Mount Brewster | Scrambling in Banff National Park (Townsite)

01 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Mount Brewster

Location: Banff National Park (Townsite)
Activity: Scrambling
Height: 2,859 m (9,380 ft)
Elevation Gain: 1,800 m (5,906 ft)
Distance: 18.7 km / Loop (11.6 mi)
Avg Steepness: 10.9°
Estimated Time: 8-11 hrs
Technicality: Advanced
Fitness Level: Athlete

Download GPX: [Trail] Mount Brewster.gpx
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Conditions:
- Weather
- Avalanche Bulletin

I searched web if I could find any route information on Mount Brewster but I couldn't find any. So I had to guess from looking at topo and pictures I took from Mount Cory.

I parked at Norquay ski hill parking lot. Followed a ski hill's road for a while. I passed trailhead to Cascade and traversed ski course to get to the trailhead for Forty Mile Creek trail (waypoint "Trailhead"). Right after waypoint "Bridge" there was the drainage I planned to take so I did. I had to bushwhack little but bush being not dense at all it was as good as waking grass field. My original plan was to use SE ridge but I saw a huge cliff and I had to stay low to avoid it, so I changed my route to south ridge approach. Luckily where I could see the cliff, there was avalanche gully? from the south ridge. Once on the south ridge I saw another big cliff which would end my day if I would have continued to stay on the south ridge. I looked SW ridge and that route looked quite nice so I had to traverse sidehill and overcome 2 rockbands to get to SW ridge. Good news for me, there were weaknesses on these rockbands amazingly almost at the same elevation as where I was standing (page 5). And the excellent animal trail headed to the same way, I could do this with minimum effort. From SW ridge, I headed to the top of summit ridge. I could stay on the summit ridge all the way to the summit except there was 1 gully, chimney, dip, or crack I don't know how to describe it near SW ridge (page 11). It was only 40 m long so it's not a big deal, but I suggest to stay off summit ridge and traverse sidehill about 40 m below the summit ridge until you pass this crack then aim ridge top.

I didn't really noticed how horribly lose the rubbles were at near summit until I descended. It was one of these slope which rock size doesn't matter. They simply slide and fall. I was soloing so it wasn't a problem, but with group, rock fall would be a big problem. I suggest to come here with a small group.

I took drainage between SW and S ridge all the way down to Forty Mile Creek trail. It's a typical drainage and it wasn't loose like near summit. I guess you can use this drainage for ascent. This would be more direct route but it will be endless rubble walk like Kidd south.

02 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Going up drainage. You can see cliff ahead on SE ridge.

03 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

This area looks far better in winter.

04 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Standing on south ridge. Looks like going up on this ridge would surely screw me up.

05 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Rough line to traverse to SW ridge. Mouseover for line. (I don't remember and can't really tell exact route from picture.)

06 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Sawback Range.

07 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

This whole thing is Cascade Mountain… It's like Rundle!

08 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

I was quite surprised to see a summit register. More surprised to find out this register was placed by Kane in 94. I guess he didn't really like this peak. Not so surprisingly my log was only the 19th log. Very surprisingly 5 of 19 logs were in 2010. There was no surprise to see Ben Wards' name in the log. I almost knew it!!

09 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

East side.

10 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Summit ridge was ok. Not too narrow.

11 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Looking back summit ridge from near SW ridge. Somewhere here there is the crack I talked about on page 1. I can't tell from the picture and I am pretty sure you can't tell even if you are there until you get close to it.

12 Mount Brewster | 2010-10-23

Descent drainage.