| Backpacking and Scrambling Photos from Mount Fitzwilliam Trail | July 18-20, 2008 |
Mount Fitzwilliam Trail is a less traveled backpack in Mount Robson Provincial Park just past the border of Jasper National Park. The hike in is very boring and filled with mosquitoes. Once in the basin it is very pretty. It is a great base for backcountry scrambling as all the peaks surrounding the basin looked scramblable.
For this trip we hiked in the whole way on our day in which allowed us a full day to wander around the basin. I took the opportunity to scramble up Mount Clairvaux from a col between Mount Clairvaux and Kataka Mountain. The scrambling consisted of big but easy boulders all the way to the top. The view from the top was spectacular. The Ramparts could be seen to the South as well as the Amethyst Lakes
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Mount Fitzwilliam from the trailhead.
Mount Fitzwilliam from the ...
Our group minus the photographer. Kay, Nick, Marg, David, me and Bonnie. Bozena took the picture for me.
Our group minus the ...
Looking up to Yellowhead Mountain on the North side of the Yellowhead Highway.
Looking up to Yellowhead ...
The North face of Mount Fitzwilliam. The East face is more impressive.
The North face of Mount ...
Crossing Rockingham Creek.
Crossing Rockingham Creek.
Holloway Rock above the headwall that you need to go around to get in to the basin.
Holloway Rock above the ...
Hiking around boulders.
Hiking around boulders.
Mother and little Marmot.
Mother and little Marmot.
A creek that you follow en route.
A creek that you follow en ...
Crossing the creek.
Crossing the creek.
Heading up into the basin.
Heading up into the basin.
Fitzwilliam Lake. Mount Clairvaux is seen on the opposite end on the South side of the basin.
Fitzwilliam Lake. Mount ...
Kataka Mountain on the East side of the basin.
Kataka Mountain on the East ...
Alpen glow on Mount Clairvaux.
Alpen glow on Mount Clairvaux.
Alpin glow on Mount Fitzwilliam's East face.
Alpin glow on Mount ...
The view to the North of the basin in the morning. Yellowhead Mountain is on the far left. Mount Bridgland is to the right of it across a large valley. The next high point to the right of Mount Bridgland is Mount Pattison.
The view to the North of the ...
Bucephalus Peak and Mount Fitwilliam on the West side of the basin.
Bucephalus Peak and Mount ...
Mount Bridgland to the North across the Yellowhead valley.
Mount Bridgland to the North ...
Monarch Mountain to the North across the Yellowhead valley.
Monarch Mountain to the North ...
The Eastern end of Yellowhead Mountain.
The Eastern end of Yellowhead ...
Mount Clairvaux on the South end of the basin. It can be scrambled easily through boulders on the left side starting from the pass. The ascent route goes between the larger snow slopes in this picture.
Mount Clairvaux on the South ...
Mount Robson peaking out above Yellowhead Mountain in the distance. It is the snowy peak.
Mount Robson peaking out ...
The West side of the Fitzwilliam Basin. Mount Clairvaux, Frontier Peak, Holloway Rock and Mount Fitzwilliam.
The West side of the ...
Approaching Mount Clairvaux by the shore of the Fitzwilliam Lake.
Approaching Mount Clairvaux ...
Looking back across the lake.
Looking back across the lake.
Mount Clairvaux.
Mount Clairvaux.
Looking back to Fitzwilliam Lake. Mount Bridgland on the left and Monarch Mountain on the right.
Looking back to Fitzwilliam ...
Moss Campion.
Moss Campion.
Looking down into the basin from near the pass between Kataka Mountain and Mount Clairvaux.
Looking down into the basin ...
Frontier Peak.
Frontier Peak.
The South end of Kataka Mountain proved unscrambleable when I took a closer look on return. There is of course an easier route up. This was just more convenient for me at the time.
The South end of Kataka ...
Looking up the boulder slope of Mount Clairvaux.
Looking up the boulder slope ...
Redoubt Peak to the South.
Redoubt Peak to the South.
Looking North. Frontier Peak on the left. Then Bucephalus Peak and Mount Fitzwilliam, Holloway Rock is the point on the right of the ridge leading from Frontier Peak.
Looking North. Frontier Peak ...
The South end of Kataka Mountain.
The South end of Kataka ...
Looking down to Fitzwilliam Lake. The largest of the lakes in this basin.
Looking down to Fitzwilliam ...
Mount Bridgland to the North.
Mount Bridgland to the North.
Looking down the boulder slope to the pass.
Looking down the boulder ...
Looking down to Fitzwilliam Basin.
Looking down to Fitzwilliam ...
The summit of Mount Clairvaux. Mount Fitzwilliam is on the right.
The summit of Mount ...
Looking South to the 1500m North Face of Mount Geikie.
Looking South to the 1500m ...
Kataka Mountain on the East side of the Fitzwilliam Basin.
Kataka Mountain on the East ...
Looking down to the lakes in the basin. Fitzwilliam Lake is on the right.
Looking down to the lakes in ...
Looking North West to Mount Fitzwilliam. Frontier Peak and Bucephalus Peak are part of the ridge leading up to Mount Fitzwilliam and aren't very discernible in this shot. It looks quite possible to traverse this ridge and bag all three peaks but that will have to wait for another day.
Looking North West to Mount ...
Looking South to Mount Geikie on the left and Barbican Peak on the right. Vista Peak is in the foreground with the Clairvaux Glacier.
Looking South to Mount Geikie ...
Kuraluk Peak to the South West, Glacis Ridge in the foreground with the Vista Glacier below it.
Kuraluk Peak to the South ...
Some of the Ramparts to the South. Redoubt Peak on the left. Parapet Peak and Bennington Peak are behind to the right with the Bennington Glacier. Bastion Peak is to the right connected to Redoubt Peak by a ridge. Drawbridge Peak is the highpoint of the ridge between them.
Some of the Ramparts to the ...
Barbican Peak to the South.
Barbican Peak to the South.
Looking far South to Amethyst Lakes. Campus Peak and Thunderbolt Peak on the right. Campus Peak is the higher one with the glacier.
Looking far South to Amethyst ...
Roche Noire, Basilica Mountain and Curia Mountain to the East.
Roche Noire, Basilica ...
Zoomed in looking to the East to Majestic Mountain.
Zoomed in looking to the East ...
Zoomed in looking far South East to Mount Edith Cavell.
Zoomed in looking far South ...
Yours truly on the summit of Mount Clairvaux.
Yours truly on the summit of ...
A full panorama from the summit of Mount Clairvaux.
A full panorama from the ...
Looking at a scramble route up Kataka Mountain from the Fitzwilliam Basin.
Looking at a scramble route ...
A island in Fitzwilliam Lake.
A island in Fitzwilliam Lake.
Another lake in the basin below Holloway Rock. Mount Fitzwilliam in the back.
Another lake in the basin ...
Kataka Mountain.
Kataka Mountain.
Looking up at Holloway Rock.
Looking up at Holloway Rock.
Bucephalus Peak
Bucephalus Peak
Heading towards Mount Fitzwilliam.
Heading towards Mount ...
Frontier Peak, Bucephalus Peak and Mount Fitzwilliam.
Frontier Peak, Bucephalus ...
The remains of a glacier below the face of Bucephalus Peak.
The remains of a glacier ...
A lake below Mount Fitzwilliam.
A lake below Mount ...
A classic looking cairn perched by the lake.
A classic looking cairn ...
Looking down on the lake.
Looking down on the lake.
Looking back to Holloway Rock above the headwall on the way out.
Looking back to Holloway Rock ...
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