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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
1198 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2012 : 9:16 PM
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2012-05-19
Distance: 10km roundtrip
Elevation gain: 1200 m
Time: 7 hours
A couple of weeks ago I drove past this peak and thought it looked dry enough to scramble. I thought it was just an outlier, but was surprised to find out it was a named peak. The name helped me find a couple of trip reports, both containing limited description and some photos.
Looking at the map, I debated a couple of approaches. The first was via Carrot Creek and the second from Harvie Heights. I'm not sure that the Carrot Creek trail has been opened since the prescribed burning in 2003, so I figured the latter would make more sense.
The approach through Harvie Heights has another benefit, a road that leads to the base of the mountain. The only catch is that the road is private and permission is needed to hike it. This road leads to the Rundle Rock Quarry and there are many "no trespassing" signs. The owner said he has many people going through without permission and doesn't appreciate it. This is understandable, as there may be blasting in the quarry.
A couple of friends joined me for this trip. Both of them were planning to scramble up to the summit of Mount Lady Macdonald, but I convinced them to join me for this one.
We hiked along the road until we reached the creek at the quarry and followed the creek bed up. At a waterfall, we noticed and followed a path on the left. We followed this path and soon began bushwhacking up the south ridge.
There aren't too many difficulties to reach the ridge using this route. The first is encountered as the trees thin out. It's a slightly slabby section with lots of friction holds. My two friends went straight up, and although it looks intimidating, they say it was no more than a moderate scramble. I climbed part of the way up then traversed on the climbers right to the crest. This too was no more than a moderate scramble. Continuing on we encountered some more moderate scrambling, but most of it can be avoided by taking the scree slope on the climbers left.
Once we reached the ridge and could see the summit before us, we tried to figure out where the crux was. We knew there was a five meter class 5 down-climb with an optional down-sloping bypass on the left. We continued on and quickly came to a cliff. It was more than five meters, so we knew it wasn't the crux. We were able to circle around it by dropping down below it. After regaining the ridge we came up to the actual crux. It was a lot more intimidating than it looked in the trip reports I saw.
I knew there were pitons above it and I had brought my harness and a short length rope, but we never got to use it. Both of my companions are excellent climbers, far better than I am. Greg, who was first to the crux wasted no time and started down-climbing it. Corey followed suit. I was the weakest climber, but Greg had the rope.
I looked at the bypass and it had snow on it with lots of exposure, it definitely didn't look safe. I looked at the down climb and figured I'd give it a go. The first couple of moves weren't too bad, but the rock wasn't the best. When a foothold crumbled below me, I was thinking I should have had Greg toss the rope. I gripped the rock so hard that I tore off some skin. Greg helped me find another foot hold and I managed to get down safely. While the section is short and the exposure is not too bad, I would rate the moves 5.5 or 5.6 and would certainly recommend a rope.
Five minutes later, we were on the summit. I still had a bit of adrenaline from the down climb and it was nice to be sitting down and taking in the views. We looked through the registered and noticed that there are one to two groups scrambling up to the summit a year. After singing the register and having a snack, we headed down.
Photos
           
Map
[Download GPS Track]
More Photos
http://markostavric.fotki.com/2012/20120519/ |
Edited by - Marko on 05/22/2012 09:49 AM
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Burnaby, BC
Canada
908 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2012 : 9:55 PM
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| looks like a nice trip. How did you get permission to cross the road. Was there a number to call or something? |
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Edmonton, AB
Canada
468 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2012 : 10:59 PM
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Well done! Looks like I've just missed a Great opportunity to try a climber's scramble with experienced climbers.... When you pointed out this mountain, I thought it's some obscured scramble in Elbow / Kananaskis area, so I didn't even bother to google it... I was doing Lady Mac the same day, just a few kilometers away.
I'm confident on exposed ridge, but not too much on down-climb. When it comes a long reach, I probably won't have the arm strength to do it. |
Edited by - StevenSong on 05/22/2012 12:09 AM |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
1198 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 07:28 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by rocker_man1
looks like a nice trip. How did you get permission to cross the road. Was there a number to call or something?
If I were the owner of the quarry, I don't know that I would want the number published. I would feel bad if the quarry owner started getting lots of calls for permission. |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
1198 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 07:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by StevenSong
Well done! Looks like I've just missed a Great opportunity to try a climber's scramble with experienced climbers.... When you pointed out this mountain, I thought it's some obscured scramble in Elbow / Kananaskis area, so I didn't even bother to google it... I was doing Lady Mac the same day, just a few kilometers away.
I'm confident on exposed ridge, but not too much on down-climb. When it comes a long reach, I probably won't have the arm strength to do it.
Thanks. We'll have to do another scramble sometime.
I would say that down climb is more than a scramble. Both of the guys I went with could climb 5.12s, and for them it wasn't that bad. I really should have used the rope. If the bypass is dry, this could be considered a scramble.
This is the bypass and the down climb:
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
617 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 08:57 AM
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| Nice! Looks like a spicey one and you had nice weather too. |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
1198 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 09:51 AM
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| Vern, the weather was okay. The wind was pretty cold. Can't complain, but looking forward to summer. :) |
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Canmore, AB
Canada
1238 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 09:56 AM
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Great work Marko.
I've always been intrigued by the outcrop on that peak. I call it the Squaw's Goiter but I guess Princess Margaret mountain sounds better. |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
1198 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 1:22 PM
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| Thanks Ken. Your name for it makes it sound much more intimidating.:) I've noticed this peak a number of times from different angles around Banff. I never thought it would be that simple to get up it. |
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Burnaby, BC
Canada
908 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 3:33 PM
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| no i am not asking for the number I was just wondering if it was posted on site or if you hunted for the number is all? It was more interest as I am nowhere near this trail but it might be good info for other areas with similar settings |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
1198 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 3:38 PM
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| Ah! Yes. There is a number by the "No Trespassing" signs. |
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Princess Margaret Mountain
