| Scrambling Photos from Esplanade Mountain | June 17, 2009 |
My original objective Roche De Smet was not possible due to the Celestine Lake Road being closed past a certain point. So I drove as far as I could up to Corral Creek. I decided to head up Corral Creek to bag some peaks further up that valley. The bushwacking started to become tedious and I changed my objective to Esplanade Mountain nearby. This turned into quite the adventure. While trying to gain the South ridge of Esplanade I got into very exposed terrain and had to downclimb back into the forest. I eventually gained the ridge lower down and was happy to find a trail. I followed the trail up to the summit ridge. Lots of fun scrambling on this ridge. The weather was cloudy and threatening to rain. At the summit I enjoyed a panorama of the peaks above the headwaters of Corral Creek.
I managed to reach the summit just before a cloud got there and blocked some of the views. I waited there patiently for the clouds to part enough for me to get a good panorama. There were not many entries in the summit register.The last was from 2007. I was pleased to see some familiar names from Edmonton in the register. On the way down I decided to descend the scree gully. Some of the scree was nice but a lot of it was hardened soil/mud. The clouds started to rain heavily on me as I descended. At one point the gully ended in wet slippery slab and I had to find a way around it. Fortunately there was lots of soil and trees to help me down.
The gully seemed to go down forever and pointed in the wrong direction. I tried to regain the ridge lower down only to find that I couldn't and had to go back down to the drainage. Again lower down I tried to regain the ridge, which I did, but only to find that I had to scramble down tricky rock into a small valley filled with deadfall. I eventually found my way back to the highway and my clothes that were drenched with sweat were finally drying. Definitely a fun scramble but don't go down the gully unless you absolutely have to
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The sign at the start of the road. One way travel on this road. Direction depends on the time.
The sign at the start of the ...
Looking up Corral Creek.
Looking up Corral Creek.
Looking up Corral Creek.
Looking up Corral Creek.
Looking South across the Athabasca Valley to Cinquefoil Mountain and Hawk Mountain.
Looking South across the ...
Hawk Mountain to the South
Hawk Mountain to the South
Looking up the Athabasca Valley. The rounded tower on left is Brussels Peak with Mount Christie to the left and Mt Lowell to the right. Mount Fryatt is the high pyramid on the right.
Looking up the Athabasca ...
Some of the scrambling terrain on the ascent ridge.
Some of the scrambling ...
Looking up the ascent ridge of Esplanade.
Looking up the ascent ridge ...
Looking South to Mount Zengel on the left and an unnamed higher peak behind it.
Looking South to Mount Zengel ...
A wildrose.
A wildrose.
Typical terrain on the ascent ridge. Steep rock scrambling interspersed with trees.
Typical terrain on the ascent ...
Looking back down to the Athabasca through burnt trees.
Looking back down to the ...
Some of the forest was burned in one small area. Probably from a lightning strike.
Some of the forest was burned ...
Looking up the Athabasca Valley.
Looking up the Athabasca ...
A large rock that you don't go up. The route goes around on the right.
A large rock that you don't ...
The true summit in the distance at the end of the ridge.
The true summit in the ...
Gargoyle Mountain to the North.
Gargoyle Mountain to the ...
Looking down the valley to the Miette Range. Roche Miette on the left.
Looking down the valley to ...
Looking South West to Chetamon Mountain. The summit is on the right.
Looking South West to ...
Roche De Smet to the North West. The little bump on the right is Mount Greenock. Not much of a mountain is it?
Roche De Smet to the North ...
The true summit of Esplanade on the left.
The true summit of Esplanade ...
Looking South up the Athabasca River Valley.
Looking South up the ...
Roche De Smet to the North West.
Roche De Smet to the North ...
An unnamed peak above a branch of Corral Creek. I named the little tiny peak in the valley Hidden Peak the next day when I summitted it.
An unnamed peak above a ...
The summit of Esplanade on the left and Gargoyle Mountain on the right.
The summit of Esplanade on ...
Looking back down the ascent ridge. Some fun scrambling on that ridge.
Looking back down the ascent ...
Looking up to the summit. Must beat the fog.
Looking up to the summit. ...
The mountains to the West/North West of Esplanade. Cliff Mountain is the long ridge on the left. Whitecap Mountain is the brighter snowy peak to the right of Cliff Mountain. Gargoyle Mountain is on the far right.
The mountains to the ...
Chetamon Mountain to the South West. Chetamon Lake is in the snowy bowl to the left of it.
Chetamon Mountain to the ...
Looking down to Moberly Flats.
Looking down to Moberly Flats.
A panorama of the Miette Range to the East. Roche Miette on the left. Other named features on the ridge are Capitol Mountain, Mount O'Hagan and Utopia Mountain.
A panorama of the Miette ...
Chetamon Lake zoomed in to the South.
Chetamon Lake zoomed in to ...
Whitecap Mountain zoomed in to the West.
Whitecap Mountain zoomed in ...
Looking North East to Roche Miette. Mount Greenock is below in the foreground.
Looking North East to Roche ...
Looking East to the Jacques Range. Cirquefoil Mountain is at the front of the range. Roche Jacques is the highpoint left of center. Emir Mountain is right of center. Mount Merlin is on the right in the distance.
Looking East to the Jacques ...
A panorama from the summit of Esplanade Mountain. Starts looking North East at the Miette Range and finishes looking at the De Smet Range.
A panorama from the summit of ...
Staying warm on the summit before heading down.
Staying warm on the summit ...
Looking South to Mount Zengel on the left and an unnamed peak right of center.
Looking South to Mount Zengel ...
Zoomed in looking East. Emir Mountain on the left and Mount Merlin right of center.
Zoomed in looking East. Emir ...
Looking back down. The ascent ridge on the left and my descent gully on the right. I don't recommend following my descent route. It is very difficult to find your way back once you get down the gully. The gully itself isn't all that easy either.
Looking back down. The ascent ...
Looking up at a slab that I had to scramble around further down the gully.
Looking up at a slab that I ...
Looking down my descent gully.
Looking down my descent gully.
Looking back up Esplanade from the Celestine Lake Road.
Looking back up Esplanade ...
Looking South East to Roche Bonhomme.
Looking South East to Roche ...
Roche De Smet from the Celestine Lake Road.
Roche De Smet from the ...
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