follow it for about 3.7 km and turn right (south) onto a gravel road. This road soon comes to a creek crossing. If the flow is low enough and you’re confident in your vehicle, it can be driven across. If not, there’s space here to park without blocking anyone else.

Beyond the creek crossing is roughly 5.5 km of variable-quality dirt and gravel road. Some stretches were smooth and dry, others were deeply rutted, or pocked with mud puddles of variable depth. A higher clearance vehicle is advisable. The vehicle-accessible portion of the road ends in a blockade of rocks and concrete barriers. Shortly before this there’s the remains of a fence part way across the road, and a Texas gate to drive over. At the blockade there is lots of parking space and a small kiosk and signs pointing the way to various trails. This arrangement was set up roughly 2019 or 2020, so all older books and trip reports will describe driving further and/or parking elsewhere.

We geared up and followed the sign for the Grizzly and Ruby Lakes Trail. This quickly brought us to the South Castle River. A sign showing the continuation of the trail was visible at the edge of the trees on the opposite bank. The water was shin deep and we crossed without difficulty. We got back on the trail and enjoyed an easy, gently ascending hike for the next 11 km. The trail was quite well maintained. In the first few kilometres it passed over a some creek beds, some dry and some very low. Only one was bridged. Because we were in a hurry we didn’t take the side trail to Grizzly Lake or follow the main trail all the way down to Ruby Lake.

Where the trail turned west towards Ruby Lake we followed it a short distance to a clearing where we took a break. Looking at our maps and GPX tracks we decided to go back up to where the trail turned and follow a faint path that continued south. We did this, found our way through some trees by a slightly convoluted course (I think we could have just kept going straight) and intercepted what Nugara refers to as the RASC – the Red Argillite Staircase. This is a shallow gully of red argillite that has stable, step-like terrain which allows a rapid and enjoyable ascent most of the way to the top of Lys Ridge.

At the top of the RASC we navigated through some easy rock bands onto the broad, smooth terrain at the top of the ridge. As I ascended the last stretch, I saw the top of an antenna off to the right. I headed that way and found the repeater station which stands at the summit of Lys Ridge. Nearby was the official survey marker. The wind picked up a bit as we arrived at the repeater station – luckily, it functioned very well as a wind break. We found no register but there was a small geocache canister. Inside was a soaking wet piece of paper and a pencil. After a fairly long rest we set out to the north and began the ridge walk.

The ridge walk was very enjoyable and only involved a few difficulties. The terrain was varied – sometimes smooth and broad, sometimes rocky and narrow. A couple sections involved scrambling down rock bands and a bit of route finding was required. I think that ascending these sections on a clockwise route would be pretty straightforward. Roughly 3-4 km from Lys’ summit we encountered twin rocky outcrops, one grey and one striking red and yellow (which led me to think of it as “Spanish Peak”). We climbed to the col between them and saw that we had to descend a bit and slide-slope traverse under the red and yellow cliffs to find an easy rock band to scramble up to return to the crest of the ridge. We did that, then tagged the top of “outcrop”Spanish Peak” for a bit of fun.

Carrying on from there the elevation of the ridge descended a little more rapidly and we began to encounter more trees on the ridge line. Some more down-climbing was required. Eventually we got to a high point overlooking a pair of peaks a little further along the ridge, one red and one grey-yellow. We knew that the yellow one, which is a little shorter than the red one, was West Castle – an official summit. Why it is that that particular high point is an official summit isn’t clear to me. In any event we were soon on the summit of West Castle, checking out its diminutive cairn.

We continued beyond West Castle, at one point crossing above a huge down-sloping slab, until we encountered black rock and what seemed to be a massive crack in the mountain. This was our cue that we were near the top of the boulder field that was to be our descent path. We bore to the right (east) to avoid a sharp drop of the ridge-top, but then had to head left and ascend, passing over the ridge and down rock bands on the other side until we reached terrain that allowed us to bypass the section. Another option would have been dropping off to the left sooner along the ridge top. Once past that section we left the ridge and started to descend along the left (north) edge of the massive boulder field. It wasn’t a carefree scree run, but there were areas of soft terrain that allowed for a bit of plunge-stepping. In other spots we found faint animal trails to follow. Once at the bottom of the slope we pressed through the woods for a short distance (finding a faint trail) northeast until we encountered an old firebreak which cleared trees right to the shore of the river. We were able to cross easily at this point then carry on following the firebreak straight to the South Castle Road. We turned left on the road and followed it northwest back to our vehicles just as the sun went down.

