Unfortunately, what is steep and hard to ascend can also be tricky to descend! No spam. Bring poles if you have them and just apologize to your knees in advance. On a sunny weekend, we only…, Today for free and be the first to get notified on new updates. Alternatively, mountain goats or highly skilled climbers can take the last bit of the ridge directly to the summit, but there are harrowing sections, quite dangerous, and to be avoided … There is a nice rock windbreak here (in 2015) to sit and admire the views before turning around. To start this hike you go to the Wasootch ridge day area, once you reach the parking lot the washroom is on the right and to the left is a small sign. The views appear almost instantly and you can admire gorgeous vistas for the rest of the hike once you hit the top of the ridge where the trail levels out. You have just hiked 900 m. Sun, May 12, 2013, 8:30 AM: Wasootch Ridge Winter Hike T4No BeginnersDistance: 12 km (Round Trip)Difficulty: ModerateElev. Practical information about Wasootch Ridge. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email. Take Highway 40 West off of the Trans-Canada Highway towards Nakiska and Kananaskis Lakes. We were 8 people on this hike. 08 Wasootch Ridge | 2013-05-11. Unfortunately, what goes up must come down, and each bump has a drop down before the next bump rises. Thats the trail head, its not marked for the trail name. Scramble: Class 2 – Steep Hiking, Some hands on and route finding on the moderate open ridge just above tree line. Wasootch Ridge starts off hard at the beginning with a leg burning climb right out of the parking lot. We did the hike last September 25th of 2016. Few climbing sections and then a bit of a tough, steep push to the top. The hike starts off steeply on a trail full of small pebbles and stones – the kind that lead to skidding, ankle twisting falls on the descent. The parking lot is a little confusing as there are several trails through the woods leading up the ridge along with a path along the creek. Be prepared for a steep trail at the beginning. Directions: With Porcupine Creek (out of sight) on one side and Wasootch Creek on the other, it stretches out far into the distance. After theres a bit of a scramble with some open drop offs that may worry some, then its up and down for while until finally you get out in the open, thats where I found the views started to get really worth the effort. Head up through the woods near the beginning of the parking area in a southeast direction. Once you are up on the ridge you will roller coaster along the ridge but dont forget to take some time and look around the views on a bluebird day are amazing. When Dinah and I climbed Wasootch Peak in 2005, we did so in winter conditions and stopped just short of the summit.Wanting to write a complete description for this popular peak, I returned to hike it in the summer. The trail is easy to see throughout this hike but from here it does start getting a little more difficult theres some scrambling where the only option is to use your hands, then to the "top" where there is a rocky lookout with 360 views, thats where I stopped. Looming over the ridge is Wasootch Peak, and to see a report on it, follow this link… Wasoothc Peak attempt. This photo is taken near the beginning of the hike, once we’d done a thigh-burning scramble up a steep trail through the forest to the crest of the ridge. Please refer to the trail description in the guidebook, especially for unofficial, off-trail hikes. To see some other ridges we’ve explored, go here… Carry Ridge. It was a steep hike up and as you got to the ridge it was super windy. Pocaterra Cirque may often be passed up for other nearby, well-known hikes, but this little gem is the perfect way…, Arethusa Cirque is a gem of a hike, being an overlooked neighbour to nearby Ptarmigan and Pocaterra Cirques. Lots of climbing especially for thew first few kilometers from the trailhead. Most people hike to the cairn instead of hiking the ridge in its entirety. Anyways, the views on this one are quite nice the whole way. Who: Ed, Jace, Joey, Craig . The scramble to the ridge is considered a … Great place to munch a sandwich. Head up through the woods near the beginning of the parking area in a southeast direction. You could go further to the final peak but I was solo and it looked to be pure scrambling and all rock to the top, starts to get very windy near the top as well. Start of the trail is fairly steep but soon levels out with beautiful views of the Kananaskis Valley. When: June 8, 2019 . From the parking lot you start with a steep climb and really get the lungs and legs going. There's a hidden valley right next to you with Alps-like peaks and then the Opal range right on the other side. Distance 13.8 km return, height gain 975 m. The long ridge dividing Wasootch Creek