| Ref: Alan Kane's
Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies |
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An adjustment as we
leave. |
| Scramble: RT:
8.0; 3.75 up. With the sunny and warm weather
persisting, it is hard to stay home and start firewood harvesting for
the winter! Oh well... I figured this was a good time for a challenging
scramble, before the arrival of snow. We didn't drive in
Harvie Heights, instead we parked along
the service road next to the sewage treatment plant. We made our way up
using a
combination of trails and a bit of bushwacking. Although
the approach is short, several trails transect the lower mountain's
light timber, good navigational sense is helpful. After crossing the
well-travelled Montane Trail (higher up), we continued with our
bearing
and quickly found a good trail ascending the forest all the way to the
ascent
ridge. From there, the trail continues, sometimes interrupted by slabs.
Nearing the summit block, we
avoided some difficult slabs by going climber's right then regaining
the saddle ahead of the slab ramp. The grippy rock grants good footing
and the
scrambling sections are good fun. I must admit that the slab ramp
leading to the backside of the summit block made me feel uneasy, I made
good use of the wall and its positive holds. Beyond the ramp, a trail
leads to the cramped summit. The view over Canmore and the Bow Valley
is great; we enjoyed a warm, almost windless stay at the top then
returned mostly the same way. Instead of using the ascent trail to
the ridge, we kept going down another trail along the drainage.
Eventually we reached the creek bed
and followed it down. At 144655, we crossed a biking trail but kept
going down alongside the creek, still on a trail. We reached a sign and
followed the Tidbits Quarry Trail until we got to the Ridge Traverse
Trail. We walked back to our car on the trails we used in the
morning. Another fine day in the Rocky Mountains!
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On a good trail for
most part. |
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On the ascent ridge. |
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Typical terrain
along the way. |
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A short downclimb to
negotiate. |
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Regaining the ridge
after skirting around a slab section. |
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We went up this slab
climber's left. |
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We avoided the final
part of the ridge by going climber's right. |
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Almost at the summit
block. |
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The trail leads to
the obvious slab ramp. |
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Going up the grippy
slab. |
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I carefully follow. |
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The trail
switchbacks before the summit ridge. |
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Right on, right on! |
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Fab on the very
short but narrow summit ridge. |
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Leaving the top. |
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At the saddle, we
sprawl out for a while. |
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Posing. |
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Kicking up some dirt
while descending. |
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We skirted the
buttress ahead on the south-east side. |
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Back up the
downclimb. |
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Looking at the
remainder of the ridge. |
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Fun and challenging! |
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We followed a good
trail down to the creek bed visible below. |
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