Mount Haig

August 3, 2019. A straightforward scramble up a peak on the continental divide. Distance: 12.7 km round-trip Total Ascent: 1400 m Elevation of Objective: 2611 m Total time: 5h 47m Earlier in the summer I had set out to climb this peak, but the weather didn’t cooperate. I salvaged my days by exploring the trails to Haig Lake […]

“Rogan Peak” (Dungarvan SE2)

July 29, 2019. A straightforward scramble to an unofficial summit in Waterton Lakes National Park. Distance: 21.1 km round-trip Total Ascent: 1200 m Elevation of Objective: 2437 m Hiking Time: 6h 40m Rogan Peak is a relatively easy scramble described in Andrew Nugara’s More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. The name was bestowed by Nugara in honour of his nephew. The […]

Heart Mountain and Grant MacEwan Peak

June 15, 2019. An enjoyable and popular scramble to a pair of low peaks near Canmore. Distance: 8.2 km out-and-back* Total Ascent: 1038 m* Elevation of Objective: 2135 m (Heart Mountain) and 2149 m (Grant MacEwan Peak) Hiking Time: 6h 30m* *I did this trip as part of a scrambling course, so we went back and forth on […]

Table Mountain – Scrambler’s Route

June 4, 2019. A straight-forward scramble to the summit of one of the gems of Castle Provincial Park. Distance: 11 km Total Ascent: 877 m Elevation of Objective: 2225 m Hiking Time: 4h 3m round-trip Two years ago I climbed the usual on-trail route to the summit of Table Mountain. That trail is varied and steep, and has […]

Anklebiter Ridge to Bluemat Hill Loop

June 1, 2019. An enjoyable scramble to a pair of low peaks in the Canmore area. Distance: 8.6 km according to TopoMaps, 6.4 km according to MotionX – I can’t explain the large discrepancy, but 6.4 km is closer to the distance reported by other blogs Total Ascent: 1,023 m Elevation of Objective: 2,123 m Hiking Time: 5h […]

Wedge Mountain Summit

May 20, 2019. A spring ascent of a low summit in the Crowsnest Pass. Distance: 7.2 km round-trip Total Ascent: 490 m Elevation of Objective: 1917 m Hiking Time: 2h 13m I’d previously snowshoed up Wedge Mountain Trail in the Crowsnest pass and found it to be a pleasant winter outing. At that time I’d taken a […]

Mount Backus

January 13, 2019. A tedious climb to a low summit in the Castle Wilderness. Distance: 6.25 km round-trip Total ascent: 478 m Elevation of objective: 1800 m Hiking time: 3h 13m Steep, uphill bushwhacking. Barbed wire. Copious deadfall. Traveling through trees. Bare ground alternating with thigh-deep snow. These are the features that await on Mount […]

Lakeview Ridge West

July 22, 2018. An easy scramble to the summit of Lakeview Ridge at the eastern edge of Waterton Lakes National Park. Although I’ve been visiting Waterton since childhood, I’ve never explored the area around the bison paddock. This section of the park is at the eastern boundary and accessed by a different turn-off than the […]

Loaf Mountain

July 15, 2018 – A long hike culminating with minor scrambling to the summit of the highest peak in the Castle Wilderness. Though it lacks the dramatic, rocky profile of Victoria Peak, Loaf Mountain is actually the tallest peak within the Castle Wilderness with a summit elevation of 2640 m. There are multiple possible routes […]

Victoria Ridge

June 9, 2018. A challenging bike-and-hike with an easy scramble to the summit of a scenic ridge in the Castle Wilderness. I’ve been eyeing up some scrambles that are rated ‘moderate’ by Nugara and Kane. Foremost on my mind lately has been Victoria Peak, in the Castle Wilderness. The thing is, I don’t want to […]