from the south fork of Porcupine Creek has evolved into one of K Country's classic ridgewalks with a delectable little summit at the end. The ridge is the hilly line on the left-hand side of this photo. Difficult. gain: 900 metersTime required: 5 - 7 hoursDirections: From Calgary head w Wasootch Peak II Kananaskis, Alberta June 24, 2017. We are monitoring our operations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and this page is updated as adjustments are made. Follow the short drive for roughly 750m to the parking lot. the snow was packed. You start gaining as soon as you hit the trail but once you do that ini… It was a wonderful hike filled with fun and adventure. I do not recommend it to people with knee problems, but in general, it is a safe and enjoyable hike! Wasootch Peak Wasootch Peak, Kananaskis, AB Level of Difficulty: Moderate 3/5 Length of time: 5 hours. This is a board ridge so over all it is pretty mellow hiking - nothing that is scary. Copyright © 2020 10Adventures Inc. All rights reserved. Look forward to doing this one again. No difficulty. Push through because the view from the top is sublime! If you want to do same, I recommend to hike in a big group. As far as the open top with cairn at 365447, you have been on a really good trail made official … Follow Highway 40 for roughly 17.0km, passing Barrier Lake and then turn left into Wasootch Day Area. As the trees clear the views become exceptional – just remember to keep looking down so you don’t trip. Finally, my friend and I rushed through this in under 4 hours partly because there was a bit of a rainstorm and a tonne of wind near the top. only at the final section, the snow got high so we had to turn back, but the ridge walk opens so many great views, there isn't a point where the trail has to end. Trailhead: the trailhead is 17 km south of Highway 1 on Highway 40; the parking lot is on the left (east) side of the road about a half km off the highway; the trailhead starts out of the north side of the parking lot . Wasootch Ridge Trail is a 9.6 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as difficult. We ran into a giant her of bighorn sheep on the way down. Back to Area selection – use your back button to select another trail in the same area. Difficulty Notes: Almost all the scrambling sections on this ridge can be avoided. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until October. we've done it during the winter, and it was fantastic. I love ridge walks and this one did not disappoint. A long ridge in Kananaskis Country dividing Wasootch Creek and Porcupine Creek. Approximately 1100 m elevation gain. For an excellent description on how to get to that cairn, check out Hike to the Top of Wasootch Ridge by Andrew Lunt! Best Season to Scramble: May to October, Dry Slopes, Possible Ticks in Spring You can walk as far as you would like along the ridge which is why there are such varying elevation profiles online (700m-1400m). Difficulty: Moderate; Distance: 11.7 KM (7.3 miles) return; Duration: 4-5 hrs; Elevation gain: 750 metres (2,460 feet) Best time to hike: June – September; Location. As you get farther along the ridge you get views down into Wasootch Creek on your right. Then follow the path back same way, that last 1.5 down sucks its steep your feet are tired but this hike is very worth it, but its a commitment to make it to the top. Can stop and turn back at any point but there is a rock cairn that is a popular turn around point, some scrambling is required past that point if you wish to continue. Scramble up and over it and BOOM, there you are on the summit of Wasootch Peak. Drive for about 17 KM (10.5 miles) and turn left into the Wasootch day use area. We planned to beat the sunrise. Wasootch Ridge Hike . When: May 8, 2020 . Please don't attempt this if you're brand new to hiking- it's this kind of overreach that ends up with people dying on Yamnuska this past weekend. The route down is the same as the route up. The peak may be seen from Highway … The views are truly magical, and if the trail isn’t busy, you’ll feel like you have the whole world to yourself. With the creek to your right, the route rises quickly through trees – a great test for your hiking fitness. This is a great day out! This description will be focusing on the trail to the summit from the main cairn on Wasootch Ridge. You will reach a solid rock outcrop. Fantastic view! Where: Wasootch Ridge . From the very beginning, this is not a hike that you ease into. I recommend staying to the right as you don’t want to get too far into the center of the gully; the better rock is on the right as well. Walk along creekbed towards it, passing the Wasootch Slabs sport climbing areas. You follow the top of the ridge for a while until you reach a steep incline of loose rock which is a challenge. Definitely bring a windbreaker