Scrambling

Many people have been asking me about scrambling, and in fact, many people—even in Alberta—don’t know what scrambling is. For those reasons, I decided to make this post.

I first discovered scrambling before I lived in Alberta. It was on one of our summer trips to Waterton Lakes National Park. My wife and I were hiking the Triple Crown and if memory serves me right, I asked an employee at an outdoor store in the Park why Akamina Ridge wasn’t on any of the Parks Canada lists of hikes. He informed me that that was because “it is a scramble.”

I’m not sure what my response was, but I think based on his info I bought a Gem Trek map of Waterton Lakes National Park (I’m assuming this is accurate, as that map is the only map and/or brochure I have that shows Akamina Ridge on it) and we proceeded to hike the first two and did Akamina Ridge last that week. Then a few days later, in the Prince of Wales gift shop, we found a copy of Alan Kane’s Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, and sure enough, Akamina Ridge was in there.

Below you will find a list of the scrambles I’ve completed or attempted, and resources that I’ve self-educated from. Of course, before getting into scrambling, one should already be healthy and in shape, and a proficient hiker and/or backpacker with many trips completed. I’ve yet to take a course, so everything I do has been from gaining experience by reading, and from actually being in nature, applying what I’ve read in conjunction with critical thinking and route finding.

Scrambles
6 August 2017 – Akamina Ridge

29 July 2019 – Vimy Peak

13 August 2022 – Mount Yamnuska

5 September 2022 – Grotto Mountain

23 September 2022 – Heart Mountain

5 May 2023 – Wasootch Peak

9 June 2023 – Ha Ling Peak and Miner’s Peak

16 June 2023 – East End of Rundle (clockwise via the gully route)

24 June 2023 – Big Sister (attempt, stopped around 200 m from summit due to snow and not enough experience)

30 July 2023 – Vermilion Peak

18 August 2023 – Mount Lawrence Grassi (attempt, stopped after ~250 m due to crazy lightning storm)

7 September 2023 – Mount Lawrence Grassi II (summited on 2nd attempt)

22 September 2023 – Bald Eagle Peak

13 October 2023 – Mount Baldy [North] (plan was full traverse, but fog)

18 October 2023 – Turtle Mountain (attempted, stopped due to crazy wind)

27 October 2023 – Sulphur Mountain (just hiked up and down rather than take the gondola. Scoped out route to get to the actual summit at a later date)

11 May 2024 – Yates Mountain & Bushwack/Scramble back via McConnell Ridge

24 May 2024 – Turtle Mountain II (summited on 2nd attempt)

31 May 2024 – Door Jam Mountain and Loder Peak

7 June 2024 – Mount Baldy Traverse (North, South, West)

14 June 2024 – Rimwall Summit

28 June 2024 – Fairview Mountain

14 July 2024 – Mount Lady Macdonald

20 July 2024 – Mount Whymper

20 August 2024 – Mount Sparrowhawk

30 August 2024 – Big Sister II (easliy summited on 2nd attempt)

6 September 2024 – Grizzly Peak

27 September 2024 – Mount Chester

24 April 2025 – East End of Rundle II (attempted counter-clockwise via skyline ridge, eventually I chose to downclimb and cross over snow and to complete via the gully route)

2 May 2025 – Wasootch Peak II & Wasootch Peak North (planned to go to Kananaskis Peak via Wasootch Peak but didn’t due to snow)

9 May 2025 – Mount Baldy West Peak via West Ridge with Kane’s Descent (Nugara’s 2nd descent option)

23 May 2025 – Opal Ridge South Peak Traverse Loop (up via Fortress Junction gas station, down via Grizzly Creek, hike back to Fortress Junction gas station)

30 May 2025 – Midnight Peak and Midday Peak (up Spirko Scramble route, down via Baldy Pass)

30 June 2025 – Gap Peak to Mount Fable Traverse

12 August 2025 – The Wedge

21 August 2025 – Ha Ling Peak II

28 August 2025 – The Orphan

5 September 2025 – Mount Kidd South Peak (Vern & Sonny’s route, not Alan Kane’s route)

12 September 2025 – Mount St. Piran

25 September 2025 – The Fortress Loop (Kane’s Headwall Lakes approach in and up, down and out via Chester Lake)

24 October 2025 – Limestone Mountain

Resources
Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, 3rd Edition, by Alan Kane

More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, 3rd Edition, by Andrew Nugara

Kananaskis Country Trail Guide Volume 1, 5th Edition by Gillean Daffern