Tag : abraham lake

Ex Coelis, (Rhine, Elbe) – “Kadoona”

As I hiked the boardwalk and bridge back to the parking lot I meditated on my Ex Coelis adventures. I was stoked to have completed the two most difficult summits in the group and even more stoked that I found a reasonable route to combine them into one trip instead of two. I was happy that apparently I can still manage difficult scrambles while enjoying myself (for the most part). As I get older I’m not always in the mood to navigate risky terrain but I do enjoy sneaky routes that challenge my mountain skills. When an interesting route combines with a scenic approach like these two did, it makes me smile for a few days afterwards and lets me know that there are still a few years of scrambling left in my future.

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Abraham, Little

Despite the light bushwhacking and unofficial status of this peak, Little Abraham was a surprise for both Wietse and I. We kept exclaiming on ascent how much fun it was compared with our expectations. This is another great 1/2 day objective in DTC and something that should interest most scramblers.

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 2

Allstones Peak

Being the first to sign the register in three years, of such a prominent peak with some good trip reports available was surprising. Mike pointed out that it could be the 18 hour trip times previously posted scaring people off and he could be right. I’m sure someone with my GPS track could put in this trip at under 10 hours without trying too hard but I loved our pace and our day overall. The terrain was never more than SC6 at most and the views were stunning for much of it. The highline traverse includes plenty of painful sidehilling but also plenty of sheep trails and easy terrain with views to Abraham Lake and Vision Quest Ridge. This is a very highly recommended trip for late summer when water levels are reasonable and snow shouldn’t be an issue.

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 1

Ex Coelis (Stan Waters, Normandy, Ardennes)

Overall this trip went much better than I thought it would despite some unforeseen challenges and the complexity of the terrain. Some of the SC6 sections were at the top end of moderate, hence my “+” overall rating. Many people assume this trip is easy and straightforward because the stats and elevations make it seem like it should be. It’s not. If you treat it as a full day and take your time routefinding you will have a very enjoyable outing. If you tackle these peaks as a backup plan in shitty weather and non-ideal conditions you might start hating your life choices. With good weather, the great views up remote valleys and over Abraham Lake make this a more scenic outing than you might expect – that is certainly what happened in my case. I’m very satisfied with my decision to reverse the usual clockwise direction, ascending 2 of the 3 difficult sections rather than descending them. Rhine Peak is an option for a 4th peak if you are braver than I am, or use a rope on its NE face / gully. A highly recommended route for experienced Rockies scramblers.

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Ram Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 0

Vision Quest Ridge

Vision Quest was much more fun and scenic than I was expecting. It’s Prairie Mountain but with a nice lake (normally) in view and slightly more scrambling if you continue to the high point I did. I enjoyed it despite the smoke and the busy trail.

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 5

Coral Ridge

The upper part of the route was much more scenic and enjoyable than I was expecting. I really wished for better views of the lake here.

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 0

Windy Point Ridge (Talus, Buckle)

I found myself liking this short outing more than I thought I would and will be back sometime when conditions are much clearer for the wonderful views of Abraham Lake that I missed thanks to some idiots’ gender reveal party somewhere in California…

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 0

Allstones Ridge (Lake)

I liked this short hike. It’s a great family option too. Be aware of some hard-pack dirt to the summit that folks in runner might not enjoy if they’re not used to slippery trails that are this well used. Just don’t expect solitude unless you’re up and at it early in the day.

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First Range / Hike / Rockies / Trip Report 0

Hangman Peak & Littlehorn

With wildflowers blooming everywhere, sheep grazing peacefully and views of new peaks and lush valleys this is a tough trip to beat!

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 6

William Booth, Mount

An excellent, less popular peak in DTC involving a bike approach, wild creek crossing and mild bushwhack with excellent scrambling to the summit.

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Ram Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 2

Stelfox, Mount

When our plans for climbing Mount Lefroy fell through, Mike and I started looking at other options. After swearing that I was done with David Thompson Country for at least a few months, I found myself planning another trip to the area. Mike was still feeling ill on Saturday, so I solo scrambled Abraham Mountain – a delightful and unexpectedly short day out. Our plans for the Sunday and Monday were to scramble Mount Stelfox, spend Sunday night camping and then attempt to find a scramble route up Bright Star Peak, it’s higher neighbor to the north.

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 0

Abraham Mountain

Abraham Mountain was much more enjoyable and pleasant than I expected. It’s moved up to my favorite scramble in the David Thompson corridor for now. It has all the elements that make a scramble worthwhile IMHO. Intricate routefinding that makes a huge difference in the difficulty and total times for the trip. Varied terrain such as gullies, light forest, cliffs and snow. Gorgeous views all day and especially from the summit. No approach and a feeling of remoteness even though it’s only a few kilometers from a busy highway. I highly recommend this scramble.

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First Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 2

Ernest Ross, Mount

Summit Elevation (m): 2454Trip Date: Saturday, June 03 2017Elevation Gain (m): 1050Quick ‘n Dirty Rating: Class 3 – you fall, you break your legDifficulty Notes: Moderate scrambling to the highest summit with limited exposure. Easy scrambling to the first summit. NOTE: This was done as part of a long traverse to Two O’Clock Ridge via Landslide Peak.Technical Rating: SC6; YDS (3rd)GPS Track: GaiaMap: Google Maps After a long and difficult trip that ended only a few days previous, I was a wee bit apprehensive […]

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Cline Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 3

Michener, Mount (Phoebe’s Tit)

On Sunday, February 7 2016 I finally managed to get out to Abraham Lake along Hwy 11 in David Thompson Country for an attempt of Mount Michener – something I’ve been planning to do for a few years now. Originally Doug Lutz and I were planning to take Friday off for this venture, but thanks to 100+ km/h forecast winds, we canceled our plans and worked instead. Saturday I was looking at the “high” avalanche ratings for the alpine, thinking that my weekend just went bust when Doug messaged me that winds were forecast to be in the 20-40 km/h range for Sunday and that he was game to give it a shot. I was immediately on board with that plan. One issue with the Abraham Lake area is the drive.

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Ram Range / Rockies / Scramble / Trip Report 0