and raincoat. There appear to be routes branching off to both sides, though we recommend taking the route over the little hump. We stopped a bit short because of intense wind but still enjoyed a great view. Sat, Mar 29, 2014, 8:30 AM: Wasootch Ridge Winter Hike T4/OT4No BeginnersDistance: 12 km (Round Trip)Difficulty: ModerateElev. Distance: 15.4 km return / 9.56 miles return Elevation: 1451 m / 4761 ft. elevation gain Type: Out and back Length: 4.5-6.5 hours return to the furthest peak. Starts off steep then gets has lots of mellow ups and downs once you're on top of the ridge. Difficulty: Moderate up until the cairn, then the scramble to the summit is … Be aware there are climbers below so please don't throw anything off the ridge! Degree of difficulty: The first part of the trail is a good climb, well worth it. Next time. Sep 11, 2017 - Trailhead: Wasootch Ridge Distance: about 10 km roundtrip Elev. Take the very obvious gully leading to the Tower and follow a well defined climbers trail, staying left. Difficulty: Moderate Time needed: 5-6 hours. Wasootch Ridge • Review. Distance: 11.7 km round-trip with 750 metres of elevation gain. The beginning is very steep and the scree slopes near the top will give you a solid workout. The food is good value, and they have a buffet in the evenings on weekends. gain: 762 metersTime required: 5 - … I would recommend taking more time than we did because by the time I had reached the bottom, my knees were pretty shot and I would have wanted more time to enjoy the view at the top given better conditions. Read our COVID-19 guidelines by clicking this banner before visiting one of our parks. This is a real grind from the start, you gain wicked elevation in just 2km. Wasootch Peak is for people who's inner scrambler is screaming to push on when they're on Wasootch Ridge. a beautiful trail. Bring poles, this is a steep one and they help greatly on the descent. If you are a big eater, consider stopping at the Stoney Casino on the way back home. Wasootch Ridge Hike . Still, it definitely falls in the realm of easy scrambling; someone who only hikes on trail would not like it at all if they made it this far. You can continue, you can see the peak and its worth it. Difficulty: In terms of technical difficulty, it depends how far you go. If you're not planning on going the full way I wouldn't reccomend starting this hike. From there its straight up literally, the first 1.5 km is pure elevation its not the best views but it … decent trail below the steep rock face which will take you eventually to the summit. Not exposed unless you scramble up the last bit of the ridge. Wasootch's southern ridge is the most popular route to the summit for scramblers and hikers. Difficulty. gain: 650 m Difficulty: Difficult This is one rewarding hike! From Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), take the exit for AB-40 south. Canada by Gone Girls June 15, 2020 June 15, 2020. Once you are up on the ridgeline, the valley feels isolated, with no other sounds or trails visible. At approximately 5.8km there will be a point where proceeding further becomes more exposed and requires more scrambling. We were at the trail at 4am to start the hike. There is never any need to cross over the ridge. Who: Ed, Jace, Geoff, Lynn, Chris, Finn, Winnie, Michael, Django . so you can turn back whenever. Wasootch is a popular destination in K-Country, accommodating both hikers and climbers. Wasootch is the most northernly peak along the MacDougall Range which include peaks such as Kananaskis Peak, Old Baldy Mountain, Mount MacDougall and Volcano Peak. Once up on the ridge lots of up and down lesser peaks. At the top is a few Inukshuk which seemed to be a turn around point for some. There are several trails leaving the parking lot that are quite steep. Be sure to go earlier if you want to complete the full hike. Thats the trail head, its not marked for the trail name. This section requires you to scramble up a rocky area through some trees to continue on the ridge. FATMAP difficulty grade. Wasootch Ridge is classified as an intermediate hike as it begins fairly steep for a few kilometres. Where: Wasootch Ridge . From there its straight up literally, the first 1.5 km is pure elevation its not the best views but it gets you up there. Wasootch Creek parking lot on Hwy 40 (Kananaskis Trail. As you come through the forest, take a moment to look back at your car and see how far you’ve gone! Wasootch Ridge Hike Scramble – Kananaskis Highway 40 Scramble: Class 1 – Steep Hiking to "End of Trail", Class 2+ to the high point with off trail some route … As you rise to the first of the bumps along the ridge, you’ll quickly notice there are still more to come. Practical information about the Wasootch Ridge. This is not a major scramble, however as you progress, the technical nature