Mount Yamnuska
Attempt Date: January 19, 2013
Participants: Jeremy Stroman, Cory van der Linden, Patrick Latter
Distance: 7.9 km
Elevation Gain: 960m
Max Elevation: 2230m
Time: 7 Hours
Weather: -5ºC (23ºF)
Directions
From Calgary head west on highway 1 and then take exit 114 to highway 1X, after 3.5km turn right onto Highway 1A. The turn off for Yamnuska is on the left.
Gear
- Food
- Water
- Warm ski jacket
- Warm fleece
- Warm socks (or 2 layers of socks)
- Toque
- Thermal underwear
- Snow-pants or gaiters
- Gloves
Map
Thank you Cory for providing the map and graph!
Story
As we made our way through the birch trees at the beginning of the trail, the very low lying clouds seemed to be promising near white conditions at the peak.
The higher we climbed the thicker the fog seemed to get, until we could no longer see below us.
As we neared the bottom of the towering south east face, we began to break through the top layer of clouds. The morning sun bathing the looming rock wall was a welcome sight.
It wasn’t long before we were well above the clouds and had an amazing view of the fog covered prairies with the lower part of Yamnuska just peeking out.
Geocaching involves using a mobile GPS systems to play a sort of digital version of hide and seek with containers. These ‘caches’ can be found all over the world and there were number of them hidden on and around mount Yamnuska. Using the coordinates given and sometimes a helpful hint, we managed to find a few of them that day. The containers range in size from a small film canister to much larger metal cases.
Inside you’ll have a logbook and usually some random trinkets. Everybody signs the log and you later go online and sign the digital log for the cache as well.
As we made our way towards the summit, you have to keep an eye out for a pile of rocks and some sticks– these mark the section that must be traversed with the aid of chain bolted to the wall.
The chain is needed to navigate the very narrow ledge safely. With a 4-5m drop below, you have to give your full attention to this portion of the hike.
The final ridge walk to the summit offers amazing views of the surrounding Rockies and prairies. On a clear day you can even see downtown Calgary.
The preferred route for Yamnuska is a loop that has you come back around the front face from other side. The sun was now setting and most of the earlier fog had dissipated.
We had to hike a little ways off the trail, but we found one final geocache just as we were losing the last bit of light.
Beautiful! And nice that they have a chain on a ledge like that, so non-mountain climbers can do the trail, too.
Love your story. I accidentally found a cache in New Brunswick in a National park. Wrote my name and the date on it but couldn’t manage to find it online later. Cool hobby, tho! Hanks for sharing.
Wonderful. I do enjoy the fruits of your travels. Geocaching, treasure hunts for grown ups
)
Reblogged this on Photography Art Plus.
Woww wonderful pictures!
Good trip. Good blog. When did you go?
Amazing photographs. 1,000 meter gain? That’s some climb!
Beautiful. I especially like the Black and white photos. You guys are brave!
Wow – awesome views…
Amazing and beautiful.
Breathtaking doesn’t seem to quite cover it.
OMG. The views are so beautiful. Patrick, I wish I had the courage to climb all those mountains! I think I would’ve had a panic attack hanging on to that chain. I’d love the tranquility fo’ sho’!
Gorgeous photo!
Absolutely awesome photos, and you had me holding my breath, seeing you walking around that narrow ledge. Great going!
Beautiful country! Oh Canada!
Quite the hike
lOVE THE PICTURES. l IIKE THE CHAIN, I’D HOLD ON AND WALK THAT. WTG
Love the photos. Kept me on the edge of my chair with those “ledge” images. whew. Thanks for sharing.
stunning photos…
I swear, I live vicariously through you and your adventures, man!
How much further Mr. Frodo?
Fab photos!
That looked like fun.
Great to see you are geocaching. Have you found “you can’t touch this” just outside of the park gate by Banff yet?
That’s so beautiful but it would scare the crap out of me. Especially the part with the chain. That’s intense.
This is amazing. We used to geocache fairly frequently but never in a place like that.
Phenomenal photography.. wow! Very beautiful captures!
Reblogged this on bearspawprint.
Both graphics and the photos are a masterpiece.
That section with the chain is where I turn around
Thanks for showing cowards like me such spectacular scenery to enjoy without leaving my home.
Oh wow! Stunning!
Wow… gorgeous! Love geocaching =]
Really cool photos!!!
