Home » Scrambling

Mount Thompson and All The Smells!

by Rick Chin 3 Comments

Bow Lake has never looked more beautiful!

Bow Lake has never looked more beautiful!

Thursday July 2. And that was Peyto Hut, our cozy abode for 2 nights. After an oatmeal breakfast we packed up and cleaned up. One of my tasks was to empty some leftover bison stew and pasta into the outhouse. It is not a fun thing to do. The outhouse, as you can imagine, has a strong pungent stench of the excrement of many mountaineers. And in I go, with bowls of food, to throw the leftovers into the hole. It’s a whole lotta smells!

Today we would summit another mountain. We headed off with two choices that would depend on the snow quality. Either we hike snow covered Mount Rhondda (3062 metres), or scramble up the rocky Mount Thompson (3084 metres). Once we stepped onto the snow and ice the choice seemed clear. With an overnight of 8 degrees, the temperature had not dipped enough for a freeze, and so slush was the reality of the hike… and it was tiring. Mount Thompson it was. [Read more…]

Summit Day: Mount Habel

by Rick Chin Leave a Comment

En route to Mount Habel. Elevation: 3087 metres

En route to Mount Habel. Elevation: 3087 metres

Wednesday July 1. Happy Canada Day! At 7:30 am, after a heaping breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns, we assembled our gear and descended from Peyto Hut. In the distance, Mount Habel rose to the sky- glaciated on either side, snow covered in parts, and rocky as expected. At an elevation of 3087 metres, this would be the peak that we would conquer. The only thing that stood between us and the summit was the ice… no big deal. The previous night, there was a huge thunderstorm of rain, hail, cracks of thunder and flashes of lightning. The rain melted some of the snow leaving the ice exposed and the remaining snow a land of slush.

Once we got to the glacier, we roped in. The last thing any of us wanted was to fall into a crevasse, so we made sure all ropes were tied correctly and then we ventured off. [Read more…]

Crossing the Wapta Icefield to Peyto Hut

by Rick Chin 2 Comments

Saint Nicholas Peak and the Bow Glacier

Saint Nicholas Peak and the Bow Glacier

Monday June 29. The first night in a new, unfamiliar place can be rough. I can’t say I had the best sleep. Even though the foam mattress in Bow Hut was comfortable, it’s just never the same as the comfort of your own bed. I had the top bunk all to myself, but even with the window open all night, I was roasting in the sleeping bag. Like, full on sleeping in a pool of my own sweat type of roasting. It was gross. I awoke to find breakfast ready on the table- pancakes, bacon and coffee. Yamnuska Mountain Adventures certainly had not disappointed with the food thus far!

The day started off drizzling, which was the anticipated forecast. On the agenda: go through the necessary roping and safety skills we needed for the course. First up, knots. Overhand knot, figure 8 follow through, figure 8 on a bight, prussic hitch, oh my. I won’t go through the how-to’s of everything, as the practical component of it is what makes the course. Thank goodness Yamnuska provided a recap sheet to remind us of all the techniques. Then it was on to hiking on snow with ice axe in tow; T-stop anchors and self-arrest; walking on ice with crampons, which requires more technique than I expected; Ice screw anchors; how to rope together as a group; crossing crevasses, and crevasse rescue techniques. Crevasses and deep cracks or fissures in the glacier, and the risk of falling into one is very real. More on how I feel about that later! (Teaser: I don’t feel great.)  All in all, so much information to remember and recall. With 4 more days to practice and repeat all of the techniques, surely I’d be an expert in no time, right? [Read more…]

Mountaineering and the Bow Hut

by Rick Chin 6 Comments

The Bow Hut at 2350 metres. This would be home for the first two nights, and the last night of the trip

The Bow Hut at 2350 metres. This would be home for the first two nights, and the last night of the trip

And so the mountaineering adventure begins!

Sunday, June 28. It was an early start to the morning. I was up at 5:30 am for the requisite coffee and eggs breakfast before gearing up and driving to Canmore for 8:30 am. For what, you ask? Months ago I signed up for the 6 day Introduction to Mountaineering course through Yamnsuka Mountain Adventures. I have been hiking and scrambling for many years, but glacier travel was a bit beyond my scope. It was time to explore those skills, and the mountains accessible once you have those skills. After arriving at the Yamnuska office in Canmore, I met the tour guide James Blench along with the rest of the crew. To say he’s experienced is an understatement. Apparently he’s quite the legend: he’s been guiding since the 70’s and he’s one of the original Yamnuska guides. He’s led trips all over the Rockies and spent many years guiding in Peru. He’s also an international mountain guide, certified through the IFMGA. We were definitely going to be in good hands.  Slowly, the six soon-to-be alpinists arrived, all of us wondering what the next six days would bring: a young 18-year old from Norway; an outdoorsy gentleman from BC; a couple from Cochrane; and a guy from Ontario. And then there was me… inexperienced, and ready to learn! [Read more…]