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Bertha Peak Scramble
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Bertha Peak Scramble

 
Bertha Peak Scramble

Page Type: Route

Location: Alberta, Canada, North America

Lat/Lon: 32.84000°N / 113.91°W

Route Type: Scrambling

Season: Summer

Time Required: Half a day

Rock Difficulty: Class 3

Route Quality: 
 - 1 Votes
 

 

Page By: Dow Williams

Created/Edited: Dec 23, 2007 / Dec 23, 2007

Object ID: 367155

Hits: 1276 

Page Score: 87.29% - 7 Votes 

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Approach

Along Evergreen Avenue on the southern edge of the town campsite, is a marked trail to Bertha Lake. It takes you approximately an hour and a half to reach the lake on the maintained trial.

Route Description

 
Hoary Marmot
 
 
Mount Richards
 

This is a 4000’+/- ascent. Once you reach the lake and follow the trail right to the first campground, you need to leave the trail. We bushwhacked through tall brush behind the first campground you see on the right. There might be less obstacles further along the right side of the lake somewhere. Break out above the vegetation and traverse closer to the waterfall to the west and then start zig zagging on up the eastern slopes and rock patches. This portion can make this more of a moderate scramble than an easy one. The route finding can be a little challenging and the rock is loose.

Once you break onto the ridge, it is a walk to the summit. Enjoy great views of Blakiston and Alderson to the NW and some unique peaks to the south in Glacier National Park (US). There was a summit register in 2003. This is a fairly popular objective I believe.

What is the most unique feature on Bertha Peak? A large Hoary Marmot who persisted to try and break into the summit register after I signed it (photo). He no doubt enjoyed the salt from my hands, but also swore I stowed some food inside. I assume others no doubt feed him.

Essential Gear

This is mostly a hike, but of course carry bear spray, helmet, map, compass and whatever else you deem necessary. Make plenty of noise or carry a bear bell as the vegetation is much thicker in Waterton than other Canadian National Parks, particularly on this scramble.




Images

Hoary MarmotHoary MarmotVimy PeakMount RichardsHoary MarmotMount Blakiston
Mount Blakiston



""You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.""   --Rene Daumal   

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