Just back from 4 days exploring the peaks in the head of Totem ck in Banff
Park. A spectacular area, rarely visited we thought it would be a good
place to visit and climb one or so of the "easier??" towers.
The hike in is a bit of work....
Stay on left side of creek, mostly always a few hundred feet in the trees
above the creek. Follow game trails for a while, until just before the
creek comes in on the south side . If lucky you will hit some flagging
where it opens a bit into a scree field.
Now you have to stay high, go high and traverse on these tenuous slopes,
don't think about staying close to treeline, it is all gross. Eventually
aim for water fall below first lake where you go left up some scree fields
again looking for the weaknesses to get you to the lake.
Either cross at the outlet or stay high on the left, follow some game
trails under the cliff band 300ft above lake and they will spit you out at
the end of the lake. (preferred but not as obvious)
We tried for Hall Tower on day 2. The pocket glacier in the upper part of
Totem ck is not marked. Expecting some S facing slopes of scree or easy
scrabbling found a steep snow face (icy higher) with new snow and lots of
sluffing in last 24hours. Felt spooked. Not today...
Supposedly the West ridge above the col is "easy" but it looked real.
Headed down, traversed around to look at the SE tower. Access directly
above first lake. Steep scree, with Y gully. Supposed to get you into the
col between SE tower and Cromwell Tower. Looked ugly, lots of rock fall
heard and seen, though not a lot of new snow in here.
Day 3 we went for the simplest.....Unamed 10,000' next to Totem Tower.
Pretty much scree most of the way, with an exposed notch splitting 2 summits
I set up a hand line around the corner where a steep slope dropped to the
south. Built anchor down 20 feet where a good stance is found.
(used black metuleous cam, #6 stopper) on bottom end threaded a block
around corner.
Excellent views.
A great remote area. Certainly more complicated than I thought, with little
for information around. Mostly chossy rock, reminded me of the Mt. Alberta
area.
Had a grizzly walk through on the second day, digging right across the ck
from where we were camped. he looked happy.
Towers in pic....
1 Feuz
2 Gest
3 SE
4 Cromwell
5 Englehard
6 Hall (Hall col between 5&6)
Peter Amann
Mountain Guiding
Box 1495, Jasper AB, T0E 1E0
www.incentre.net/pamann
pamann@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Towers from south.jpg
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Hall col.jpg
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