North Glacier

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 51.56670°N / 116.25°W
Additional Information Route Type: Scramble with glacier travel
Additional Information Time Required: A long day
Additional Information Difficulty: Walk up involving glacier travel
Sign the Climber's Log

Approach


From Calgary take the Trans-Canada highway to Lake Louise. Here switch to the Ice fields Parkway. After about 20 k you will see a roadside pullout on the left. From here you will be standing below Andromache and also see Little Hector a pointed peak to the south. Cross the road and head up a small slope and follow a path along the left hand side of the Hector creek bed. After about 100 yards you will cross the creek on an old rotting log bridge. Hear turn left. (Do not go straight as this leads to the Little Hector Scramble) Follow the trail which now follows the right hand side of the creek. It will lead you to a series of cliff bands with waterfalls. At this point you should cross the trail to the left hand side and scramble up the cliff bands which are not that difficult.

You will find your self in a small bowl. Proceed to the right to Mt. Hector via the north glacier. Keep right and follow the least line of resistance to the top of the moraine where it flattens out. Here is the foot of the north glacier. Shortly after getting on this glacier you should rope up. There are many cravasses and while they are easily negociated (depending on the snow conditions) you should take all necessary precaution. The line to the right as shown in the image supplied was the best one for us in early September. We only had to venture out in the middle to navigate a couple of spots. Finally asend a couple of gentle slopes and crampon up the snow slope to the summit col. Once off the ice it may be easier to take off the crampons to do the final 50 feet of crumbling rock. Short roping here can make things easier for beginners it will not be necessary for more experienced climbers. This very well explained in Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies by Alan Kane. This book is a worthwhile purchase.

Route Description


The beginning is a hike up beside a creek bed. Then there will be some minor scrambleing in the rock bands leading of to the bowl. Then a scree slope with all that that entails. Finally a pleasent glacier walk to the summit taking care to stay to the right of of the glacier. (You will need crampons, ice axe, rope and harnesses). The route is easily viewed in almost it’s entirety from the foot of the glacier. I have included an image from this vantage point.

Essential Gear


Rope, crampons, ice Axe, harness, prussiks, pullys, belaying device, ice srews or pickets (cravasse rescue items). Helmut and clothes for the weather.

Miscellaneous Info


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Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.