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Burns East Ridge (Attempt)
Kananaskis, Alberta
May 30, 2004
Distance: 12.2 km
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 1027 m
After a fun scrambling ascent up through the pinnacles on the south slope of the East Ridge of Mount Burns in 2001, Dinah and I wanted to return to try a different route to see if we could climb higher. This time we traversed the east ridge.
After hiking to a high point on the ridge, we were stopped by cliffs and explored no further. After crossing a basin, we dropped down 200 m to get around the cliff bands. We climbed as far as we could before stopping on a narrow, exposed ridge. To return to our car, we dropped down the south slopes to the Sheep River trail and followed it back.
Our route
The east ridge
Jacob's ladder
Hiking up the ridge
Mount Hoffman on the right
We followed the ridge
We soon got above the treeline
On the ridge
The ridge was a hike except for this short, easy scramble
Continuing along the ridge
We traversed below a high point
After this high point we dropped down on the left side to get below a cliff band
Crossing the basin below the cliff band
Looking for a weakness to regain the ridge
On the ridge: we'll go to the right of the rock buttress
Nearing the end of the line
As far as we got
Heading back
Looking south across the Sheep River Valley
I climbed a pinnacle
82 J/10 Mount Rae