hiking - Canadian Rockies

2023-10-07

Wenkchemna Pass

Wenkchemna Pass, situated in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, offers hikers a challenging ascent leading to unparalleled vistas. From the pass’s pinnacle, one stands atop the Continental Divide. On the Alberta side, the iconic Ten Peaks rise majestically: Mounts Babel, Fay, Little, Bowlen, Tonsa, Perren, Allen, Tuzo, Deltaform Mountain, and Neptuak Mountain. Over on the British Columbia side, the towering summits of Mount Goodsir, Chancellor Peak, Mount Vaux, Mount Des Poilus, and Yoho Peak add to the grandeur. The […]

2023-10-01

Mount Yamnuska Traverse and West Col Descent (solo)

Yamnuska is a classic introduction to scrambling. Chimneys, chains, – all looks and sounds scary and it is indeed a little bit shaky. But the biggest surprise this Sunday was a foot deep snow which essentially turned everything above the tree line into a nice winter hike. I left crampons in the car but apparently my Helly Hansen boots have nice grip which works very well on fresh packed snow. With some extra care on icy rocks I made it […]

2023-09-26

Grizzly Peak (solo)

A nice short half-day hike with one easy staircase-style scramble section about 500 meters from the trailhead. The rest of the trail goes around the peak to the col connecting Grizzly and Evan-Thomas, and then straight to the summit. Once I got there, I was out of weather luck, and the view of nearby mountains Evan Thomas and Packenham was a bit cloudy, but still exceptional: It make sense to walk from the summit all the way to the Opal […]

2023-09-17

Pigeon Mountain (solo)

After my off-trail Collembola solo I was exhausted, but sunny days with no wildfire smoke were literally a treasure this Summer, so next day I decided to ignore all knee pain and to take advantage of the weather and do something long enough for a nice day but easy and adrenalin-free. Pigeon Mountain totally fits this description: very moderate but steady incline, no scrambling, no loosing shit, no exposure, but very rewarding all the way to the summit once you […]

2023-09-16

Mount Collembola (South Route, solo, summited from 3rd attempt)

I tried to summit Mount Collembola two times before. My attempt via North route from Dead Man’s Flats failed because I could not find a safe way to climb up the summit block (23 m of elevation left but hiking solo this time, I was not comfortable with exposure and turned back with tail between legs). My second attempt via Marmot Basin and Fisera Ridge also failed because I could not find a safe way to climb down from the […]

2023-09-10

Mount Rundle (Waskahigan Watchi)

This is the second one of the three monsters promoted as scramble routes by Parks Canada for tourists. The 1st one (the easiest) is Cascade, the most difficult of them is Temple in Lake Louise. As much as we liked Cascade, and I did it twice so far – first with my wife, and then with my son-in-law, this one I would not do again. Fun it is, but long climb with loose rocks, steep, windy, – overall in my […]

2023-09-07

The Rimwall

On the picture above there is The Rimwall mountain, as it’s seen from the Wind Ridge, which we hiked a few weeks ago. Looks pretty intimidating from Dead Man’s Flats side, but from the South-West slopes it’s a surprisingly very pleasant hike, moderately challenging and highly rewarding. Allocate half day for it, but to really enjoy it you do need good weather. Don’t get scared away with foggy Spray Lakes in the morning, it happens more often that you might […]

2023-09-05

AI recommended diet for a regular hiker

User: Write me a “no salt, no sugar, no alcohol” diet recommendation for a regular hiker. There are actually a few variants of the diet, negotiated with AI during the chat. No surprise there, and all of them make sense! The entire conversation with AI is here. ChatGPT: Breakfast: Oatmeal: Prepare with cow’s milk. Top with fresh berries, nuts, and seeds for added flavor and nutrition. Eggs: Scrambled, boiled, or poached eggs. Pair with sliced avocado and tomatoes. Whole Grain […]

2023-09-02

Mount Sarrail

Start early: it’s a long hike. Park at the Upper Kananaskis Lake lot closest to the Rawson Lake. First 9 kilometers along the shore of Upper Kananaskis Lake and then after left turn on the fork to Aster Lake through the forest next to Hidden Lake are plain and easy. After the tree line an established and scenic path ascends through a couple of boulder fields. And this is where all the fun begins. The ridge goes on, and on, […]

2023-08-13

Larch Valley to Paradise Creek via Sentinel Pass

This year Parks Canada closed Moraine Lake Road for private vehicles and the only way to get to the lake and its amazing trail system is their shuttle (as a local, I am not considering other overpriced options like taxi or commercial shuttles, leaving them exclusively for tourists). The first shuttle departs from Lake Louise Ski Resort at 6:30 AM (so in the fall you even can catch the iconic sunrise on Moraine Lake), the last return bus from Moraine […]

Wenkchemna Pass

Mount Yamnuska Traverse and West Col Descent (solo)

Grizzly Peak (solo)

Pigeon Mountain (solo)

Mount Collembola (South Route, solo, summited from 3rd attempt)

Mount Rundle (Waskahigan Watchi)

The Rimwall

AI recommended diet for a regular hiker

Mount Sarrail

Larch Valley to Paradise Creek via Sentinel Pass

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