Extraordinarily awesome! The chain-walk looked daunting but amazing. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Reblogged this on digger666 and commented:
Patrick Latter delivers another piece to pique my envy.
That chain!!! Reading your blog makes me wanna pack up and move to Canada. Great shots ^_^
Oh wow, I think that ledge would’ve left me petrified… eek!!
But the views surely made up for a little panic…?
Gorgeous photos. I loved how they’re all linked together in a story.
Fantastic scenery.
Reblogged this on KREUZBERG´D and commented:
The weather in Kreuzberg hardly permits any cycling that would not end up in me confirming the unyielding power of gravitation by placing my bottom on the odd pavement in a painful and startling manner.
But while I am trekking around Berlin thinking how hard it is to walk in all that muddy or icy snow, other people go walking in slightly tougher conditions. And they take some magnificent photos to boot.
Have a look at Canadian mountains through Patrick’s lenses.
There’s a bit of a speed spike in the graph on your descent – I hope you didn’t trip over a cache and fall part of the way down the mountain!
Awesome photos. It’s been a while since the last time I went hiking in winter, I’d have loved to join you.
Wow you guys are brave!! Awesome pics!!!
Patrick – Another impressive documentation on your latest trek around the peaks and valleys.
Spectacular images!
What a fun adventure, in spectular surroundings.
Wow! Thank you for showing me parts of my country that I would normally never experience!
Simply awesome
Hi,
Congratulations on taking such wonderful pictures. I admire you. I don’t think I could climb that high although I have done some high climbs in Northern Italy.
All the best for 2013.
Ciao,
Patricia
Patrick, Your life is just amazing! I know that you don’t have time to respond, but I wanted you to know that ever since I started following your blog, I have seen some of the most beautiful places in the world…. all thanks to you! Have a great day & stay safe!
Nice job Patrick. D
Fantastic journey.
Stunning! A great trek and some beautiful – and hair-raising – images!
YOUR PICTURES ARE AMAZING… WHAT A NICE JOB, THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US
Absolutely love all your photos. Incredible quality and each one tells a story!
Whoa! These are stunning! (And some of them quite frightening!)
Your photographs are always amazing, this post is no exception. In fact, the photo showing the chain mounted to the rock face is nothing short of breath taking.
Lesile
Can. Not. Wait. To get to Canada. Thanks for the inspiration Patrick.
Awesome hike and photos!!
Stunning photos to be had for those not faint of heart …
Awesome! I love geocaching!
Truly mesmerizing and courageous–images are inspiring.
Spectacular!!
Fantastic photos.
I don’t know about walking the narrow ledge though.
Stunning photos!
Beautiful birches, stunning stunning. And geocaching looks like such a great idea. I’d read the word around the internet but didn’t actually understand what it was all about. What a fabulous education I get via this site
Lovely photos as always, and I LOVE geocaching. There is one tantalisingly close to home that I can’t access because its up a massive oak tree. I can’t reach the first branch and I’m not as agile as I used to be! Maybe I’ll take a ladder this weekend
This is so cool, especially the geocaching thing. It looks like such an amazing adventure and stunning pictures as always.
Gorgeous! And that path with the chain ,made my hands go clammy..eek!
What size can we buy these pictures in
Your photos are such a welcoming break in my day. We are privileged that you take the time to share your talent with us so that we can enjoy it! Your photos are always amazing. We get to experience a “visual taste” of the world outside our own. Thank you! Thank you!
Must echo others…”hair raising”, “amazing” also gorgeous. I really, really love the tree shots and the slight swell of the mountain rising out of the clouds…
Beautiful photos. Thanks there are such crazy people who go up there to show us
The fog in the third picture gives an amazing quality to the image, doing some really interesting things and helping to make the foreground really ping out.
Living the dream. Living the DREAM!
thanks for the pics of the geocaches – my two boys are geocache fanatics – they are going to dig your photos.
You must have a wonderful time taking these photos. I am sorry not to be in a position to buy–they are lovely and I wish you all luck in sales. k.
So inspiring! It must be so empowering to go to such beautiful places and then take such amazing photos!
Holy moly! You guys are awesome! People do this really!? “Man, you come straight out of a comic book” lol
These photos took my breath away. Wow!
Love the picture of the birch trees!
Your pictures are amazing. Looks like beautiful country. Thank you for stopping by my blog. So glad you enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your posts.
you kick major ass! Just went through your pictures… You are just too spicy for the peppers!
