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Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Backcountry Skiing

  • Avalanche
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 – Canmore/Calgary
    • AST 1 (Classroom Webinar/Rockies Field Day)
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 for Ice Climbers
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 Refresher
    • Advanced Companion Rescue Course
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Canadian Rockies
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Rogers Pass
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Purcell Lodge
  • Mountaineering
    • Beginner Programs
      • Scrambling Skills and Safety
      • Snow and Ice Long Weekend
      • Intro to Mountaineering
      • Women’s Intro to Mountaineering
      • Youth Mountaineering Course
      • Wapta Ice Hike
    • Intermediate and Advanced Programs
      • Yoho Peaks
      • Intro to Alpine Rock in the Bugaboos
      • Intro to Alpine Ice at the Columbia Icefields
      • Lake Louise Classics
      • Moraine Lake Alpine Classics
      • Rogers Pass Alpinist Camp
      • Bugaboos Granite
      • Tonquin Valley Alpine Climbing
    • Canadian Rockies 11,000ers
      • Mount Temple
      • Mount Willingdon
      • Mount Cline
      • Mt Woolley & Diadem
      • Mount Hector
      • Mount Athabasca
      • Mount Andromeda
      • Mt Joffre Expedition
      • Mount Victoria
      • Mt Edith Cavell
      • Mount Forbes
      • Mount Assiniboine
      • Mount Robson
    • Fast and Light Series
      • Castle Mountain
      • Mt Louis Kain Route
      • Bugaboo Spire – North East Ridge
      • Mt Sir Donald – Northwest Ridge
      • Mt Aberdeen
      • Mt Stanley
      • Mt Fay – West Ridge
      • Mt Temple – East Ridge
    • One-Day Crevasse Rescue for the Alpinist
    • Navigation 1 (Back to Basics with Map & Compass)
    • Navigation 2 (Digital Trip Planning & Electronic Navigation)
    • One Month Summer Mountaineering Program
    • Private Mountaineering and Guiding
      • Climb Mount Athabasca
      • Bugaboos Climbing Guides
      • Climb Mount Assiniboine
      • Climb Mount Robson
  • Skiing
    • Instructional Backcountry Skiing & Boarding
      • Intro to Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding
      • Splitboarding Intro
      • Backcountry Freerider
      • Ultimate Steep & Deep Clinic
    • Guided Steep & Deep Programs
      • Rogers Pass Powder Skiing
      • Signature Series Splitboarding Camp with Justin Lamoureux
      • Kootenays Powder Adventure
      • Backcountry Powder Pass
    • Ski Mountaineering & Classic Traverses
      • Intro to Ski Mountaineering
      • Crevasse Rescue for Skiers & Splitboarders
      • The Wapta Traverse
      • Bow to Yoho Advanced Ski Week
      • Remote Ski Camp – Freshfields
      • Bugaboos to Rogers Pass Ski Traverse
    • 11’000ers Ski Programs
      • Mt Hector
      • The Lyells & Mons Ski Descents
      • Mt Columbia Ski Expedition
    • International Ski Trips
      • Troll Peninsula, Iceland Ski Safari
      • Rishiri Island Skiing in Japan
    • Navigation 1 (Back to Basics with Map & Compass)
    • Navigation 2 (Digital Trip Planning & Electronic Navigation)
    • One Month Backcountry Ski Program
    • Private Ski Guiding & Splitboarding
  • Rock Climbing
    • Rock Climbing Level 1 – Outdoor Rock Intro
    • Rock Climbing Level 2 – Learn to Lead
    • Rock Climbing Level 3 – Multi-Pitch Climbing Course
    • Rock Climbing Level 4 – Trad Rock Leader
    • Rock Climbing Level 5 – Rock Rescue
      • Foundational Rock Rescue
      • Advanced Rock Rescue
    • Signature Series Rock Leader with Sean Isaac
    • Hot Rock
    • Ghost Rock
    • El Potrero Chico Rock Road Trip
    • Beginner Experiential Rock Climbing
    • Multipitch & Instructional Rock Climbing
  • Ice Climbing
    • Ice Climbing Level 1 – Basic Ice
    • Ice Climbing Level 2 – Top Rope Management
    • Ice Climbing Level 1 & 2 – Ice Evolution
    • Ice Climbing Level 3 – Ice Leader
    • Ice Climbing Level 4 – Multi-Pitch Ice Leader
    • Steep Ice and Mixed Climbing Clinic
    • Drytooling Clinic
    • Rampart Creek Ice Camp
    • Ghost Ice Climbing Camp
    • ‘Hot’ Ice Climbing
    • Signature Series Ice Climbing with Sean Isaac
      • Early Season Ice Camp with Sean Isaac
      • Ice Leader Camp with Sean Isaac
      • Mixed Master Camp
      • Steep Ice Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Mixed Climbing Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Ice Lead Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Multi-pitch Systems Clinic with Sean Isaac
    • Southern Ontario Ice Climbing
      • Southern Ontario – One-day Ice Climbing Essentials
      • Southern Ontario Ice Leader
    • Avalanche Skills for Ice Climbers
    • Beginner Experiential Ice Climbing
    • Private Multipitch & Instructional Ice Climbing
  • Mountain Semesters
    • 3-Month Mountain Skills Semester
    • 1-Month Summer Mountaineering Semester
    • 1-Month Ski & Splitboard Semester

