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Red line is the actual track I took up to where I went which was recorded by my GPS. Having two cars will cut down 3 km of walking. Important note, do not continue on Gypsum Mine road. Start bushwhack where waypoint says.
The day started normal but we didn't know what was waiting for us. At a pretty waterfall. I am guessing this is Warspite Cascades.
Meadow and Mount Warspite.
The scree was horrible that it is either too hard to toe kick or too soft. So we decided to take the high way.
(Photo By Ali Shariat)
Welcome to rockfall paradise!! Warspite got the worst scree slope ever. Rock was so lose no matter how carefully you walk, every step made rockfalls. Ali and Wil went too far up and they got stuck there for 15 minutes. They only moved 3 meters during that time. Too lose too slippery. In the picture Wil was sliding down towards the small rock band. Scary moment. They have kicked 1000 rocks down to us (no joke). Poor Shaun was directly on the rockfall path, he was dodging the rocks. Bringing a shield highly recommended. This is WARspite after all.
After the rockfall paradise, taking little break. Mount Black Prince and Black Prince Lakes behind.
Leaving col towards Warpite's towers.
(Photo By Ali Shariat)
To be honest, I don't understand why book says a climber's scramble. I didn't find any place that should be rated as climber's scramble. We ignored the route description and made our own climber's scramble here and there.
Spray Mountains and Invincible Lake can been seen from here.
This is near the peak, we AGAIN went off route to find ourselves more challenge.
Where Wil (gray hair) is, is the easier route to the peak. Mark hanging on the rock.
At the summit. Spary Mountains which includes Warspite and Mount Invincible which is our next stop.
What a picture of Mount Sir Douglas and Haig Glacier. Mouse over to see names.
WAR at Warspite!!
Interesting cloud over my head.
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Leaving Mount Warspite and heading to Mount Invincible. There are two peaks between.
Mark, the ridge walker wasn't into this trip because Mount Warspite doesn't have ridge, but now he's happy.
Ali coming down the end of peak 3.
Mount Invincible… There are two routes, normal route and hardcore route. Normal route stays below the huge rock slabs. Hardcore route stays on top of the rock slabs. If you slip your survival is not guaranteed.
Shaun standing on this huge rock block. Mount Warspite in back.
Going up the first bit. Piece of cake.
(Photo By Ali Shariat)
Now it's getting hummmmmm.
(Photo By Mark Evans)
No worry, I am a ninja with Hulk gloves.
(Photo By Mark Evans)
Mount Invincible was part of maybe plan, let's do it after Warspite if feel like it, but turned out to be the real challenge of the day.
(Photo By Ali Shariat)
Four mountain goats… Have some of this Marko!! Our party have this one way rivalry to Marko. Some of us actually know him, but most of us don't. Anyway Marko have done most of the ones we have done only few weeks before. Every time I research on the Web, his website comes up and, AND he always hike with girls. He may have done Warspite just before us, but he didn't do Invincible, certainly not the hardcore route!!
(Photo By Shaun Luong)
The end of the crazy ridge and the summit. This was truly I've done it or I'm history scenario.
At the top of Mount Invincible. The group picture. From Left, Mark, me, Ali (front) Wil (back), and Shaun.
(Photo By Ali Shariat)
Downclimb from the summit to get to the old mining road. Remind me of Mount Fox.
Sun is getting lower, we'd better hurry up.
By taking ridge as close as we did to get the road, we surrounded ourselves with cliffs. We went separate way to find a way out. Wil and I found the easiest way out. Mark and Ali's route had to lose and gain elevation. Shaun's route was the shortest way but the hardest way. After this Shaun said it was the most difficult downclimb he had done.
Present of Moon means it getting dark… We followed the road for 7 km and reached Lower Kananaskis Lake. There should have been a bridge to across river to get back to HW, but the bridge was GONE!!. The river was too deep. Mark even strapped and dipped himself in the cold Canadian Rockie water to examine the depth of the river. We went back and forth to find a way, but there wasn't any unless we swim.
So we decided to go back the mining road as far away from the lake. Going back meant going upstream. Then we turned and bushwhacked, hoping when we hit the river, it is no longer a river and we can across it.
At 12:02 am. Our plan worked!! Sense of relief.
At 12:22 am. After more bushwhacking from the creek, finally we hit the highway. Still had 3 km more walk to the car. After a long long loooooong day, we were out of water. This day, we have covered 25.7 km, 2025 m elevation gain in 15.5 hrs. We finished hike at 1:30 am and got home at 3:00 am. Thanks for driving Shaun.
(Photo By Ali Shariat)
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