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Mount Indefatigable Traverse
Kananaskis, Alberta
July 15, 2005
Distance: 10.0 km (6.2 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 990 m (3248 ft)
For the past two years, the Mount Indefatigable trail has been mostly closed due to bear activity. Open this year, Dinah and I jumped at the chance to bag the peak. Joining us was Phil Scheiner who accompanied us to the top of Holy Cross Mountain last year.
The trail starts flat but soon steepens. A bench at a lookout offers a place to pause. Soon after that the trail forks. We passed the first fork and followed the trail until we reached an end-of-trail sign. But a side trail wends left and soon joins the main trail that leads to the North Peak.
In a short time, the trees thinned, and we skirted the right edge of a tarn. We continued on the trail until it was evident we would reach the North Peak quicker if we left the trail and cut across the slope as shown in the guidebook.
Once off the grassy slopes and onto rock, we worked our way up a steep gully. Neither trail nor cairns marked the way, so we were left to our own design. I had fallen behind, but Phil was quick to assist Dinah up some of the trickier sections. Scrambling here wasn't fun because of loose rock and steep terrain, so we were glad to reach the ridge crest where a short walk took us to the summit of the North Peak. It was windy, and we were greeted by good if hazy views of distant peaks. Fortunately we never saw any of the predicted showers for the afternoon. I took a summit panorama, and we continued to the South Peak.
The traverse was straightforward, mostly a hike with a few short scrambling sections. Because of the high winds, gusting at times, we often held onto rock where the ridge narrowed and was exposed. When we came to the uninspiring South Peak, we found some communications apparatus perched on the top but no cairn as we expected. As we headed down the east slope, we were already discussing other scrambles we would like to do this season.
Postscript: Since posting this, Indefatigable trail has been decommissioned and should not be used. For more information, see my Mount Indefatigable South Peak trip.
MOVIE
Mount Indefatigable seen from the trailhead
Hiking up the trail to the alpine tarn
North Peak overlooks the tarn
North Peak from the slope
Looking back at the tarn
Phil and Dinah will soon join me on the ridge crest
North Peak from the col
Steep ascent up a gully
Looking down from near the summit
Phil reads the register at the summit
Much of the first section of the traverse stays left of the crest
Still on the left side looking to get back on the ridge crest
Scrambling up to regain the ridge
Back on the ridge
North Peak in the background
Looking back along the ridge
A nice bit of scrambling before the South Peak
South Peak ahead: easier than it looks
Upper Kananaskis Lake and Hidden Lake
On the summit of South Peak
82 J/11 Kananaskis Lakes