Aside from checking out Nugara’s description in More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies 3rd ed. here are some other Lys Ridge resources to review:

  • All Stone Adventures’ video report. He did this as a 2-day trip, camping at Ruby Lake but used basically the same route as us, ascending the RASC and descending adjacent to the boulder field.
  • Dave McMurray’s September 2016 post. Great descriptions of what is encountered along the ridge top. He went clockwise and used different river crossings than we did.
  • Vern Dewit’s October 2016 post. He followed McMurray’s route, but did it in snowy conditions. The scenery was amazing, but darkness closed in on them before making it back to the river, leading to a bit of a scary situation.
Google Earth route overview. North is left.
A closer look at the area of ascent (the “RASC” – Red Argillite Staircase). North is left. The V is where we followed the Ruby Lake trail down a few dozen meters to a clearing. We then returned to the faint continuation of the trail heading south. You can then see where we ascended to get above some trees and traverse to the RASC. I think I could have kept going along the trail for a few more meters and I probably would have encountered the lower reaches of the RASC.
A closer look at our area of descent on the boulder field. North is up. I possibly did more scrambling than necessary in the black rocks.
Right next to the parking area there was a sign pointing the way to Grizzly and Ruby Lakes. We were coming off a bout of colder weather and rain. There was plenty of frost on the vegetation through the morning.
The trail brought us directly to a good spot to wade across the river.
The sky had cleared after the overnight rain. The moon was descending towards Barnaby Ridge to the west.
One of the small creeks we crossed shortly after crossing the river.
Some nice fall colours along the trail.
After several kilometres the trail climbed out of the trees for a stretch. The cliffs far ahead stand above Grizzly Lake.
Looking back the way we came. The walk down this valley is pleasant enough, but not particularly engaging. It’s also very long. I’m glad we did it at the start of the day instead of at the end.
Looking up at Lys Ridge. This is a large gully leading to what must be a very nice waterfall in the spring.
At roughly 10.5 km there’s a sign marking a branch trail leading to Grizzly Lake. We carried on south along the main trail. If we weren’t on such a tight timeline it would have been great to check out the lake.
At roughly 11.5 km the trail turns sharply west and begins to descend to Ruby Lake. A faint trail continues straight south. This leads to the bottom of the RASC. We descended along the main trail a short way to a clearing where we took a break before climbing back up. See the 2nd Google Earth image above that explains our journey to the RASC.
On the lower reaches of the RASC. It’s important to note – not all the argillite is red down here.
Looking over our shoulders we got our first good look at Ruby Lake.
A great example of the solid, step-like terrain making up the RASC. I’ve been fascinated by Nugara’s description of this section since I first read it and the experience didn’t disappoint. We ascended very rapidly here.
Looking uphill along the RASC. The upper rock bands are visible.
The view down to Ruby Lake from the top of the RASC.
Ascending through a weakness in the upper rock bands.
Looking south as we near the top of the rock bands.
A wide view from the top of the rock bands. Both Ruby Lake (left) and Grizzly Lake (right) are visible. The taller mountain in the background, left of centre, is Jake Smith Peak.
As I reached the end of the ascent the terrain became very smooth. Off to the right I saw the top of an antenna. I headed that way.
Taking a break on the summit of Lys Ridge.
Panorama to the southeast. Peaks from the Castle, Waterton, Glacier and southeast BC are visible.
Sunlight shining off North Scarpe Lake.
Looking east at Castle Peak and Windsor Mountain. They were the subject of many, many pictures as the day wore on.
Looking west at Jake Smith Peak.
Setting off to the north. The first portion of the ridge walk is on easy terrain like this.
A short distance off the summit we were able to clearly see down to Lys Lake to the east.
Continuing onward. Stands of larches are visible on the slopes ahead. They were just beginning their change to golden colour.
Looking back towards the summit of Lys Ridge.
A last look at Grizzly Lake before we continue north.
Approaching an easy down-climb. Barnaby Ridge is straight ahead across the valley. The ski runs of the Castle Mountain Resort are visible further in the background on the left. Peaks of the Crowsnest Pass area are in the far background.
