Blakiston

Height: 9,580 ft
View-o-meter: 4/5
Scrambling Difficulty: Moderate
Total Trip Difficulty: Easy
Best Feature: Tallest peak in Waterton
Worst Part: Hope you like talus!



This is the most popular scramble in the park. A short section of scrambling keeps things honest. The views down into Lineham lakes add some much needed color to the long slog up the talus.

Hike up the Lineham lakes trail. When you first see the Lineham waterfalls at the end of the valley, take the next gully off to your right (east). Wander up the talus until you get to the black band of Purcell Lava. This guards the peak. It is fairly broken up, and doesn't present too much difficulty for competent scramblers. It is solid 3rd class terrain. Basic route finding skills are more advantageous than specific descriptions. If you pick a poor path, expect 5m or so of 4th class.


A decent view showing the black band of Purcell Lava that guards the summit of Blakiston - and many other peaks in this range

Many people run the ridge back to the West completing the popular Hawkins Horeshoe. Most people add Lineham peak onto the end of this. The standard finish is a shale slide down to lower Rowe Lake.


The ridge from Hawkins down to Blakiston


Other Route Descriptions

Dave's Scrambling Page - Excellent route description details. Nice images and photos. A good diagram showing the standard ascent route.

Trail Peak.com - Good route description, but better photos

Linda's Scrambling Pages - Journal type trip report with good detail. Good pictures of the short scrambling section.

Bertha

Height: 8,005 ft
View-o-meter: 2/5
Scrambling Difficulty: Easy
Total Trip Difficulty: Easy
Best Feature: Bertha Lake's Ampitheatre
Worst Part: Alderson seems like the real peak


The standard ascent of Bertha follows the trail up to the lake. From here follow a good trail around the north shore until you find a relatively clear spot to ascend. Usually a saddle half way around the lake seems to be the easiest. From on top of the ridge, head east along a wide ridge. A small pond is found up here. Ascending too early (ie. too far east) from the lake may mean that you have some grassy 3rd class terrain to negotiate. You're better off continuing down the lake at least 2/3 of the way and wandering up the grassy slopes.



An unusual view of Bertha Peak as seen from the rarely run ridge behind the lake (connecting Alderson to Richards). Bertha is the peak to the left. The lakes from front to back are - Bertha, Middle Waterton, Kinght's (Lower Waterton)

Non-Standard Routes

HIke up to Alderson Lake, and wander up the scree slopes to the dip. Run the ridge back east to get to Bertha. This makes a decent loop hike, however, it is much better going to Bertha first and then to Alderson (you gain more elevation on the trail, and the ascent hillside is grassy not talusy.

You can also head up the peak following the nose of the ridge directly from the townsite (or from anywhere on the lower Bertha falls trail). There is a lot of bushwacking here and no one who has gone up this way has much positive to say about it. Few have made it to the peak. Most people just want to get to the little knoll visible from the townsite.

Other Route Descriptions

Dave's Scrambling Page - A winter route description with a marked line of ascent.

Summit Post.org - A simple route description with some generic pictures

Nugara's Scrambling Page - Basic route description with some good commentary about the scenery. Good pictures.

Bellevue

Height: 6,923 ft
View-o-meter: 3/5
Scrambling Difficulty: Easy
Total Trip Difficulty: Easy
Best Feature: The right side of the arete drops straight onto the prairie
Worst Part: Doesn't feel like a real "peak"



This is a surprisingly good scramble and introductory ridge run - if you keep to the arete proper. The views along the prairies really can’t be beat. As you move away from the ridge line onto easier ground, the views decrease in grandeur.

Start at Native history pull out on the west side of Red Rock highway. Head through 50m of prairie before starting up an indistinct game trial. There is some interesting scrambling along the ridgeline. Moving left into the gully avoids technical difficulties. However, it misses some good positions, and spectacular views. The good scrambling is limited to the lower sections.

Once on top of the ridgeline there are a couple of different possibilities. Perhaps the best is to continue over to Galway. The scrambling on this route is reported to be more difficult. Another option is to drop down into the first major drainage that leads to horse shoe basin. There isn’t a trail through here, but the bush isn’t too thick. Perhaps the best idea is to stick to the ridgeline on the north, dropping down as late as possible. A rather nice waterfall is found halfway down the valley.


Bellevue Ridge as seen from Galwey

Alternatively you can descend one of the small gullies that drop down just before the peak. Unfortunately these gullies have a few sections of loose, steep, wet down climbing. Most of the large gullies are fairly similar in character. On the prairie, near the mountains edge is a trail that heads back to the red rock canyon road. If you are very observant some old mine trenching can be found running almost perpendicular to the natural benches

These trenches were dug just after the Bingham Canyon find in Utah. Some folks that came up to this area from Utah indicated that these copper deposits were richer than the ones down at this mega mine. Luckily, this was only true of the shallow surface deposits. This would have put things around the late 1890’s or so.

There are also quite a number of native artifacts just off the prairie trail. Old travois tracks are quite visible criss-crossing the area. They look like old narrow wagon ruts, and are most visible in the spring or fall. The most obvious ones heads through the lush grass on the first bench, north of the parking lot at Red Rock. This was along the path that the Kootenai Indians used to take when going from Tobacco Flats to the Prairie to hunt buffalo.



