| Ref: Alan Kane's
Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies |
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Almost at Karst Spring's source. |
| Scramble: RT
9.5; 5.0 up. Mount Shark sure packs a bite! The sustained moderate
scrambling kept us on our toes. I came here solo nearly 15 years ago
and turned around quite overwhelmed. Today, I must admit, I still would
have turned around had Fab not been there with me... The trip started well
with the bike ride and quick hike up to Karst Spring. We then followed
a good trail to the treed ridge. We left that trail when it started to
dip on the other side; instead, we picked up bits of trail ascending the
ridge to treeline. Beyond treeline, the ridge looks difficult and only the
lower section can be seen making it hard to pick a line of ascent. We
read about people bypassing the initial steep slabs, so we kept
looking climber's right. At some point, we noticed a ledge mentioned in
a couple of trip reports, we followed it and started climbing up some
exposed terrain. I didn't like it and had to back down. Fab found an
alternative but it was sketchy, I was thrilled when I heard him
shout "I recognize the way up now". We had gone below the steep slabs
of the first false summit. Back on the ridge, the route is obvious,
interrupted by some interesting sections requiring hands-on scrambling.
After a short downclimb, we reached the top. We stayed for a while to
enjoy the view, the feat and nice weather. I was a little apprehensive
about coming down; Fab and I decided to keep to the ridge crest
avoiding our sketchy bypass. The descent over the steep slabs to the first false summit went well. This was by far a
better option than our approach from below. We continued making our way
down the ridge without complications. Looking up, the ridge is complex and I can see why people try to find a bypass... Back at
treeline, we took a nice long break before returning. We had raw hands
from handling the abrasive rock but other than that, we were
thankful to be unharmed. We lost the trail on the way down and ended up
on the wrong side of the spring. No problem, within seconds Fab spotted
a place to cross the torrent back to the trail on the opposite side;
never a dull moment! |
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We find a path that takes us to a better trail ascending to the ridge. |
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At treeline with the ascent ridge ahead. |
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Scrambling begins. We look for a bypass climber's right but should have followed the ridge, to the left. |
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Looking for a bypass, we try this ledge up but end up finding an easier (but sketchy) way around. |
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Skirting the snow, we gain the ridge avoiding the first false summit. |
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The summit ridge.
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Some sections require caution. |
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A couple of tricky steps around a bulge. |
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| Nearing the downclimb. |
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| Fab decides to avoid the chimney. |
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Happy to be at the top of this challenging mountain. |
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Mount Smuts and Mount Sir Douglas. |
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We enjoy the view sheltered from the wind. |
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On descent, we avoid the chimney climber's right. |
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A path exists on the upper mountain. |
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Sticking to the ridge crest. |
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Easy going to the bulge below. |
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Fab maneuvering around the bulging rock. |
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Above the steep slabs, heading to the first false summit. |
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Looking back from the first false summit. |
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The ridge narrows. |
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| Shuffling down a slab. |
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Looking back at the narrow ridge to the first peak. |
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We easily continue along the ridge. |
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Appears complex when looking up. |
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We veer to the right (east) slightly. |
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Taking a good break with the ridge behind us. |
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The logs were incredibly slippery... |
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