Town of Banff

Mountaineering & Climbing

Climbing Above Lake Louise Photo: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

In Banff, there are several technical alpine and sport rock routes that attract mountaineers and climbers from all over. The season lasts from early May through mid-October, with various conditions prevalent during the different summer months.

Summer mountaineering experiences in the Rockies range from scrambling to sport climbing, glacier travel, and other technical activities. Winter mountaineering opportunities include Backcountry Ski Touring and Ice Climbing.

Comprehensive information about climbing and mountaineering in Banff National Park, including a discussion of potential hazards, is on the Parks Canada Website.

Mountaineering

Alpine climbs inevitably involve climbing through multiple formations and highly variable rock, some of which is extremely loose, as evidenced by the huge talus and scree slopes around the bases of most peaks.

A number of 8,000 ft peaks near the Banff townsite are popular for their rock routes, though snow on approach trails and in some of the gullies can remain until June.

The higher alpine peaks (9,000+ ft) begin to come into reasonable summer condition in late June and early July, as the spring avalanches taper off. These include all the high peaks in the Lake Louise area and north along the Icefields parkway.

The window for difficult alpine climbs is limited. The North faces are usually dry for several weeks in August, however, the season for alpine ice, climbs on steep ice faces and gullies extends into the cooler temperatures of September or even early October.

The following companies offer mountaineering expeditions with professional, certified mountain guides:

• Chute High Adventures
• The M.W. Guides Office Ltd.
• Yamnuska Inc.

Mountaineering equipment is available to rent or purchase at Mountain Magic Equipment on Bear Street in Banff and at Wilson Mountain Sports in Lake Louise.

Sport Climbing

Sportrock sites are limited to accessible areas of high quality quartzite and waterworn limestone. The best rockclimbing is found on the some of the thickly bedded limestones (such as the lower cliffs of Mount Rundle) and dolomites (Castle Mountain), and the quartzites located along the main continental divide ranges.

The rock climbing season can begin as early as May as the cliffs at the lower elevations along the east side of the park begin to dry off. Alberta's most popular multipitch climbing crag, Yamnuska, is located 20 kilometers east of Banff National Park and is climbable from May to October.