Canadian Rockies Alpine Guides - More Peaks: selected alpine climbs in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta & British Columbia

CONTACT:
info@cdnalpine.com
Box 40087
Canmore, AB
T1W 3H9

[About our Guides]
[Prices & Booking] Guided Climbing Trips up the best peaks in the Canadian Rockies.
<--Return to list of classic ascents
Mount Bennington near Jasper, another hidden gem in the Canadian Rockies!

Bow Valley & Kananaskis:

Mt. Fable - South Ridge (II, 5.4)
Mt. Lady Macdonald - ESE Ridge (I, 5.5)
Mt. Lorette - South Ridge (II, 5.4)
Lake Louise:

Mt. Bell - East Ridge (II, 5.4)
Mt. Deltaform - NW Ridge (III, 5.5)
Mt. Perren - South Ridge (II)
Icefields Parkway (HWY 93):

A2 - Normal Route (II)
Mt. Sarbach - North Ridge (II)
Mt. Wilson - Becky Tower (IV, 5.10)
Jasper & Robson:

Mt. Sorrow - East Ridge (III, 5.9)
Tonquin Valley - Various routes (I - IV, up to 5.9)
Mt. Resplendant - NW Slopes or Ice Arete (II or III)
Nordegg & David Thompson Highway:

Mt. Abraham - Shoulder Route (III, 5.8)
Mt. Elliot - NE Ridge (III, 5.6)
Excoelis Peaks - Various ridges (II, 5.6)

Bow Valley/Kananaskis Climbs
Also check out the detailed pages for Castle Mountain and Mt. Louis

Mt. Fable - South Ridge (II, 5.4)

Mount Fable's South Ridge climbs near the left-hand skyline.
Location: Exshaw, Alberta
Elevation: 2702m, 8865ft
Length of Climb: 1 or 2 days
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: Some rock climbing & scrambling experience. Good fitness.
A great backcountry climbing adventure that is often one of the first routes in the Rockies to dry out each season. An easy but long approach up the creek from Exshaw leads to the start of the climb. The lower part of the mountain is mostly scrambling and scree slopes and goes quickly. The upper portion offers 6 nice pitches of moderate rock climbing up a series of gullies & cracks. Once on the summit ridge it is fantastically exposed with big drops on either side, but the climbing is easy. This trip can be done in one very long day, but taking a more reasonable two days to enjoy the excellent camping is highly recommended. Usually in good conditions from mid-April until late-October. Mt. Fable Blog posting from a March 2010 ascent.

Mt. Lady Macdonald - ESE Ridge (I, 5.5)
Location: Canmore, Alberta
Elevation: 2606m, 8550ft
Length of Climb: 8 - 12 hours
Max Group Size: 2 (1 if inexperienced)
Prerequisites: Scrambling experience. Good fitness.
A much more challenging route to the summit than the popular hiking trail/scramble. This ridge starts about 45 minutes up Cougar Creek and has many hours of great scrambling as well a few steep pitches of excellent rock climbing. The exposure along the ridge is not for the faint hearted! Descent is made down the hiking trail back to Canmore.

Mt. Lorette - South Ridge (II, 5.4)

The South Ridge of Mt. Lorette after a light snowfall.
Location:Kananaskis, Alberta
Elevation: 2469m, 8101ft
Length of Climb: 8 - 12 hours
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: Good fitness. Previous scrambling experience required for groups of 2.
A Kananaskis classic and a popular first alpine rock route for many climbers over the years. The climbing along this long ridge is never too hard but it is very exposed and exciting in spots! Highly recommended! It is often one of the first summer alpine routes to be climbed each season and can sometime even be climbed in the winter. Mountain bikes are usefull for the approach. Mt. Lorette Blog posting from an April 2009 trip.

Lake Louise Alpine Climbs
Also check out the detailed pages for Mt. Temple, Mt. Victoria, and Mt. Fay.

Mt. Bell
Location: Lake Louise, Alberta
Elevation: 2910m, 9548ft
Length of Climb: 8 - 12 hours
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: At least one day of rock climbing experience. Good fitness.
One of the best moderate ridge climbs in the Rockies! Solid rock, excellent views, and an easy descent make this little known climb between Banff & Lake Louise a true hidden gem!

