I do not recommend it to people with knee problems, but in general, it is a safe and enjoyable hike! As far as the open top with cairn at 365447, you have been on a really good trail made official … As the trees clear the views become exceptional – just remember to keep looking down so you don’t trip. You start gaining as soon as you hit the trail but once you do that ini… we've done it during the winter, and it was fantastic. This is a great day out! There appear to be routes branching off to both sides, though we recommend taking the route over the little hump. Wasootch Creek parking lot on Hwy 40 (Kananaskis Trail. Grassi Lake and Chester Lake are "beginner hikes" and it does no one any benefit to rate the technical difficulty of this as 'beginner'. To start this hike you go to the Wasootch ridge day area, once you reach the parking lot the washroom is on the right and to the left is a small sign. Once you are up on the ridge you will roller coaster along the ridge but dont forget to take some time and look around the views on a bluebird day are amazing. Wasootch Ridge Hike . Best Season to Scramble: May to October, Dry Slopes, Possible Ticks in Spring At about the 7km mark you reach the Wasootch Ridge Cairn. The first part of the trail is a good climb, well worth it. At approximately 5.8km there will be a point where proceeding further becomes more exposed and requires more scrambling. The scramble to the ridge is considered a … decent trail below the steep rock face which will take you eventually to the summit. When: May 8, 2020 . Distance: 15.4 km return / 9.56 miles return Elevation: 1451 m / 4761 ft. elevation gain Type: Out and back Length: 4.5-6.5 hours return to the furthest peak. Wasootch Ridge is classified as an intermediate hike as it begins fairly steep for a few kilometres. Be sure to go earlier if you want to complete the full hike. Altitude: 2,362m (7,747 ft) Elevation Gain: 916m (3,005 ft) Ascent Time: 2 – 3 Hours. Beautiful! The summit view. Directions: Description. I recommend staying to the right as you don’t want to get too far into the center of the gully; the better rock is on the right as well. You follow the top of the ridge for a while until you reach a steep incline of loose rock which is a challenge. Starts off steep then gets has lots of mellow ups and downs once you're on top of the ridge. This peaks lower elevation and Front Range location makes for great climbing year round. Looming over the ridge is Wasootch Peak, and to see a report on it, follow this link… Wasoothc Peak attempt. Difficulty: Moderate up until the cairn, then the scramble to the summit is … Practical information about the Wasootch Ridge. When: June 8, 2019 . Distance 13.8 km return, height gain 975 m. The long ridge dividing Wasootch Creek from the south fork of Porcupine Creek has evolved into one of K Country's classic ridgewalks with a delectable little summit at the end. Wasootch Ridge is a lumpy walk with lots of up and down, even after you’ve gained the main ridge line. the snow was packed. Wasootch Ridge starts off hard at the beginning with a leg burning climb right out of the parking lot. Take the very obvious gully leading to the Tower and follow a well defined climbers trail, staying left. Wasootch Peak Wasootch Peak, Kananaskis, AB Level of Difficulty: Moderate 3/5 Length of time: 5 hours. Congratulations! As you get farther along the ridge you get views down into Wasootch Creek on your right. Finally, my friend and I rushed through this in under 4 hours partly because there was a bit of a rainstorm and a tonne of wind near the top. Approximately 1100 m elevation gain. The peak may be seen from Highway … The ridge is the hilly line on the left-hand side of this photo. It’s recommended that only experienced scramblers proceed with tackling the scramble to the summit, which actually descends off the ridge and up on scree farther along the trail. I love ridge walks and this one did not disappoint. We stopped a bit short because of intense wind but still enjoyed a great view. From there its straight up literally, the first 1.5 km is pure elevation its not the best views but it gets you up there. The beginning is very steep and the scree slopes near the top will give you a solid workout. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until October. This photo is taken near the beginning of the hike, once we’d done a thigh-burning scramble up a steep trail through the forest to the crest of the ridge. Who: Ed, Jace, Joey, Craig . Degree of difficulty: This section requires you to scramble up a rocky area through some trees to continue on the ridge. Head up through the woods near the beginning of the parking area in a southeast direction. The hike starts off steeply on a trail full of small pebbles and stones – the kind that lead to skidding, ankle twisting falls on the descent. The parking lot is a little confusing as there are several trails through the woods leading up the ridge along with a path along the creek. Look forward to doing this one again. Unfortunately, what goes up must come down, and each bump has a drop down before the next bump rises. We were at the trail at 4am to start the hike. From the parking lot you start with a steep climb and really get the lungs and legs going. The views are truly magical, and if the trail isn’t busy, you’ll feel like you have the whole world to yourself. Definitely bring a windbreaker and raincoat. This is mainly a hike with some routefinding if you do the loop like we did. The term Wasootch originates from a Stoney Indian word meaning “unique” and many features in the area share that name (Wasootch Ridge, Wasootch Peak, Wasootch Creek). I've been hiking consistently for 20 years and still found parts of the ridge a bit narrow and sketchy, and if you are afraid of heights you likely will have problems in some spots. Push through because the view from the top is sublime! Scramble up and over it and BOOM, there you are on the summit of Wasootch Peak. Difficulty: In terms of technical difficulty, it depends how far you go. From Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), take the exit for AB-40 south. Back to Area selection – use your back button to select another trail in the same area. Check your hair and body before getting back into your car. Alternatively, mountain goats or highly skilled climbers can take the last bit of the ridge directly to the summit, but there are harrowing sections, quite dangerous, and to be avoided … Difficulty. only at the final section, the snow got high so we had to turn back, but the ridge walk opens so many great views, there isn't a point where the trail has to end. If you're not planning on going the full way I wouldn't reccomend starting this hike. Unfortunately, what is steep and hard to ascend can also be tricky to descend! Wasootch Ridge Trail is a 9.6 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Kananaskis Improvement, Alberta, Canada that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as difficult. Few climbing sections and then a bit of a tough, steep push to the top. No difficulty. From there its straight up literally, the first 1.5 km is pure elevation its not the best views but it … As you come through the forest, take a moment to look back at your car and see how far you’ve gone! Where: Wasootch Ridge . Just a little steep rubble slope to deal with. Wasootch Peak - Kananaskis Highway 40 - Opposite Nakiska Ski Hill. Wasootch Peak is for people who's inner scrambler is screaming to push on when they're on Wasootch Ridge. This hike gives you the luxury to choose how long you want to spend on the trail. Approach: From the Wasootch Creek parking lot look upcreek towards Wasootch Tower, which is the obvious tower. Once up on the ridge lots of up and down lesser peaks. The views…, Mount Burke is an underrated, bigger version of Prairie Mountain that isn’t as well-known. Take Highway 40 West off of the Trans-Canada Highway towards Nakiska and Kananaskis Lakes. Then follow the path back same way, that last 1.5 down sucks its steep your feet are tired but this hike is very worth it, but its a commitment to make it to the top. Wasootch Ridge starts off hard at the beginning with a leg burning climb right out of the parking lot. Most people hike to the cairn instead of hiking the ridge in its entirety. Once you reach a high point, the view of Kananaskis opens up and never gets old as you continuing along the ridge. Wasootch Peak is a 2,352-metre (7,717-foot) mountain summit located in the Fisher Range of Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada.The peak is situated on the northern end of the ridge that separates Wasootch Creek from the Kananaskis River.Wasootch Peak's nearest higher peak is Old Baldy, 1.54 km (0.96 mi) to the southeast. This is not a major scramble, however as you progress, the technical nature of the trip gets more pronounced with the trail narrowing and a descent of some big boulders. 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