Mount
McLaren In 1946 a Royal Canadian Airforce DC-3 crashed into a mountain in Crowsnest Pass killing seven servicemen. Some of the wreckage, including a wing and the tail section, still remain. We hiked up to the plane crash site and then continued up to the cirque above the site. After reaching the first cirque, we traversed west following a good goat track on the steep scree slope and climbed up to another cirque, between Andy Good and Mount Parrish. From either cirque it looks possible to climb much higher, so I plan to come back here again sometime. We tried to reach the col between Parrish and McLaren without losing elevation but cliff bands and loose rock stopped us. So we backtracked and dropped down to another goat track that led
to the col. From there it was an easy, albeit long, hike to the top
of McLaren. After reaching the top, we followed the ridge a short ways
before dropping down a steep slope. The landscape here is tortured,
so it called for some route-finding, especially near the bottom where
there are cliffs and pinnacles to negotiate. Caves abound and we inspected
one of them. From there it was a short climb down back to the road. |
Looking at the plane crash
site. Andy Good Peak in the back.
Tail section
Climbing to the cirque
above plane crash. Mount McLaren in the background.
Mount Coulthard behind us
Cliffs stopped us from reaching the col from here. Mount McClaren
on the right.
At the Parrish-McClaren col, Mount Parrish in back
Andy Good Peak and Mount Parrish
Easy ascent to the summit of Mount McLaren
Coming down from the summit
Checking
out one of the caves on Mount McLaren (mouse over for a close up)
360° view
McLaren: From left to right: Mount Coulthard, Andy Good Peak and Mount Parrish;
further back are Sentry Mountain, Mount Tecumseh and Crowsnest Mountain
82 G/15 Crowsnest