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Located near Nordegg, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies.

Length: ~43km
Time: 3/4 Days
Book: David Thompson Highway - A Hiking Guide
Min/Max Elevation: 1365m-2700m
Date done: August 24th 2006
Effort: V. High
Rating: 9.5/10
Scariness: 1.5/3
Maps:

Wow. What a hike. This has a fair bit of elevation gain (around 1800m) in total if you do the side trips. But you get to the top of 2 mountains over 2600m, you see two fantastic gorgeous turquoise mountain lakes perfect for fly fishing, and you’re probably the only person in the area that didn’t helicopter in! It is kind of a half-circle route requiring two cars/hitchhike…but this means backtracking is kept to a minimum. You approach Landslide Lake initially from the South over a high pass (more exciting then approaching via Cline River valley), and you leave Landslide Lake/Lake of the Falls via the Cline River route.

Day 1
Start from the Landslide Lake parking area 1km west of Whirlpool Point on Highway 11. This is just west of Abraham Lake, which is west of Nordegg, which is west of Rocky Mountain House which is in Alberta! Ok I’ll stop. The trail initially climbs very gradually through some deciduous forest. It soons steepens though, and the trail quickly becomes a relentless climb that offers great views back over the Saskatchewan valley. As you approach the treeline, the trail crosses a stream and then continues to climb through scree and talus. Here the trail becomes indistinct and you can take what ever path you fancy up the final hard slog to the pass at ????m. At this point we decided to dump our heavy packs, have some lunch and then head up the peak to the west. This actually only takes around 15mins to the top from the pass and is well worth it for the views. It is a tiny bit of scrambling but nothing exposed at all.

Returning to the trail, you now have to cross the barren rocky landscape to the otherside of the pass. Luckily this is flat. When you reach the otherside you have your first view down to landslide lake. Fantastic. Pick your own route down the scree and descend quickly down to the valley bottom where you can rejoin the trail along the righthand side of the stream. It’s then not too far to the shores of landslide lake where you can find your camping spot either at the South or North end of the lake. I would recommmend going right to the north end where there is a nice little site with a view down the lake. Fishing time.

Day 2
The day starts with a nice gradual descent along side a beautiful mossy stream to the junction with the Lake of the Falls trails. Here you bear left over the stream (west) and follow the trail that passes through some nice camping spots. The first part of this trail is flat along by the river, but after a couple of kilometers it starts to rise with increasing steepness away from the river. Around the top of the climb, there is a nice view left to a large waterfall through the trees. You then drop steeply to cross the steam, and immediately rise again in a short but very very steep climb. Once you reach the top it’s plain sailing all the way down to Lake of the Falls. You pass through a gorgeous valley, surrounded by nice peaks….accompanied by the sound of HELICOPTERS. Yes, when we were there helicopters fly low and loud over the trail about every 30mins. They are doing tours to the Columbia Icefields, and taking in and picking up fishermen from Lake of the Falls.

Upon reaching the lake, you realise it was all worth it. It’s a fantastic colour, and in a fantastic setting. Lush green trees and meadows around, big cliffs (we saw a mountain goat here) and it’s full of fish. There are some nice camping spots here, and it was sorely tempting to stay the night here. However we stuck to our original plan and pressed onwards. We continued to the far end of the lake, following the stream right back to the end of the valley. It’s a gradual climb through a lovely alpine valley, however nearer the end of the valley it becomes very rocky and tough walking. The headwalls of the valley on all 3 sides provide an excellent setting though, giving a feeling of isolation compared to the busy, noisy lake of the falls. Climbing the scree to the pass at the end of the valley is tricky business. It’s unstable, steep, and takes a lot longer than it looks. Upon reaching the pass you have a gorgeous view down the Saskatchewan valley again.

Continue to climb to the left (east) over the first peak. The hiking is easy, the gradient OK, and the views remain stupendous. The ridge is not exposed. From the top of the first peak you can see for miles around, and streching directly in front of you is the inviting ridge to the next summit. At this point we descended to the saddle inbetween the two peaks, and pitched tent. Surprisingly we found a perfectly flat spot among the rocks. Camping at 2600m with no-one around, and a view reaching all the way to Abraham Lake in the distance was very special. You are one of the higher peaks around and view really is 360degrees. We enjoyed a perfect sunrise and sunset. I wouldn’t recommend camping here in bad weather though…you would become a perfect lightning conductor.

Day 3
We started the day with a trip of to the summit of the first peak (that we already climbed) for sunrise. Wow. Then we packed up the tent and headed along the easy ridge up to the more northerly and higher peak. From here you can see down to Lake of the Falls, and the view is still amazing. Then we headed back down to the saddle where we camped, picked up our stuff and descended the mountain side due West. Exactly what it says not to in the book. But the going is not too bad, loose talus that is awkward on the ankles but makes for a quicker descent than retracing steps all the way. Once back down to Lake of the Falls, it’s time for a long tiring hike all the way back out. At the junction with the Landslide Lake trail turn left, and take the trail that eventually joins the Cline River and leads back to Highway 11 on the shores of Abraham Lake. There are nice camp spots all the way along here if you don’t feel like making it out in one day. On reaching the highway it’s time to hitchike back to your car, or drive back in the sensibly left shuttle car you placed here beforehand.

