An ultra classic mini alpine climb. It combines ice, rock and snow, all at a moderate grade and high quality. Several waterfall ice pitches, WI3, lead to snow gullies and rock bands, 5.7 with option down to 5.4, with snow fall the rock section can be quite challenging. This climb is a great experience for those who want a taste of winter alpine climbing, covering a lot of different terrains in a somehow short route

Getting There

From Canmore, drive toward Calgary on 1A Highway.
Park in a paved lot on the South side of the Highway 1.7 KM East of Continental Lime Plant.
Cross the Highway to a gated travel road that accesses a dump...(not the prettiest scenery in the Canadian Rockies...). Do not drive up to the road even the gate is open, you will likely get towed or the gate closed behind you (the gate closes at 4:30 in the afternoon).
Approach: Walk on the dump access road staying right until reaching crossable
(log) section of fence staying parallel with Goat Mountain to your left, the trail follows the fence north; then west before curving towards Goat Mountain.
Continue past the first gully to the second larger drainage with an obvious ice flow, more or less one our of easy walking.

Route Description

Follow 100m of easy angled snow and ice to a 30m icefall
with ice reaching 80° Snow and ice slopes above lead into the
Narrows and a further 60m or easy ice. The ice climb section finishes up
with a 15m wall into the base of the large cirque, here there is a two bolt belay on a large block near the right side. There a number of variations above on the rock part between 5.4 and 5.7, see topo.
Descent: The route lies on Goat Mountain, and the actual climb ends very near the summit of Loder Peak. Climb to the summit of Loder Peak and follow the southwest ridge directly to the 1A highway, another 2 hours. An alternative descent is straight down the back of the ridge into Jura Creek a little more difficult requiring some route finding.

Gear

Fossilized rock, accepts gear pretty well.
-2 Ice tools
-Ice screws rack: 8-10 screws.
-Pink, red, and brown tricam.
-Small cams up to n.2 BD
-Small to medium nuts.
-3 or 4 pitons.
-Slings, cordelette.
-2 double ropes.

Red Tape

No permit is required

External Links

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