Robson - South Face
Credit: JT Pelham - Myself approaching the Schwartz ledges
A few weeks back, I had a nice outing on the South Face of Mount Robson, referred to as Yexyexéscen by the Texqa'kallt, a Secwepemc people and the earliest known inhabitants of the area. Yexyexéscen, as I understand it, means ‘stripped rock’, which seems fitting, as the upper reaches of this peak are often scoured by high winds.
Despite a solid forecast, my outing came to a premature end at an elevation of 3,650 meters on the final slopes leading up to the summit due to very poor visibility and some unpleasant conditions. Having done this peak in a day previously, I didn’t feel a strong urge to push on simply to reach the high point.
All said and done, I still managed to get a solid 3,000 meters of elevation gain before turning around, which I was pleased about. Apart from the significant seracs that tower over the Schwartz Ledges, the route is enjoyable by Rockies standards and not overly technical compared to other lines on the mountain. That said, it’s still a serious undertaking and shouldn’t be taken lightly. I do think the Kain Face via the Patterson Spur is likely a nicer way to the summit if not seeking out the steeper routes as it has much less in the way of objective hazards.
Needless to say, I didn’t wear running shoes to the summit ice field (though this could be possible in perfect conditions with bucket steps—maybe). Instead, I used a light pair of running shoes up to the Ralph Forster hut/shack, where I switched into a pair of light mountain boots. The latest iteration of the Ribelle Tech boots is excellent with some big improvements; namely the addition of the power strap and reduced drop. However, for approaches that are most walking up trails, going for a pair of running shoes is still a big energy saver, if for no other reason than the substantial weight savings on the feet.
It should be said that approaching routes in faster and lighter style can make for some very fun outings, however it should also be anticipated that aborting on a given objective is much more likely as the margin for ‘pushing the boat out’ is greatly reduced. I typically like to approach outings like this one casually in the sense that the main goal is just getting out and at the least I’ll get some good training in. If things workout and I get to a summit, that’s awesome, but I try not to have this in front of my mind.
One big highlight of the outing was running into my friends Taylor and JT just above the ledges, as they had departed earlier than morning from the hut. It’s a solid four hour drive from Canmore to the Robson area, but the windows for when the peak is in good shape are limited, so it’s not all to surprising to run into like minded friends in this area.
Below is a number of short video clips I took on this outing. Enjoy!