Other Route Descriptions

Trail Peak.com - Good route descriptions and some of photos

Volcano

The dailymail in Uk has some amazing shots of a volcano plume punching through some clouds.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1195215/Stunning-pictures-hole-clouds-astronauts-witness-volcano-eruption-International-Space-Station.html

I wonder how big the main explosion from the Crowsnest Volanic area was?

http://www.rossway.net/canvolcanics.htm

Bear's Hump

Height: 5,050ft
View-o-meter: 3/5
Scrambling Difficulty: Trail (west slope) Easy (east slopes) Technical (south face)
Total Trip Difficulty: Easy!
Best Feature: Views down the lake
Worst Part: Tourist Trap



Trail
Bear's hump is one of the most iconic Waterton features there is. Only Vimy competes with it for defining the character of the Park. Tourists flock up the short trail that ascends its east flank. The trailhead leaves from the information bureau. In the 70's short cuts, increased traffic and lots of trail erosion put things in pretty bad shape. Since then, though, numerous water bars, benches and other asundry work have made this into a pretty comfortable trail. The only short cuts can no longer be seen, and you don't need to worry about little kids tearing down the trail like you once did. If you need a quick hike, or need to take some non mountain folk up something interesting, this is what you do. Ascent times vary, but should be around 20-30 minutes, although I think it has been sprinted in as little as 8 and a half minutes from Tamarack mall (a world class marathon runner was a grad student of my Uncle).

East Slope
The original trail actually went up the east side of this little knob. Few people, other than climbers now use this old route. In fact, it is pretty hard to find a clear route at all. Head to a weakness in the lower band of the face. You can get here either by wandering along the base of the first cliff tier, or by following the climber's trail from the first left hand switchback up the Cameron lake road. Once at the prominent weakness on the first tier, scramble to the main ledge, and then head left. There is a bit of a step around here. This takes you to the upper flank of the hump. Follow the dirty ground up. Left has lots of deadfall, right has more scrambling. If you find the right way there is just a bit of 3rd class. If you don't care, you may encounter some short terrain up to 4th class.




Climbing
The face has a number of routes that range from 5.4 to 5.10. They all rely on gear. The rock isn't nearly as bad as reputation has. There certainly are lose blocks, but things are much more predictable than loose rock up in Canmore/Banff. The easiest route is Main Line, but I think Lichen Right is a nicer route. The ultra-classic route is Cusak's Crack. Lots of fixed gear attests to the fact 5.8 on a crack outside ain't 5.8 in a gym. It is pretty rare to see a party climbing on the hump.

The first known ascent of the hump's face was done by Frank Goble as a young teenager in the 20's. The hump stays surprisingly warm and can be climbed any season as long as a chinook is blowing in.


Blair and Lisa on the Upper Prow of the Hump

Rock Climbing Routes on The Hump

Bauerman

Height: 7,904ft
View-o-meter: 2/5
Scrambling Difficulty: Easy
Total Trip Difficulty: Moderate for peak only (difficult for Anderson-Lost-Bauerman ridge run)
Best Feature: Tamaracks & Twin Lakes
Worst Part: Long approach hike if doing the peak alone - sore feet if you're at the tail end of the ridge run

Bauerman is a relatively straight forward peak to ascend, this, despite a long approach. The easiest approach is to hike up the Snow Shoe cabin trail from Red Rock Canyon. Continue past upper Twin Lakes. At the end of the switchbacks, head east through a thin section of Tamaracks. It is a straightforward hike to the peak.



If you are doing this peak as part of the beautiful Anderson-Lost-Bauerman ridge run, things are equally as easy. There is no scrambling along the east ridge preceding the peak. It is the ground along the intermediate peaks that is challenging - definitely not an easy scramble along this path.

The East face has some stellar looking couloirs that ambitious mountaineers may one day tackle.



East face of Bauerman - The ridge traverse follows the easy skyline on the left

Avion Ridge

Height: 7,995ft
View-o-meter: 2/5
Scrambling Difficulty: Easy
Total Trip Difficulty: Moderate
Best Feature: Feels like an "off trail" hike without any route finding worries
Worst Part: Long hike to get to the peak

Avion ridge is normally done as part of a popular loop route. This ridge section is labelled an "off trail" hike. However, as things stand now, the trail is pretty well defined. Even a green tourist should have a hard time getting lost. The only other established route in the park of a similar character is the "Dragon's Back" which goes up the Forum ridge over toward Bennet's pass. Avion ridge is the most popular beginner “off trail” hikes in the park.


Avion Ridge as seen from the side of Newman Peak which lies to the east

Most people do the loop from the Goat Lake direction. From the Red Rock canyon parking lot, it is about 8km to Goat Lake. The last few km gain some steady elevation on an open slope. At the lake a somewhat hard to find trail heads up the backside of the valley. It leaves near the old tent sites.

From the saddle, peak baggers usually head right, up Newman Peak (8,599). Those who are a bit more conservative with their energy expenditures stay on the standard route that cuts around the north side of the small pyramid to the left. This short section has the most exposed scrambling on the route. Adventurous individuals can easily gain the ridge directly, instead of traversing around the back.

Follow the ridgeline above sheep valley (the small valley with the tiny lake to the north). Some newer scramblers may be intimidated by the large drop off on your right (north). There are few technical difficulties. However, in the spring, some sizeable cornices may make for interesting walking. The trail avoid the summit of Avion Ridge, traversing across slightly underneath to the south.

As you start to descend, the Tamarack becomes plentiful. The early fall is definitely the most spectacular time to travel. Eventually you will run into the Castle River Divide. Follow the trail south into Lost Lake. There is not much water along this hike, so make sure you fill up at Goat Lake.

Good Links About the Avion Ridge Scramble

Vern Dewit's Scrambling Page - lots of excellent pictures, extra links, journal type report

Dave's Scrambling - pictures and a journal type report

Bob Spirko's Scrambling page - lots of pictures, map with route, downloadable route, elevation profile