Mount Indefatigable | Scrambling in Kananaskis Country (Kananaskis Lakes)

01 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

Mount Indefatigable

Location: Kananaskis Country (Kananaskis Lakes)
Activity: Scrambling
Height: 2,670 m (8,760 ft)
Elevation Gain: 1,080 m (3,543 ft)
Distance: 9.5 km / Loop (5.9 mi)
Avg Steepness: 12.8°
Estimated Time: 5-7 hrs
Technicality: Expert.1b to North Summit / Intermediate to South Summit
Fitness Level: Moderate

Download GPX: [Trail] Mount Indefatigable.gpx
OpenStreetMap: See track recorded by GPS
Print: Display in printer-friendly format
Related Trips:
- Mount Indefatigable 09
Conditions:
- Weather
- Avalanche Bulletin

Green line is the actual track we took which was recorded by my GPS.

02 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

This is Lower Kananaskis lake. I was wondering why it's called "lower" when it locates North of Upper Kananaskis lake. It's because of altitude not the position on map.

03 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

This is Mount Indefatigable. Interesting name. One of the most famous hiking book "Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies" by Alan Kane, I call it bible and so do many other hikers I bet, rated this mountain difficult. This book challenges you and some of the hike in this book is out of my league. None of my past hikes I have done are rated difficult in this book. So I was never intended to try rated "difficult" by myself especially for the first time, I misread the book thinking this mountain is rated easy.

04 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

What I loved this mountain was I only had to walk short distance in forest. As soon as I was out of forest, I could enjoy lakes, mountains, and glaciers, no matter what altitude I was.

05 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

Closer peak is South summit and farther peak is North summit.

06 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

Lower Kananaskis lake on the left and Upper Kananaskis lake on the right. See Upper lake is higher than Lower lake.

07 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

360 from South summit. Official summit is actually North summit I believe, but according to my GPS, only few meters difference.

08 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

Upper Kananaskis lake in front. The smaller lake behind is called Hidden lake. Farther away Mangin Glacier.

09 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

To get North summit from here it's time for scrambles and ridge walking for about 800 m (0.6 mile). I have to admit some spots were very scary and one wrong step could have ended my life.

10 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

Ridge got wider and easier near the North summit.

11 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

Looking at South summit from North summit.

12 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

Neighbor, Mount Invincible. These two mountains are connected with ridge, but just like North and South summit ridge or worse, it's narrow and quite a exposure (diff: state of being exposed or open, as in unimpeded distance of fall)

13 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

I thought walking exposed ridge was bad, but descending this scramble from North summit was worse. About 150 m (500 ft) of 50 to 65 degree descend was scary. See how scared I look in the picture.

14 Mount Indefatigable | 2008-07-16

After the hike, I headed to Crowsnest Pass. I came across few thunder storms.