Corsica is a small French island in the Mediterranean Sea located south of France and West of Italy. For the hiker, it is a jewel of destination. An extensive network of long-distance trails lead through the rugged, mountainous interior, while many other trails line the glorious coastline. Warm, blue seas and sandy beaches combined with picturesque mountain villages make your down-time from hiking equally enjoyable. I made my first, and unfortunately my only (so far!) visit to Corsica in the summer of 2003. If I didn’t now live in Canada I would undoubtedly already have gone back there.

Trails
The most famous trail on the island is the GR20 (GR standing for Grande Randonee, or literally Big Walk!). This beast of a hike traverses most of the north-south distance of the island, winding it’s way through (or more accurately up and down) the central mountains. It is truly an awesome hike and I would throughly recommended finding time to fit as much of this hike in your itinerary as you can. However, be warned, it is not easy! For more information see our GR20 post or check out this site.

Other trails to consider are the Mare a Mare (coast to coast) Centre, and Mare a Mare Sud. These trails take in a wider variety of scenery than the GR20, having a combination of lower level/flatter hiking, but also some considerable elevation gain as they traverse the mountains. Because both these trails link with the GR20, one option is to hike part of the GR20, and then use one of these trails as an exit route to take you to the coast. This has the advantage in that it’s (obviously) downhill most of the way once you leave the GR20, giving you time for a well earned rest. Extensive details on both of these trails as well as the Mare e Monti Sud can be found on www.corsica-hiking.com which is an excellent resource.

A purely coastal trail is the Littoral Sartenais, leading south for 2/3 days from Propriano. Although the hiking itself is not spectacular, the superb beaches are well worth it. The few visitors you will find on these beaches will most likely have got there in their big private yacht, the trail itself is very quiet. Be warned, this can be EXTREMELY hot in summer and there is virtually no water on the way. I hiked this trail during a heatwave in 2003 and the temperature stayed around 45C throughout the day. Ouch.

What to bring
Water containers. Lots. Although there are many streams running through the mountains, many of the hikes leave all this behind as the climb over a pass during the day. The steepness of climbs, particularly on the GR20, combined with the scorching heat can mean you have to carry large amounts of water with you. I did the GR20 with my girlfriend and we BOTH carried 3 litres each day. And drank it.

Also obvious things like beach towels, suncream etc. For the mountains you will need some warm clothes and a sleeping bag rated to around 0-3C even in summer, temperatures do drop at night especially as huts/campground tend to be in the valleys which trap the colder air (yes, interestingly it is often warmer to be higher up!). For camping elsewhere I would recommend a silk liner, it can remain extremely warm all through the night and I find silk the best thing to sleep in in the heat. This worked in the rainforest of Peru too, where it was very hot and humid. I didn’t find bugs were an issue, but you may want to bring some spray in case.

When to go
August tends to be the hottest, driest and busiest month. July is similar. Going during French holiday time often means it is much busier as many French people take holidays within their own country. The GR20 can be VERY busy during these times. September is a good time for hiking, with slightly cooler temperatures and less tourists. March/April/May provides some interesting hiking conditions with lingering snow up high, cold nights but a possibility of warm sunny days.

How to get there
Nice (yes that’s a place) on the south-coast of France has a large international airport that often has some cheap flights. Especially from England. From Nice simply take the ferry to Calvi (shortest route) or Bastia (a nicer town). This is generally cheaper than trying to fly direct to the island. Ferries also go from Italy, on a longer crossing. Genoa is the nearest international airport. Check out Corsica Ferries for details.

Have fun!

Length: 18km
Time: 6-7 hrs
Book: David Thompson Highway - A Hiking Guide
Elevation: 1365m-2515m
Date done: June 3rd 2006
Effort: High
Rating: 7/10
Map: 83 C/1 Whiterabbit Creek

This is a nice hike up to a high-level ridge with some good views in the Nordegg/Lake Abraham area. Park at Two O’Clock Creek campground on Highway #11 22km East of the Banff Park Boundary. Its a nice easy (well not physically easy, but technically easy) to get up really high in some nice alpine terrain.

The first part of the hike is stiff climb up through forest along side a nice creek that deepens to a bit of a gorge. This steep path eventually brings you out onto the crest of a ridge above the treeline. There are awesome views of the North Saskatchewan river and the surrounding rocky peaks. The path then becomes a slightly less steep climb along the ridge to the high point marked by a cairn. The views here are spectacular and you really feel high up compared to everything else around.

To follow the route, you must now retrace your steps back to the campground.

