We should've slept in for this scramble as it was quicker than we expected. At our unhurried pace we did the trip in 7:20 including a 45-minute stay on the summit.

We found the trail without difficulty. It follows a drainage that is surprisingly scenic. Views of waterfalls and cascades made this part of the hike interesting. Certainly it was more inviting than the scree that lay beyond it. Once out of the trees, the objective is clear: slog up a scree slope to the peak. For the most part, however, the scree is good. Ahead of us we noticed a group of three making their way to the summit.

In time, we gained the ridge. From below, the ridge appears to level off but in fact it's deceiving: it's as steep as the slope. We hiked up the last section in soft snow. Had the snow been crusty an ice axe would have been necessary.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that the group ahead had put up flags on the summit cairn. It came as no surprise that they climbed Sunwapta as an Alberta Centennial Peak. We exchanged cameras to do group shots of each other and chatted for a while. They told us that they had been turned back twice before on this mountain. On one occasion they hadn't even gotten out of the car because the weather was so bad!

The descent was unremarkable save for being fast. We were back at the parking lot by mid afternoon. Despite the four-hour drive this is a peak readily done as a day trip from Calgary.

MOVIE (2:02)
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