Bellevue Hill XI  

     




 
June 10, 2023
 
Mountain height: 2116 m
Elevation gain:    900 m
Round-trip time:  4 hours
 
Solo scramble.
 
With a very foreboding weather forecast in hand, I set to find something short and not overly committing in case things went south with the weather. I’ve always been intrigued by a couple of drainages on the south side of Bellevue Hill and so I picked the east one.
 
Although highly unlikely to become the route of choice up the Hill, the drainage ascent was a gratifying success. Lower down, the drainage boasted numerous beautiful cascades and higher up the usual glut of colourful and striking rock. In addition, the weather was significantly better than expected. Low-lying clouds streaming in from the east provided some atmospheric views later in the day.
 
For descent I would have liked to traverse west along the ridge and then down the next south-trending ridge back to the road. However, the weather was definitely in the process of changing from entertaining to threatening. As such, I took the fastest route down via the closest south rib. Good thing, as an hour so after completing the trip, all hell was loosened upon the area is the form of violent thunderstorms and torrential rain. 
 
Overall, a very rewarding half day out. Add yet another thrilling route up the runt of Waterton!

A small sample of the numerous cascades to come



The route up looks interesting


It's cascade heaven for the next little while!













  












Looking back to Saakiihmabii (Vimy Peak). Check out Dave's report to learn about this name.



Another small but beautiful waterfall



The route ahead



The last cascade, but not The Last Crusade! Opening scene filmed in Moab, Utah.



Great water scenery gives way to great rock scenery







The north side of Mount Crandell - tried a route up near the right side of the photo about 6 weeks earlier



Cool rock



Cool rock and tall tree











Blue bells?



The detail you can get with a phone camera always amazes me



Green leaves?



...with water



The green foliage is starting to give way to more rocky terrain



Better view of Crandell



Burned and lonely - doesn't get much more depressing than that!



Wall of gray/green argillite



Another tree, but this one isn't lonely



Neither are these



Mount Cleveland asserts its dominance as the highest peak of the mountains that make up The Castle, Waterton, and Glacier National Parks. Meanwhile the cloud are forming in the east.



Striking rock



Colourful rock



Striking and colourful rock



Same as above with a tree



Approaching the false summit of the Hill



 Piinaquiium (Mount Blakiston) asserts its dominance as the highest mountain on the Canadian side of the Castle, Waterton and Glacier ranges



Crandell again



Popped up right at the cairned false summit



Clouds creeping over the northeast ridge of Bellevue



True summit at the right



But first, a few amazing distractions!



"Send in the Clouds". If 3:58-4:20 doesn't freeze your soul, it's because you don't have one!



The true summit has disappeared



So has the northeast ridge



And now the false summit



Conditions to the southwest are holding on but could change any second



Summit in sight, as is a beautiful outcrop of argillite



Clouds are now consuming the ridge between Bellevue and Galwey



Cloudy but cool views to the east



Summit view to the east



Summit cairn



The clouds are now threatening to consume the descent route



The summit of Galwey makes a brief but dramatic appearance



Close-up



REAL close-up!



Round 2 of Wildflowers







Red rock and the now cloud-free false summit



Red rock and still cloud-consumed Blakiston



Easy travel down the ridge



And good views, even with the clouds



Glimpse of the other drainage. It looks to have lots of interesting terrain and challenges.



Hairy, watery leaves



Bug on a flower



No bug



Ditto



Looking back up to the false summit from near the road

The End

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