Thanks for sharing your mountaineering adventure. It looks fabulous! Thanks also for visiting and following my blog.
wow, just wow … amazing pics!
The geocaching sounds really cool. Going to go google that right now! I checked out some of your other posts – Love all you rnight shots, the stars and the steel wool pics. You seem to have a knack for low light!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and sharing these pics of yours.
you’re inspiring me to get out there and brave the cold! such beautiful pictures, as always.
awesome trek… love the pics’ and thanks for the share.
Beautiful photos as always and a fab-looking trip. I will be happy once the injuries that plagued me all last year are done healing up and I can start getting back out into places like this (though much smaller and tamer here in Tassie!)
This is such a cool blog post! I’ve never seen a blog like this
Amazing photos too x
Our weather – 30.9 C…Loving seeing all your very cool pictures!The slanting light on the rock faces is beautiful.
Amazing trip(s); amazing surroundings; amazing photo’s! Keep going; cheers, harrie
Love the post, the images, and geocaching. Look forward to your posts every day, and pass along the link to all my photographer and outdoor-enthusiast friends, as inspiration and motivation. Beautiful work, as always.
Pro!
Beautiful photos! That section with the chain looks crazy!
You always have such beautiful photos…the “last bit of light” sky one is simply stunning. Gorgeous.
Wow, amazing pictures and amazing scenery in all your photos. I am from Australia and it seems incredible that here we are in a heatwave with 40 C and on the other side of the world you are in snowstorms!
Haven’t hiked Yamnuska since July 2007. Look’s like a completely different experience in the winter…but then again, I loved the scree jumping on the way down and that might not be possible with a winter hike. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this is really intense hiking. I do a bit of hiking and geo-caching to. I’ll do a post about the hiking soon. That is really amazing!
And at the top you stayed at the Holiday Inn, right? Kidding, of course — you are practically the living definition of “adventure travel”. Beautiful shots, as always.
I love all your photos ! You are great
I am sure you get these comments all the time- but you have such a way of enabling us to enter your world. It really is beautiful.
Really beautiful!
these are breathtaking
I absolutely love Geocaching! This sounds like my dream caches. Your photography is brilliant too. Thoroughly enjoyed this. TFTF
So amazingly beautiful. I envy you the best kind of caching!! Thanks for sharing this kind of beauty!
Wow! Looks amazing. Looks cold as well!!
You’ve got quite an amazing talent! We are big geocaching fans. It is so much more exciting when you have to work to reach a cache.
You take some beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing them with us. God Bless
When I saw the sunset photo in my reader, I thought for a moment that you had taken up painting! Thank you for sharing your journey with those of us not brave enough to scamper across that ledge….
Stunning view of the mountain!
Interesting info about that ‘digital hide and seek’
How many logbook have u signed?
Love them all… reminds of some of the scary hiking routes up some Chinese mountains.
Nice photos, looks like an amazing hike!!
fantastic journey with amazing photos…
beautiful!
Gorgeous!!
I am glad that you are safe and sound, but also thrilled that you do this…your photography is breathtaking. Truly. I love the birches.
Stunning just stunning
just the thought of that ledge with the chains made me feel ill when i read it ! when i saw the photos I felt even worse – much worse.!!! Dont know how you do stretches like that ! superb phtographs as usual, thanks.
Looks like an amazing hike and stunning photos.
Wow it’s realy beautifull there. If got to visit the rockies once!
Gorgeous shots!
Wow! Just wow!
Reblogged this on Patricia C Durham and commented:
Again, another example of beautiful landscape photography. The intensity of the colour appeals to me. this is also a relevant image which could be used as a reference point for the concept of spiritual growth, as it gives a dreamlike quality and their is a connotation to this aspect within the clouds/sky…
I recently started indoor rock climbing (and I know it’s not the same), but one day I would like to attempt the outdoors. The determination, the mental preparedness, the achievements once on top are empowering. Love your photos.
WOW> amazing.
Your work is ALWAYS breathtaking…
What an adventure! I’ve been wondering about geo-caching. Cool!
That chain! Wow, are you kidding me? Thanks for the photos so I don’t have to take that route.
Stunning photos.
love geocaching! beautiful photos!
It has been a very long time since I have seen more than a solitary decorative birch tree in someone’s front lawn. The birch tree photo brought me joy!