01

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Mount St. Piran II
  • Location: Banff National Park (Lake Louise)
  • Activity: Scrambling
  • Height: 2,649 m (8,691 ft)
  • Elevation Gain: 900 m (2,953 ft)
  • Distance: 12.0 km / Loop (7.5 mi)
  • Avg Steepness: 8.5°
  • Estimated Time: 3-5 hrs
  • Technicality: Advanced
  • Fitness Level: Moderate

After a failed attempt in winter time, I wanted to come back to try this again. The profile of altitude looks funny in the picture but it is accurate. We dived in to the lake about 370 m deep.

We parked at the Lake Louise parking lot. At the entrance of the lot, there was a stuff checking park ticket, so I pretended I was a tourist from Japan and I don't speak English. However Andrea being with me didn't help the situation. Lake Louise being such a tourist place, trails are well maintained and marked. Follow trail signs to Little Beehive. At waypoint "Left 1" there was another trail sign. This sign actually had "To St. Piran" but some reason it was painted over. We got little confused but the approach route, an avalanche gully was in sight and defiantly there was a trail towards so we took the turn. Shortly after we arrived at the bottom of the avalanche gully (page 4). From here the trail zigzagged. Some section of the trail was still snow covered, so eventually we gave up following the trail instead we went straight up.

For descent, we decided to take Kane's descent route. However now that I compare from our route and Kane's route, his route seems to go all the way towards Niblock, instead we aimed north side of Lake Agnes. We descended a boulder field for a while until terrain became little uncertain (page 17). So we went to the left (to east) to another avalanche gully. It was little steep and little route finding required and that is the reason why I rated this advanced (moderate in scramble book). At waypoint "Easy Way" we hit a cliff. The waypoint was where I found an animal trail showing an easy way to get around the cliff (page 18). After this we arrived at Lake Agnes. We changed our appearance with shirt, jeans, sneakers, and afro hair to blend with tourists.

02

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Mount Saint Piran seen from Lake Louise.

03

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

From the bottom of the avalanche gully. The view was already getting very nice.

04

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Looking up the avalanche gully.

05

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Normal size squirrel before summer. By the end of summer this squirrel will be very fat by getting fed by tourists.

06

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

At the summit, we lay down and enjoyed another warm day at a summit. Unlike summer-only hikers, Andrea and I truly appreciate the warm temperature.

07

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Mount Temple, 3543 m. The eleventh tallest Canadian Rocky mountain. If your girlfriend can summit this one, you are good to go, if she can't, honeymoon is over. (Based on a true story)

08

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Mount Lefroy, 3423m. Another 11000er of the Canadian Rockies.

09

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Mount Niblock and down valley.

10

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Looking NW. Mouseover to see names.

11

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Andrea and the mountains in Lake Louise.

12

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Mountains in Skoki. You guessed it, mouseover!

13

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Guess what? Mouseover again!

14

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Mount Niblock on the right and Mount Whyte on the left.

15

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Group shot, Andrea and me.

16

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

The descent route started very gentle.

17

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Soon we faced boulder field.

18

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

We find an easy way to go round a cliff.

19

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Kane said "no difficulties" why am I bleeding? What? We didn't exactly follow his route, I can't blame him?

20

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

When we arrived at Lake Agnes, there were so many people, I said to Andrea that we were lucky that these peeps are lazy. It's true though out of hundreds of people that day there were only 3 people at the summit, Andrea, me and a guy. Not bad for Lake Louise.

21

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Lake Agnes and Devil's Thumb. Still doesn't look like a thumb to me.

22

Mount St. Piran | 2010-06-13

Beautiful turquoise color, Lake Louise.

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