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Mount Shark |
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Trip No. 117 Elevation Height
Gain Time to Reach Summit Degree of Difficulty Scenery Date of Most-recent
Ascent |
Drive south from Canmore on the Smith-Dorrien Spray Trail. At the south end of Spray lake take the Mt. Shark / Mt. Engadine Lodge turn off. This exit is just over 3km south of the Buller Mt. day-use area. Follow the road to its very end for ample free parking (GPS reference 50d51m24s N, 115d22m41s W). The trail starts from just left of the map shelter. Drop down to the main drag and turn left. A leisurely 40 minute walk for the next 3.7km puts you at a T-junction (GPS reference 50d51m04s N, 115d25m18s W). Turn left here and arrive at Watridge Lake in a few minutes. At the edge of the lake a trail starts left on split logs towards forest. The trail leads to Karst Spring in 0.8km. Some 10m back of the viewpoint a faint trail heads off right up the steep embankment. The path becomes better defined further up. Follow the trail as it weaves its way past brush and deadfall towards the crest of the low ridge on the north end of the mountain. The trail then levels out and continues west to eventually exit at a clearing. From here you can see the rocky face of Mt. Shark. You've actually gone too far on the trail. No matter, just trample up semi-open forest towards tree line. At the last clump of trees scramble up a rocky pitch to gain open slopes (GPS reference 50d50m15s N, 115d25m28s W). For the next couple of hundred vertical meters you get to scramble up steep terrain along slabs and rocky gullies. This stuff is not for beginners, as coming down will surely be a more difficult proposition. At the first false summit (GPS reference 50d50m06s N, 115d25m07s W) are a couple of fancy cairns. The ridge then dips before rising up to high-angle slabs. You'll find small ledges at the base of the slabs, but there will be places requiring you to scramble up to the crest of the ridge. At the end of the slabby section is a short climb around a semi-exposed corner. The alternative is to drop down further onto scree. Looking ahead, you won't see the true summit for a while yet, but continue to claw your way up oodles of annoying rubble. Where practical hop onto the ridge to gain firmer footing. The true summit is marked by a sizable cairn. When you're within a stone's throw you have to climb down a 4m chimney - the last bit of fun before setting foot on the summit (GPS reference 50d49m41s N, 115d24m31s W). The view is very nice here. To the west Mt. Assiniboine juts above Mts. Morrison and Turner. Pointy Cone Mt. is to the northwest. On the west bank of Spray Lake are Mts. Fortune and Nestor. To the east starting from the north you can see Three Sisters, Lougheed, Sparrowhawk, Bogart, Buller, Engadine, The Tower, Galatea, and Chester. The ridge directly below you to the east is Tent Ridge, at its south end is The Fist. Looking out along the ridge extending south-southeast, the first mountain ahead is Mt. Smuts. In the background Mt. Sir Douglas steals the show. In the south, rising high above lush-green Spray River Valley is the Royal Group.
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