Mount Yamnuska

Trip No. 134

Elevation

2241m

Height Gain

902m

Distance (one-way)

8.78km for loop

Time to Reach Summit

2.0 - 3.5 hours

Degree of Difficulty

3.5 of 5 from east ridge; 5m down climb with some exposure

Scenery

2 of 5

Date of Most-recent Ascent

August 30, 2003

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Return to the road and go through the gate. In about 40m turn right at the sign. Almost immediately the wide trail splits. You can follow either direction. The left path is the trail-proper, while the old road heading right takes you eastwards towards the Stoney Indian Reserve boundary. If you stay with the official trail it's a no-nonsense hike on a wide path up to the crest of Yamnuska Ridge. If you follow the alternate route, keep left at the first two junctions, then at a clearing where you can see the road go straight up the side of the mountain follow this until the road bends right and then downhill. From here leave the trail and head straight up open forest and occasional clearings until you top out on Yamnuska Ridge. You should intersect a trail once you get there. Make a left and walk the flat ridge towards the base of the cliffs. It'll take 20-30 minutes for you to reach this point.

Where shoulder meets cliff, you'll need to scramble through a narrow notch. As testimony to the popularity of this route, you'll note that the rocks here have been polished smooth by countless hiking boots. Once through the notch you'll see trails traversing the steep hillside both high and low. Head for the high trail. A stretch of easy scrambling is required at the first intersecting rib.

Continue to traverse upwards across more rocky terrain until the next intervening ridge. At a cairn with yellow flagging is a steel cable bolted to the rock. You can hang on to the cable as you shimmy across a narrow ledge to rejoin continue the trail. Experience scramblers on the other hand can simply continue to the top of the minor summit and then downclimb a shoulder some 5-7m to rejoin the ridge. Hand holds are plentiful.

With the crux behind you, the remainder of the way is just a hasty walk up to the summit. If you fear open heights, you'll want to hold onto something before peering over the edge. Directly across the Bow valley to the south is Barrier Lake Lookout. The panorama sweeps right to include Heart Mountain, Mount McGillivray, and the multi-peaked Mount Lougheed to the south-west. The ridge in the foreground to your right is Loader Peak. Directly west is Goat Mountain, and the Fairholme Range dominates the northern vista.

You could return the same way down the east ridge, but you'd miss all the fun. From the summit, descend the west ridge on light brown scree. This is a taste of what's to come. Once you reach the western col traverse across the huge talus slope to the front of Yam's towering cliffs. Your objective is to reach the top of the light coloured streak so prominently visible from the highway. With good hiking boots and ski poles you can descend the next 200 vertical meters in a matter of minutes. Anything this fun should be illegal. Back down on Earth, a trail leads you into forest and in half an hour or so puts you back at the parking lot.

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Mt. Yamnuska

From Yamnuska Ridge trail

Mt. Yamnuska

At base of cliffs; trail continues through notch

Mt. Yamnuska

From above notch; trail traverses slopes through intervening ridges; summit at right

Mt. Yamnuska

From just above crux looking towards summit

Access Map

Elevation Profile