Mount Deltaform - NW Ridge (III 5.5)

Deltaform & Neptuak, the route follows the right-hand skyline throughout.
Location: Lake Louise, Alberta
Elevation: 3424m, 11234ft
Length of Climb: 2 days
Max Group Size: 1
Prerequisites: Previous alpine rock climbing experience. Very good fitness.
A fantastic overnight mountaineering adventure to the summit of an 11000er and one of the pointiest peaks in the Rockies! The route climbs over the summit of Mt. Neptuak on day one to a high campsite between the two mountains. A long second day is required to summit Mt. Deltaform and descend the route back to the valley. In total there are about a dozen pitches of rock climbing and lots of scrambling. Best in July and August. Mt. Deltaform Blog posting from a July 2009 trip.

Mt. Perren - South Ridge (II)
Location: Lake Louise, Alberta
Elevation: 3051m, 10010ft
Length of Climb: 1 or 2 days
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: Good fitness. Scrambling & glacier experience required for 1 day ascents.
A nice moderate route in the Valley of the Ten Peaks with a little bit of everything. Day 1 is spent reaching the Neil Colgan hut and involves lots of scrambling, some rock climbing, and a bit of glacier travel. On the second day, start early and cross the glacier to the base of the mountain. The climb starts with a few ropelengths of 40 degree snow or ice, and then follows a narrow rock ridge to the summit. The views include a number of the highest peaks in the Rockies as well as Moraine Lake way below! After returning to the hut, a long descent with a few rappels leads back down to Moraine Lake and the parking lot. If conditions are good, this climb can also be completed in one long day by experienced mountaineers.

Icefields Parkway Alpine Climbs
Also check out the detailed pages for Mt. Athabasca and Mt. Andromeda.

A2 - Normal Route (II)

A2, the route climbs up the glacier and then along the right-hand skyline ridge.
Location: Columbia Icefields - 1 hour from Jasper, 2.5 hours from Canmore/Banff.
Elevation:
Length of Climb: 1 day.
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: 1 day of glacier travel training (can be done on day prior to climb). Good fitness.
An excellent introduction to glacier mountaineering at the Columbia Icefields. Most of the climb is on a large glacier with snow & ice slopes up to 35 degrees. The finish is spectacular with some easy but exposed rock scrambling near the summit. Excellent views of Mt. Athabasca and Hilda Peak! It is usually possible to complete a circuit by descending a different route down the glacier.

Mt. Sarbach - North Ridge (II)

The North Ridge of Mt. Sarbach.
Location:Icefields Parkway, Alberta - 1 hour from Lake Louise, 1.5 hours from Jasper.
Elevation: 3155m, 10352ft
Length of Climb: 1 or 2 days
Max Group Size: 4
Prerequisites: Good fitness. Scrambling experience required for groups of 3 or 4.
A long and challenging scramble to the summit of a majestic peak above the Saskatchewan River Crossing. This is a good choice for a group of 2 to 4 novices who want to experience a big Rockies ascent. Spend the first day hiking to a high camp on the side of the mountain, then get up early and go for the summit the next morning! Best from late May until early October. Can also be done in one very long day.

Mount Wilson - Becky Tower Direct (III 5.10)

The stunning Becky Tower on Mt. Wilson.
Location: Saskatchewan Crossing, Alberta - 1 hour from Lake Louise, 1.5 hours from Jasper.
Elevation: about 10000ft
Length of Climb: 12 - 18 hours.
Max Group Size: 1
Prerequisites: Ability to follow 5.10a rock climbing with a light pack on. Previous alpine rock experience. Very good fitness.
A huge alpine rock route with many pitches of challenging climbing. The upper quarzite tower has some of the best rock in the Rockies! This route would be good training for routes like the Greenwood/Jones on Mt. Temple.

Jasper & Mt. Robson
area Alpine Climbs
Also check out the detailed pages for Mt. Edith Cavell and Mt. Robson.

Mt. Sorrow - East Ridge (III, 5.9)

One of the steeper sections of the East Ridge.
Location: Jasper, Alberta
Elevation: 3000m, 9800ft
Length of Climb: 10 - 14 hours.
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: Ability to follow 5.9 rock. Good fitness.
A great quartize alpine rock climb above the Edith Cavell parking lot. Due to it's proximity to Mt. Edith Cavell this peak is often overlooked by climbers but is well worth an ascent! There is lots of steep rock climbing and this is a route for rock shoes & chalkbags for sure! One of the best routes of the grade in the Jasper area.

