Use this page as a
general outline of the climbing seasons in the
Canadian Rockies to get an idea of what type of climbing is best during
the time of year you plan on visiting the Rockies. Scheduled courses,
clinics, and mountaineering trips are also included at the beginning of
each section.
Check out CRAG's
Blog
to see what we have been climbing lately!
The rock climbing season in the Canadian Rockies usually begins in
early May and lasts until early October. That said, many sunny areas,
including Mt. Yamnuska, can often be found in dry, warm conditions at
various points throughout the shoulder seasons and even in the winter.
July & August have the most reliable good weather.
Most mountains can be climbed year round under a variety of different
conditions but choice of route and difficulty of the climbing changes
throughout the year. An outline of mountaineering conditions in the
Canadian Rockies is as follows:
Spring (mid May to mid June)
Alpine Rock Routes
on the smaller peaks and south faces such as Castle Mtn.,
Mt. Louis
and Mt. Abraham (III 5.8) generally come into good shape during this
period. The bigger peaks and north facing routes hold snow until late
June most years.
Alpine Snow
& Ice Routes quickly
come in and out of condition during the spring due to changing weather
and snowpack. Early starts and cold nights can find many routes, such
as those on
Mt. Athabasca and Mt. Andromeda
in excellent climbing shape. On the other hand, warm temperatures can
make travel difficult or unsafe in the lingering snowpack and
alternative objectives may have to be chosen.
Mixed Alpine Routes
such as Astroid Alley on Mt.
Andromeda
can be in good conditions, particularily in May before things warm up
too much.
Summer (mid June to September)
Alpine Rock Routes
on the higher peaks such as Mt. Temple
and Edith
Cavell are at their driest. Late
July through August is the best times to plan an ascent of one of the
more difficult and large routes such as the North Faces of Mt. Temple,
Mt.
Cline, and Mt. Edith Cavell
or the Wishbone Arete on Mt. Robson.
The higher ridge routes such as the North Ridge of Mt. Assiniboine or
SE Ridge of Mt. Victoria
are also in prime conditions.
Alpine Snow
& Ice Routes such as Mt.
Athabasca's
Silverhorn, Mt. Andromeda's
North Bowl and Mt. Victoria's
North Face are generally best during this season, particularly in late
June & July. The routes on Mt.
Robson
are usually best in late July or August.
Mixed Alpine Routes
come in and out of shape as temperatures fluctuate. Routes such as the
North Face of Athabasca
can be in great condition but the harder routes like Astroid Alley are
generally too dangerous at this time of year.
Fall (October to December)
Alpine Rock Routes
will have snow on them most of the time. In early October the lower
rock peaks such as Castle Mountain
may still be in good shape. Later on, ascents may be possible on some
rock routes but conditions will usually be much more difficult than
during the summer.
Alpine Snow
& Ice Routes can be in
good shape whenever avalanche conditions allow for an ascent.
Mixed Alpine Routes
are often in their prime. This is the best time to plan an ascent of
hard routes such as Astroid Alley on Andromeda.
Winter (January to April)
Check out our Winter
Alpine Climbing Page!
Climbing mountains
during the winter is not for everybody and conditions can be highly
variable. However, for those willing to face the harsh elements, the
rewards make it well worth the effort. It is best to remain highly
flexible with objectives and to realize that ice climbing days may take
the place of alpine climbing days if conditions do not allow for safe
travel up high.
Alpine Rock Routes
are covered in snow but may occasionally be climbable, particularly
south facing routes on the east side of the range such as Mt.
Abraham's Shoulder Route, Mt.
Fable's South Ridge, and Mt.
Lorrette.
Alpine Snow
& Ice Routes are often
climbable but will usually be more difficult than during the rest of
the year. Mt. Athabasca
usually has at least one route that is in good shape at various times
throughout the winter. Snowshoes may be neccessary for the approach.
Mixed Alpine Routes
can be in excellent shape but are very dependant on day to day weather
and snowpack conditions. Some of the smaller front range ones such as Coire Dubh Integral
near Canmore offer an excellent introduction to this type of climbing
and are usually climbable all winter.
The Canadian Rockies are blessed with not only the best ice in the
world, but also a very long winter season. This is a true ice climbers
paradise! During October and November a number of tantalizing drips
begin to appear throughout the range. It is not until mid November
however, that the ice conditions usually shape up and the classic
routes see their first ascents of the year. Mid November right through
until early April are the prime times to plan your ice climbing
holiday. Drytooling lessons are available year round. |
