Safety & Disclaimer

The activities described on this blog are inherently dangerous. Illness, injury, or death could occur as a result of attempting any of the trips described. The information provided on this blog is not a substitute for personal judgement or responsibility. I accept no responsibility for the actions of readers or the consequences of those actions. Individuals must use their own judgement in determining their ability to undertake or complete any of the trips described, and they are solely responsible for their own safety in the mountains. Do not rely solely on information from this blog for your safety. The route descriptions are accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing but accuracy is not guaranteed. Public access to the routes is freely allowed at the time of writing. Changes are inevitable and may relate to natural events, government policies, or the decisions of private land owners.

Safety is foremost in my mind when it comes to hiking and scrambling. To that end, I have read extensively and have taken courses from certified mountain guides on scrambling and avalanche safety. I recommend reading this post by the Friends of Kananaskis Country regarding the difference between hiking and scrambling. After reading it I considered adding safety information in the form of YDS ratings to blog posts relating to scrambles and more strenuous hikes but I eventually decided against it. I feel that providing my own YDS ratings would risk overstating my expertise in the subject since I am not a certified mountain guide or any form of outdoor professional. Thus, I will typically provide the difficulty rating of a route as it appears in published works (if any). On top of this I will also provide descriptions in the text of hazardous steps and situations as I see them on the route. In this way I can give my honest opinion, including any relevant caveats. Be aware that my idea of what constitutes “hazardous steps” may differ greatly from yours. During all of my trips I carry a Garmin InReach to allow 2-way satellite communication.