Such pretty green among a sea of rocks
I am a glutton for punishment. Why would I hike Mount Sparrowhawk for a third time??
Well, Sparrowhawk probably has the best summit views that I have ever seen in the Canadian Rockies, so even though the hike is quite epic, long and exhausting, it’s worth it. At 3121 metres (10,240 ft), it’s the highest peak in the area. The third time around, I was hopeful I would beat my time of 8.5 hours, but alas, we did not. [Read more…]
Robin and I. Happy to be here!
East End of Rundle. Or EEOR, as it’s commonly known. It’s a relatively easy scramble with the potential for sections with lots of exposure.
On this particular day, the weather was gorgeous and it seemed like everyone and their dogs wanted to hike either Ha Ling or EEOR. I have never seen the Goat Creek parking lot so busy! If you drove from Canmore to the Goat Creek parking lot, a quick walk back along the gravel road will take you to an electrical pole near the Bow Crow Forest sign. The trail starts there. The ascent is pretty straight-forward, and once you get to through the forest you can either head right and scramble up the steep rocks along the edge, or head straight up, through the gully to the ridge. This was my second ascent of EEOR and I’ve only ever scrambled up the right… which is super fun if you don’t mind a bit of exposure. Unfortunately, I never seem to get the descent right. Both times I’ve landed in a super steep gully, which apparently isn’t the more popular way. Oh well- better luck next time! All in all, it’s a 4 hour round trip scramble at a pretty quick pace for some pretty incredible views. Not too bad for a morning stroll… [Read more…]
Sometimes you just have to unplug from the daily routine and the city stimuli, venture out on your own in nature, and think.
I know. It’s so cliche. But how often do you actually give yourself the time… the space… to be at one with your thoughts? To really honour what it is that occupies your mind? To allow yourself a chance to gain some clarity- without the car noises, text message beeps, pressing work and family commitments, ongoing to-do lists, or multitude of other things vying for our immediate attention?
There has been no shortage of interesting events in my life recently. Even with the life changes and job and school stresses, I haven’t felt too stressed mentally. However, the body knows, and it has been feeling the weight. With abnormally vivid dreams, grinding my teeth at night, bouts of vertigo, and more fatigue than usual, my body has been saying loud and clear: “Hey you! Take a break!” [Read more…]
From Ha Ling Peak: Mountain peaks all around and Canmore down below
So I’ve written about Ha Ling Peak before. It’s steep. It’s awesome. It’s quick. And the views from the top are incredible. With a round trip time of about 3.5 hours and an elevation gain of 700 metres, Ha Ling (2408 metres) is also a great one to do if you want to stretch your legs after a day at the desk job. From where I work in Calgary, I can leave the hospital and set foot on the trail within an hour. I’ve mentioned numerous times about how grateful I am to live in a city where this is possible.
What’s notable about this particular Ha Ling climb is that my brother Ry was visiting and he was eager to scramble up his first mountain in the Rockies! As expected, he was not disappointed with the view of Canmore, the Bow Valley, and the Spray Lakes area below. It’s was one of those breathtakng moments where he couldn’t even find the right words to describe the feeling of looking down at the world. Ry has always thought my photos were pretty awesome, but admitted that they never really capture the moment. I would have to agree. It’s that sense of awe that has drawn me in, leaving me wanting more with each and every mountain peak!
Ha Ling wouldn’t be the only mountain adventure during Ry’s stay in Calgary… [Read more…]
Mountaineering and the Bow Hut And so the mountaineering adventure begins!
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