C-Level Cirque

Trip No. 131

Elevation

1898m at C-Level Cirque;

1979m at clearing above Cirque;

2196m at viewpoint

Height Gain

421m to C-Level Cirque;

502m to clearing above Cirque;

719m to viewpoint

Distance (one-way)

4.57km to C-Level Cirque;

5.04km to clearing above Cirque;

5.66km to viewpoint

Time to Reach Objective

1.0 - 2.0 hours to C-Level Cirque;

Add 0.25 - 0.50 hours to clearing above Cirque;

Add 0.50 - 0.75 hours to viewpoint

Degree of Difficulty

1 of 5 to C-Level Cirque;

2 of 5 to clearing and viewpoint

Scenery

1.5 of 5 at C-Level Cirque;

2.5 of 5 at viewpoint

Date of Most-recent Outing

August 4, 2003

Download GPS Track

From the east on Highway 1 take the Lake Minnewanka Loop exit. This point is 12.8km west of the Banff Park gates. Follow the road and signs for 3.7km to Upper Bank Head day-use area. Do not confuse this with Lower Bank Head which is a couple of hundred meters before you need to make the left hand turn into the parking lot (GPS reference 51d14m13s N, 115d31m10s W). The trailhead is near the end of the loop.

The wide trail rises lazily through open forest. It's a pleasant walk for 20 to 30 minutes and then you come to a small abandoned concrete building (GPS reference 51d14m37s N, 115d31m35s W). There's a pile of coal off to the side of this old mine site. There are several parallel trails from here on but they all lead uphill to the same place. Along the way you'll pass 7 (or is that 8?) fenced off mine shafts. At the last mine shaft the trail turns left. The next hour of hiking is mundane through more forest. Rarely does the sun even break through the high tree cover.

Eventually the trail dips and trends right. You'll soon come to a brief clearing from which you can check out the south flank of Mt. Cascade. Within minutes you squeeze through shortened trees and emerge at the mouth of C-Level Cirque (GPS reference 51d14m31s N, 115d32m30s W). Crane your neck to get a sense of the enormity of the cirque before you. You'll need a wide angle lens if you want to get all of it in a photo. Aside from the cliffs all around there's really not much more you can see here, so it's best to keep going.

An obvious trail extends ahead above cirque rubble to a higher point some 15-30 minutes away. The grade is relaxed most of the way. Only near the end does it get a little steeper. As you come over the rise you are in a medium-sized, boulder-strewn clearing (GPS reference 51d14m32s N, 115d32m44s W).

The extra distance and effort hardly seems worthwhile to get to this point, as the view is only marginally better. The reason you come up here is just to have a quick break before heading up to a higher viewpoint. Look up at the ragged cliffs of Mt. Cascade - at the right end it drops down to a patch of greenery. This is where you want to end up.

The trail continues up into trees but is now brutally steep. Fortunately this section is relatively short. Zoodles of tiny switchbacks help lessen the pain, but the elevation gain still takes its toll as you must haul yourself up 220m in just over 0.6km.

Eventually you break free of the last few strands of trees on a rocky slope. Just a few more steps and you're up against the lower cliff face of Mt. Cascade (GPS reference 51d14m40s N, 115d32m59s W). Scramblers can climb up ledges to gain a bit more elevation, but this is rather pointless because there's no way that you can connect to the main summit from here.

Take a load off your feet and enjoy the sweeping view of Lake Minnewanka to the east. Mt. Alymer is the high point north of the lake, while Mt. Inglismaldie, Mt. Girouard, and Mt. Peechee form a line to the south. Below you of course is the gathering crowd sitting at the head of C-Level Cirque sharing their lunch. They are backdropped by the Bow Valley extending into the distant haze. If you duck around the corner you can see yet another cirque under Mt. Cascade. The view north up the Cascade River valley feature peaks that make up the Palliser Range.

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C-Level Cirque

View from mouth of cirque looking up at Mt. Cascade

C-Level Cirque

Trail continues at edge of trees to clearing, then to viewpoint where right-hand skyline ridge meets last vegetation

C-Level Cirque

Looking down from viewpoint

Access Map

Elevation Profile