Summit Elevation (m): 2755
Elevation Gain (m): 850
Trip Time (hr): 5.5
Total Trip Distance (km): 10
Quick ‘n Dirty Rating: Class 2 – you fall, you sprain something
Difficulty Notes: There are no difficulties hiking up the Nublet and the Nub. You should be on trail the entire way up the Nublet with some easy scrambling to Nub Peak.
Technical Rating: OT3; YDS (Hiking)
GPS Track: Gaia
Map: Google Maps
I was pleasantly surprised when Yolande and Hanneke both said they would try hiking Nub Peak with us, I thought they might want a break after Wednesday’s grind into camp. It was later than I would have preferred for a morning start, but by 10:00 we were on the trail. The day was clearing up beautifully and I couldn’t resist some more pictures across Lake Magog on our way past it. As we ascended the Nublet the views behind us only improved. We quickly realized that there was a very large group from the lodge being guided up ‘our’ peak ahead of us and we passed them at the first viewpoint below the summit of the Nublet.
As we got higher on The Nublet and Nub Peak we started hiking in more and more fresh snow. By the time we were on Nub Peak we had snow past our ankles and drifts half way up to our knees! The snow generally made the pictures better but the trail was very muddy lower down. The Nublet has superb views of Mount Assiniboine and the lakes around it and unless you have a perfectly clear day or want to bag a more official peak, or take pictures of other peaks in the area, I would suggest that you don’t even bother with the trudge to Nub Peak’s summit.
I got the best pictures from the Nublet, but that was partly because the weather was closing in more and more as we got higher. The scrambling from the Nublet to the lower slopes of Nub Peak is surprisingly entertaining – if you want it to be. The one place where the girls turned around turned out to be bypassed easily on climber’s left but we didn’t figure that out till the way down. The trudge up the scree slopes to the summit is admittedly boring, but short.
I was a bit disappointed in the views of Mount Assiniboine from the summit of Nub Peak but only because the weather had been moving in. Otherwise they were stunning and these views are a very good bang for your effort since this is a very short / easy mountain to get up. The pleasant surprise was the views of the other mountains all around the Assiniboine Park area. They are all lower than Mount Assiniboine so they were still under the clouds and there was no end to the great vista in all directions.
Stunning summit view includes Wonder (L), Towers, Naiset, Lake Magog, Terrapin, Magog, Sunburst Lake, Assiniboine, Sunburst Peak, Cerulean Lake (R).
After an hour at the summit we headed back down to The Nublet and from there went back to the cabin for some soup and some lunch.