[MCR] Rockies, Mt Lougheed, August 26th, 2015

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Climbed peaks 1, 2 and 3 on Mt Lougheed (NW to SE) today. Much nicer day up high with cool, light to moderate winds, less smoke and decent visibility. Not much snow left except on the north aspects and it actually helped with some of the choss on peak 2.

Good info on Lougheed in Andrew Nugara’s “More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies”. We hiked up through the forest left of the drainage and found it pretty reasonable. Above treeline in the giant scree bowl we followed a stream bed on the climbers left for quite awhile and it helped ease the pain. I think we followed the guidebook directions, and started climbing at a fairly prominent little cliff right on the ridge crest. Good, easy climbing(on what I think is Chert) leads directly to good walking above. Generally I was surprised by how good this route is in the land of choss.

The 2nd peak put up some stiff rubble resistance. At the one real rock band we walked along a ledge to the actual ridgecrest to gain the upper mountain. Decent rock and some big air below for 6m or so. It was only on the ascent of peak 2 that we felt the travel was really crappy. Good trail down from 2 and up 3 and as the book says, the exit out Spencer creek is quite gorgeous.  

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide
laristan at telus.net