Tonquin Valley - alpine rock climbing

The jaw-dropping view of the Ramparts from Amethyst Lakes.
Location:Jasper, Alberta
Elevation: varies by peak
Length of Climb: 3 or more days.
Max Group Size: 1 to 4 depending upon routes.
Prerequisites: Dependant upon routes: none for easiest climbs, advanced skills for more difficult climbs.
The Tonquin valley has alpine rock climbs of all difficulties, amazing scenery, lots of wildlife, and a beautiful hut from which to base. This area has some of the best rock quality in all of the Rockies. The hike to the hut takes most of a day, as does walking out, but it is well worth the effort to reach this wilderness mountain playground! An absolute minimum of 3 days is required, but planning a trip of 5 or 6 days allows for a few climbs and is highly recommended. Please contact us for more information on trips into this spectacular area.

Mt. Resplendant - NW Slopes (II) & Ice Arete (III)

A climber nearing the top of Mt. Resplendant during a winter ascent of the NW Slopes.
Location: Mt. Robson Provincial Park - 1 hour North of Jasper.
Elevation: 3425m, 11241ft
Length of Trip: 4 - 5 days on foot. 2 or 3 days with helicopter access.
Max Group Size: 1 for Ice Arete, 3 for NW Slopes.
Prerequisites: Glacier mountaineering experience. Good fitness. Snow & ice climbing skills for Ice Arete.
This beautiful expedition peak is one of the Rockies 11000ers and is attached to Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. It is heavily glaciated and has some very nice routes to the summit. The two day hike to the base goes past Berg Lake and is consistently rated as the best backpacking trip in the Canadian Rockies. It is also possible to take a helicopter to the same spot. From a high camp on the edge of the glacier, a long day of climbing on snow and ice leads to the summit, with incredible views of Mt. Robson throughout. The Ice Arete route is more challenging and involves some steeper sections of climbing. Mt. Resplendant can also be combined with a Mt. Robson trip if time & weather allow.

Nordegg & David Thompson Highway Alpine Climbs
Also check out the detailed page for Mt. Cline.

Mt. Abraham - Shoulder Route (III, 5.8)

Mt. Abraham bathed in alpenglow. The route climbs the left-hand skyline to the moon...
Location: Nordegg, Alberta - 3 hours from Calgary, Edmonton, Jasper, or Canmore.
Elevation: 2940m, 9646ft
Length of Climb: 9 to 13 hours.
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: Ability to follow 5.8 rock with a light pack on. Very good fitness.
One of the best alpine rock climbs in the Canadian Rockies, as good or better than the routes on Mt. Louis or Castle Mountain! So why haven't you ever heard of it? Mostly because it is tucked away on the quiet & remote David Thompson Highway and hasn't yet made it into any guidebooks. The climb has about a dozen pitches of excellent rock climbing interspersed with bits of scrambling. A final section of scrambling leads to the summit. This climb pretty much defines the term "hidden gem"! CRAG's head guide J. Mills made the third ascent of this route in 1999 and has climbed it about 15 times since, including the only solo ascent of the route to date. It is one of his all time favourites!

Mt. Elliot - NE Ridge (III, 5.6)

The upper part of the route follows the ridge on the sun/shade line.
Location: Nordegg, Alberta - 3 hours from Calgary, Edmonton, Jasper, or Canmore.
Elevation: 2872m, 9423ft
Length of Climb: 1 day (12+ hours) or 2 days
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: Basic mountaineering experience. Very good fitness.
A great ridge climb on the peak best known for it's ice climbs Kitty Hawk & Elliots Left Hand. It is a very long route and spending the night on the ridge is highly recommended.

Mt. Excoelis

Two alpine rock climbs on the Excoelis peaks
Two of the fun rock ridges in the Excoelis group in the Kootenay Plains. Not the best photo on the website but you get the point!
Location: Nordegg, Alberta - 3 hours from Calgary, Edmonton, Jasper, or Canmore.
Elevation: 2545m, 8350ft
Length of Climb: 8 - 12 hours
Max Group Size: 2
Prerequisites: Some rock climbing experience. Good fitness.
The first ascents of many of the ridges in this group were made by CRAG's head guide J. Mills. They have excellent climbing, similar in character to Mt. Lorette or Eisenhower Tower. This area is likely the driest & warmest spot in all of the Canadian Rockies.

Gear List
All technical equipment & group camping gear is provided free of charge except for boots & clothing. However, if you have your own gear, feel free to use it! Rental and purchase advice for boots, clothing, and personal camping gear can be found here. Exact equipment varies by trip and season, please contact us for information on planning a particular trip.
Canadian Rockies Alpine Guides (CRAG) - info@cdnalpine.com - Canmore, Alberta, Canada