of the trip gets more pronounced with the trail narrowing and a descent of some big boulders. The views…, Mount Burke is an underrated, bigger version of Prairie Mountain that isn’t as well-known. To start this hike you go to the Wasootch ridge day area, once you reach the parking lot the washroom is on the right and to the left is a small sign. It’s recommended that only experienced scramblers proceed with tackling the scramble to the summit, which actually descends off the ridge and up on scree farther along the trail. The valley looks wonderful. Altitude: 2,362m (7,747 ft) Elevation Gain: 916m (3,005 ft) Ascent Time: 2 – 3 Hours. Wasootch Peak is a 2,352-metre (7,717-foot) mountain summit located in the Fisher Range of Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada.The peak is situated on the northern end of the ridge that separates Wasootch Creek from the Kananaskis River.Wasootch Peak's nearest higher peak is Old Baldy, 1.54 km (0.96 mi) to the southeast. You also can look back on the ski hill Nakiska. Wasootch Ridge. This is mainly a hike with some routefinding if you do the loop like we did. This hike gives you the luxury to choose how long you want to spend on the trail. Beautiful! There are occasional sections that require some care, but hiking poles can overcome the need to use your hands. Highlights: Well-defined trail along the ridge line offers views of Wasootch Creek and the Nakiska Ski Hill. Wasootch Ridge is an easy choice as one of the best hikes near Canmore. The summit view. Approach: From the Wasootch Creek parking lot look upcreek towards Wasootch Tower, which is the obvious tower. At about the 7km mark you reach the Wasootch Ridge Cairn. Looking ahead there is a dead-end valley. Just a little steep rubble slope to deal with. Eventually, around 5.5km, you’ll meet your first real test of scrambling. Wasootch Ridge starts off hard at the beginning with a leg burning climb right out of the parking lot. Difficulty: Moderate up until the cairn, then the scramble to the … I've been hiking consistently for 20 years and still found parts of the ridge a bit narrow and sketchy, and if you are afraid of heights you likely will have problems in some spots. Wasootch Peak - Kananaskis Highway 40 - Opposite Nakiska Ski Hill. The term Wasootch originates from a Stoney Indian word meaning “unique” and many features in the area share that name (Wasootch Ridge, Wasootch Peak, Wasootch Creek). Become a Contributor at 10Adventures and share your adventures! First of all, I signed up almost exclusively to warn everyone that this is not a "beginner" hike. Description. Check your hair and body before getting back into your car. Wasootch Ridge is a lumpy walk with lots of up and down, even after you’ve gained the main ridge line. The only difficulty I had was the loose section of trail to descend from the ridge, but even then all it required was a bit of vigilance and patience. Wasootch Ridge, Kananaskis Country (off of Highway 40) A steep hike gets you onto an undulating ridge with expansive views. Many climbers visit the Wasootch Slabs regularly, especially those that are transitioning from indoor climbing to rock walls. As you leave the parking lot, head southeast. Hiking along the bumps is pleasant, as the path is wide with several braids of trail meandering throughout. Congratulations! This is where most people turn back, however this is not the true summit of Wasootch ridge. Once you reach a high point, the view of Kananaskis opens up and never gets old as you continuing along the ridge. Watch out for ticks, they love it here. Kananaskis Country Trail Guide Volume 1 Trail #16, Trailhead: Wasootch Creek 50.97076N, -115.09434W, Your browser does not support displaying the Trailhead Map. The are pleasant spots to take amazing landscape shots. Distance: 15.4 km return / 9.56 miles return Elevation: 1451 m / 4761 ft. elevation gain Type: Out and back Length: 4.5-6.5 hours return to the furthest peak. Grassi Lake and Chester Lake are "beginner hikes" and it does no one any benefit to rate the technical difficulty of this as 'beginner'. This peaks lower elevation and Front Range location makes for great climbing year round. The parking lot is a little confusing as there are several trails through the woods leading up the ridge along with a path along the creek. The path ahead will be clear, so continue to stay on the ridge top following the well-defined trail. 3 hours m Difficulty: Wasootch is a nice rock windbreak here ( in 2015 ) to sit admire... Some routefinding if you have just hiked 900 m. Wasootch ridge by Andrew Lunt Michael Django... 3,005 ft ) Ascent time: 5 hours Opposite Nakiska Ski Hill is updated as adjustments are made scramble! Up a rocky area through some trees to continue on the left-hand side this! 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