If you are very fit and get here early enough, a superb option would be to carry on along the ridge, descending to a saddle, and then follow the line of the ridge up the steep shoulder of the mountain in front of you. I think it would take around an hour and a half more to reach this summit, but it would be an excellent side-trip.

An alternative route back is possible, if like me you hate retracing your steps. From the summit of the ridge where the cairn is, instead of descending the ridge you came up, start making your way down into the grassy valley on the west side, aiming for the ridge parallel to the one you came up. This is a gorgeous area with many alpine flowers. Once on the ridge stick to the East side and look for an avalanche shoot that appears just at the start of the treeline. It is possible to descend here fairly easily through some rough scree to the creek below. From here follow the creek all the way along to where you originally crossed it on your hike up, and follow the path back to the campground. The creek is fine to hike along in low water levels, if you don’t mind numerous crossings and some wet feet and some stumbling. I had fun taking some good falls down the creek and ending up jumping in thigh deep in freezing cold water brrrrrrr. My girlfriend at the time found this hilarious. This is rough terrain because it is not a path. Don’t attempt in high water.

Book Links

David Thompson Highway - A Hiking Guide

During Christmas of 2006/07 I joined the University of Alberta’s Outdoor Club’s trip to Joshua Tree, California. What an awesome place. However, be warned…I would only recommend making the trip there from a LONG way away if you’re a climber. The climbing there is absolutely amazing. The hiking is GOOD but there’s not much of it and it tends to get repetitive after a few days. Go to Yosemite instead! Desert hiking is not generally renowned for it’s hugely varying scenery.

Where to Stay
Hidden Valley is one of the largest and most central campsites, with good access to many, many climbing routes and bouldering, both IN the actual campground, and nearby. Ryan Campground is another good option. Be warned neither have running water. Cottonwood at the south end of the park has some nice hiking (Lost Palms Oasis), and is generally a lot quieter and has running water. However, don’t go here if you are coming to J-Tree for the climbing. We were originally staying here, and quickly relocated to somewhere closer to the action. Why drive 45mins to climb when you can stay somewhere else and have 15 routes in 5mins walk?! Check out this site for campground details.

Climbing
Joshua Tree is world renowned for it’s climbing, and it is certainly one of the best locations in America for it. The park’s natural features of many weird rock formations with their sharp edges, many cracks and high friction surface combine with excellent weather (especially in winter) to make it a must visit place for any climber. There are over 4,500 established routes concentrated in a fairly small area…and all of them are very accessible, meaning maximum climbing and minimum hiking with gear. There are many sport routes, but also some excellent trad routes, and a host of excellent bouldering problems. Check out some more information at this site.

Hiking
Probably the three most popular trails are Lost Palms Oasis, the Boy Scout Trail, and Ryan Mountain.

The Lost Palms Oasis (11.2km round-trip to entrance of oasis) is an awesome hike. Maybe I’m biased because it was the first one I did in J-Tree…but it is a nice length (not short…but not so long scenery gets repetitive). However, you do have to back track a lot of the way. The ‘oasis’ itself is pretty cool. Not spectacular…but cool. Its a narrowish rocky canyon filled with gorgeous palms. Its a nice place to hangout and have some lunch. I would recommend walking a fair way into the canyon, the rock/palm formations make it a worth while trip. It is a good idea to fit in a visit to Masterdon Peak either on the way there or back. It’s not much longer at all…and it has some cool rocks on the way up and on the top. Plus some nice views.

Ryan Mountain is a very short hike…it took us just 45mins of average speed walking to get to the top. The views are pretty awesome…looking down on the huge piles of rocks in the middle of the flat desert is pretty amazing. There are also some nice cacti and desert plants on the way. It’s good for photos to have them with a backdrop rather than at desert level like always. We extended the hike by hooking up with some other trails in the area. It’s nice terrain for picking a bee-line in pretty much any direction you want, and we ended up making a nice 12km loop by going off trail and then meeting up with two other trails.

The Boy Scout trail (25.8km) links Indian Cove Campground with the main road through the park near Hidden Valley Campground. Therefore it is possible to do it as a one-way 13km hike using a car shuttle. The trail skirts the edge of the Wonderland of Rocks…an area of crazy, weird boulders and piles of rocks. It is very easy to get lost and disorientated in the Wonderland of rocks, be warned!

When to go
For climbing, winter is the best time. The park remains pleasantly warm during the day (if slightly windy) and it is often shorts and t-shirt weather. Nights can be a little chilly though, so bring some warm clothes. Winter is generally considered the busiest time for climbing, however I still did not find it unpleasantly crowded during New Year. In summer, the park becomes very dry and very hot. Often beating away all but the hardcore climbers, which can be a bonus if you want to escape the crowds. Weather is also excellent in spring and autumn (it’s desert after all) meaning Joshua Tree is a year-round destination.

Books

Rock Climbing Joshua Tree

Rock Climbing Joshua Tree West

The Trad Guide to Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree Bouldering

Rock Climbs of Indian Cove

Joshua Tree Sport Climbing