August 5, 2010 By Sylvia Watson Leave a Comment

Louise Classics – Mt Victoria and Lefroy!

SunriseOnVictoria-RoyMillarMt Victoria, Mt Lefroy – Part 1 of the Lake Louise Classics

I was fortunate enough to do the first three days of our intermediate mountaineering program the Lake Louise Classics. This incredible group of people combined with some favorable alpine conditions had a very successful trip into Abbot Pass.

Everyone on the trip were ‘Yamnuska Alumni’ and not only did it give me a chance to get out for some fun but to also connect with dedicated guests. So Chris, Liz, Allan, Bryan, Roy and I, along with Yam guides James Blench, Paddy Jerome and Jason Billings left Canmore and headed for the bus to Lake O’Hara.

Four hours later this energetic group arrived at the Abbott Hut admiring the next day’s objective of Mt Lefroy. The Abbot Hut is the second highest permanent structure in Canada at almost 9600 ft and from the hut you can see clear to the top of Mt Lefroy. After some refresher training in short roping and anchoring techniques, we enjoyed a delicious Yamnuska prepared meal and went to bed for our 4am wake up.

Here is a hint: When staying in Alpine Club Huts, bring a set of earplugs. We shared the hut with another group… one of whom was a champion snorer and even those of us with earplugs had a broken sleep at best.

However, our keen group was wide eyed when we started our climb at 5am and although it was 5 degrees Celsius at the hut, we enjoyed excellent snow and ice conditions on the mountain. On the way up, the group moved very well together in 3 rope teams as we watched the full moon setting to the West and an alpine sunrise over the peaks of Banff to the East. The view alone was an amazing sight but this ambitious group of climbers knew that the day would offer even better views at 11,230 ft from the top of Mt. Lefroy. At 7:30am we were not disappointed as everyone topped out to enjoy blue skies and see as far as the Bugaboos and the Columbia Icefields. High up on this majestic peak it sure felt like we were standing on top of the world!

The beauty of an alpine start is that you get an afternoon nap! We all came back for a well deserved rest and planned our next day’s objective over dinner, scotch and brandy. Given the previous few days’ unsuccessful summits of Mt Victoria, we were naturally concerned about warm weather and snow conditions. James, Paddy and Jason decided that a 3am wake up with a 4am departure would be our best shot and instead of returning to the hut for our descent back to Lake O’Hara we would carry all of our gear to the top of Mt Victoria and descend the Huber Ledges. And that is exactly what we did!

Everything worked out as planned and as we worked our way through the snow and rock (our group did very well climbing alpine rock in crampons) we were treated to another spectacular sunrise complete with Alpen-glow by the time we hit the first ledge. By 8:30 am the snow conditions were deteriorating but we had one of Canada’s best avalanche forecasters with us in James Blench. When I became worried about snow conditions and being swept off the side of Mt Victoria, James shared his thoughts with the group and assured us he was not concerned. I immediately felt at ease if James was comfortable!

By 10 am we were on the south summit of Mt Victoria where we celebrated, had a short break then descended the Huber ledges. Bryan did his first rappel which we were excited to share with him and we all enjoyed the scrambling and lowering to Wiwaxy Gap and the quick trail descent to Lake O’Hara.

I felt honored to climb with this keen group of mountaineers and I would say special friendships have formed as we all glowed in the success of our trip over burgers and beer at the Outpost Pub in Lake Louise. We advertise this trip as the natural continuation of our Snow and Ice long weekend and our Intro to Mountaineering programs and based on how well our alumni of those programs did, I’d say that description is pretty accurate. I returned to Canmore while the rest of the group prepared for their journey to the Neil Colgan hut and more alpine climbing. I can’t wait to see the pictures and hear the stories from my new friends.

Len Youden

Filed Under: Trip Reports

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