01

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Little Arethusa
  • Location: Kananaskis Country (South)
  • Activity: Scrambling
  • Height: 2,770 m (9,088 ft)
  • Elevation Gain: 1,050 m (3,445 ft)
  • Distance: 8.0 km / Loop (5.0 mi)
  • Avg Steepness: 14.7°
  • Estimated Time: 5-8 hrs
  • Technicality: Intermediate
  • Fitness Level: Moderate

Above stats are for the whole trip. Not just Little Arethusa.

I wanted to do something mid-long scramble in Highwood area as road closure is coming up soon. I thought Little Arethusa would be nice but maybe too short. Then I remembered Nugara have done unnamed peak which he calls “Storethusa Ridge”. So I checked his website and found out that he had done both peaks in the same day in less than 8 hours, I was sold.

I parked my car in Highwood Meadow Parking lot instead of grassy parking lot for Arethusa Cirque due to snow on grass and I didn’t want to be stuck. However this kinda worked out for me. I looked up Little Arethusa from the parking and I saw a nice gully coming down almost all the way to the bottom. So I walked across the highway and bushwhacked for very short distance to get to the gully. Highwood being Highwood it only took me 10 to 15 minutes to get up above treeline. Still gully continued so I followed. Soon I was already near the summit of Little Arethusa.

From the summit I came down to Arethusa Cirque and find the trail for Mount Arethusa. I found that there were 2 trails you can follow for Storethusa Ridge. One is Arethusa’s trail which will go little higher than Arethusa / Storethusa col but it’s pretty much rubble walk. Or there was another trail goes to right (west) starting near Arethusa’s over-hanged rockband. This trail will go to the col in more efficient manner. However there is drainage to traverse and it requires moderate scrambling and if you don’t chose line carefully this scramble will be difficult scrambling (page 12). Once on the col, it was another simple rubble walk just like what I was doing all day.

02

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

How much snow there was at Highwood compared to north Kananaskis.

03

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Going up to Little Arethusa. Simply going up straight from bottom to top. That's all it takes.

04

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Highwood Ridge, Mount Tyrwhitt and Mount Pocaterra.

05

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Near Little's summit. View was WOW.

06

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Storm Mountain. I have to do that sometime.

07

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Snow covered Arethusa Cirque.

08

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Again this time near Storethusa's summit. Mount Rae and Mount Arethusa.

09

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Storm Mountain again.

10

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

And again.

11

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

Mount Sir Douglas.

12

Little Arethusa & Storethusa Ridge | 2010-10-17

This is drainage you need to across if you choose to take the trail directly goes to Arethusa / Storethusa col.

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