Looking back after the down-climb.
Now approaching the twin rocky outcrop. Nugara describes this as the “minor hiccup” in his book. One could side-slope early, aiming for the area of the red peak where the yellow cliffs peter out, or climb up and check out the col. That’s what we did before traversing and finding a way up the red rocks.
Near the col, looking at the red peak. The red and yellow layers brought to mind a Spanish flag, so for my own purposes I’ve been calling this “Spanish Peak”.
Looking back.
Looking east from the col. A direct assault up the ridge didn’t seem wise. We traversed right and found a weakness to scramble up.
Looking up at the cliffs.
As the cliffs petered out we found an easy spot to scramble up and gain the easy slopes above.
We decided to go tag the high point on “Spanish Peak” before moving on.
The scenery was worth the quick additional climb.
Looking north up the valley between Barnaby Ridge and Lys Ridge. Crowsnest Mountain is clearly visible in the distance.
Carrying on along the ridge. Up ahead are a red peak and a yellow one. The yellow one is West Castle, an official peak. Some straightforward down-climbing lies between this point and those peaks.
Starting to descend.
Looking back.
Taking a moment to check out Castle and Windsor again.
Looking back at the broad area of the ridge we just descended from.
Starting to climb the red peak. West Castle is on the left.
Looking back again from part way up the slope of the red peak.
The small cairn at the top of the red peak. Fatigue was starting to set in around here but we decided to push on to West Castle before our next break.
Looking south again. The light and colour at that time of day were remarkable.
Descending to the col between West Castle and the red peak. Some scrambling was required here.
Here’s where I scrambled down. The picture and vantage point make it look more dramatic than it felt. Having said that, there are probably easier ways down.
Looking back from the col between the red peak and West Castle.
A bit of easy ascent before the summit.
The summit of West Castle.
Looking east. It is possible that this particular bump has an official designation because it is directly west of Castle Peak.
Looking south.
Looking southwest. The view directly west at this time of day (towards Barnaby Ridge) was hard to get good pictures of since the sun was getting lower and the whole valley was in shadow.
Continuing onwards to the north. Our next landmarks were beyond the red slopes ahead – first a huge slab running down the eastern slope, next the spot where the rock turns black and there’s a big crack in the ridge.
Further along the ridge, looking back to the south.
Further along again, looking north, and the character of the rock is starting to change. We’d soon reach the big slab slope.
Some context for the final section – this is a view from “Frankie Peak”. Lys Ridge is across the valley to the left. A huge broad yellow-grey slab is visible slanting down from the ridge top, then further right along the ridge is a broad grey boulder field that stretches further down the slope. We were about to walk past the big slab, and we wanted to reach the grey boulder field for out descent.
The view from the top of the big slab. “Frankie Peak”, the vantage point for the prior picture, is at the top left.
At the spot where the rocks are black and there’s a big crack in the ridge. There’s a big drop-off directly ahead. I went right to get around it then had to scramble back up and over to the left on the next section. It was probably possible just to drop off to the left earlier and avoid all that.
Some of the stuff I ended up down-climbing after going up and over to the left of the ridge top. Again, the pictures make it look more dramatic than it was.
Onto more tame terrain, left of the ridge top, and looking for an easy place to drop off the ridge to the right.
Looking back.
Starting our descent. The main part of the boulder field is to the right of this picture. The firebreak leading to the road is directly ahead in the valley bottom.
Descending. By staying just left of the boulder field we were able to find animal trails and reasonably friendly terrain. The grade was steep and the rocks were loose – rockfall caused by party members above would be a potential hazard.
Looking back from near the bottom of the boulder field.
From the bottom of the boulder field a short walk through the woods brought us to the firebreak. We followed it to the river.
After an easy river crossing at this spot we followed a trail through the firebreak back to the road.
Across the river now and walking through the firebreak. The sun was a few minutes from setting.
A final look back at Lys Ridge.

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