Mount Carthew IV


 
April 6, 2021
 
Mountain height: 2630 m
Elevation gain:    1020 m
Ascent time:        3:50
Descent time:      2:35
 
Solo snowshoe with some mountaineering.
 
Three fantastic trips up Buchanan Ridge (and Peak) and it’s two outliers (Buchanan Northeast and Buchanan, The Middle Child), prompted me to give nearby Mount Carthew a look from a similar direction. Usually, Carthew is completed via its south ridge from Cameron Lake and is one of the more scenic ascents in Waterton. The goal here was to find a route up the more direct northwest ridge. The topo lines on the map I was using seemed to indicate there may be a route up that doesn’t get too steep.
 
Crossing Cameron Creek required hip waders and then it on with the snowshoes. Similar to Buchanan, The Middle Child, four days earlier, the snow conditions were near perfect for snowshoes and I made good progress up the main drainage and then a short distance up a subsidiary drainage.
 
The plan at this point was to gain the ridge above me, where I hoped an easy route over to the northwest ridge would be revealed. Unfortunately, that was not the case. A significant wall of rock stood in between me and the ridge. The only hope appeared as a possible weakness near the bottom of the wall. Getting to that weakness required a long traverse and big elevation loss. Drawing closer it became quite apparent that this weakness was not a weakness at all and would require ascending some brutally steep terrain that I was not prepared to tackle. The upside was that the traverse now revealed a potential path up and alongside the rock wall. I couldn’t see all the way to the top, but it was either try this route or turn around and go home.         
 
To my delight, this route, up a long snow-filled gully worked wonderfully. The grade steepened quite a bit near the top, where crampons and an ice axe were very much needed, but the ascent was straightforward. At the top of the gully, and finally on the ridge I was aiming for, all that awaited was an easy, but long slog to the summit.
 
As well as exponentially improving views, under perfectly clear skies, the highlight of this part of the ascent was to see the whopping cornice lining the summit ridge. That cornice also prevented me from seeing a full view of one of Waterton’s most iconic peaks, Mount Alderson, but that shortcoming was easily remedied by descending Carthew’s south ridge to its false summit. 


 
Enjoying spectacular views from the false summit, I was tempted to descend the mountain via Carthew Minor (one of my favourite Waterton trips) and then to Cameron Lake. However, that route could have been a trail-breaking nightmare and so I decided to return the same way I came up.
 
A quick return to the summit and then a mercifully easy descent back to the top of the snow gully followed. Also, similar to Buchanan, The Middle Child, the lower part of the descent was far more scenic than the same terrain on ascent, thanks to the Sun reaching the valley.
 
While this route does not pack the scenic punch of the “normal” route up Mount Carthew and is unlikely to become popular, it does offer a direct route to the summit and allows access to the mountain when the road to Cameron Lake is closed.
 
A fun and rewarding day of exploration.     


The objective, at the left, from the creek crossing



Typical travel up the main drainage, although this was the only place the creek could be seen



Turning around to see Mount Rowe



On a ridge, where I was hoping to see a feasible route over to the northwest ridge



The only route up to the ridge appeared as a potential weakness in the rock wall in the centre of the photo



Approaching the rock wall, having given up on the weakness



There's the route up - straightforward but quite steep at the top



Lots of great rock to look at, but without the Sun's rays at this time of the day







Views to the northwest open up



The upper section of the snow gully. It's much steeper than it looks.



As usual, views of mounts Kintla (left) and Kinnerly are irresistible in this part of the park



Same for Long Knife Peak



Mount Custer is likewise an impressive sight



Atop the gully, it's an easy but foreshortened slog to the summit



Looking over to the true summit of Buchanan Ridge



View towards Blakiston (centre) and company from near the summit ridge



The impressively corniced summit ridge



Naturally, this scene was going to garner a ton of photo attention!







At the summit, looking over to Mount Alderson. The huge cornice prevented me from seeing more of the mountain.



The summit view to the west is quite comprehensive



More Glacier park beauties: Chapman Peak at the far left, Mount Carter and Rainbow Peak in the distant centre
 


Improving view of Alderson (left) as I head down Carthew's south ridge



Nice snow scenery too







Looking back up to Carthew



Much better view of Alderson with the still snow-covered Carthew Lakes



No matter how much snow there is you can always find colourful lichen on rock in Waterton!



Best view of the day of Alderson



A small section of Cameron Lake makes an appearance under Mount Custer



Pano of Carthew (left), Alderson, and others from the false summit of Carthew



As usual, I can't get enough of Kintla and Kinnerly. Forum Peak at the lower left offers a great view of the pair.



Mount Cleveland



Closer look at Alderson



Glacier boasts a striking array of jagged peaks



Closer look at Carter and Rainbow



Kinnerly, Forum, and others



King Edward and Starvation peaks always get some attention



The only spot where it was safe to walk on the cornice - and that's because it wasn't a cornice! (ie. overhanging)



Alderson is disappearing behind the snow again



The section of cornice that was definitely NOT safe to walk on



Blakiston and a clear example of why you should not walk on cornices



It's a really bumpy ride down if you step out onto this one (not to mention a pleasant section of free-fall!)



Back at the cornice that was cause for many, many photos - might as well be black and white this time



Descending. Mount Carthew is one huge chunk of red argillite.



Looking back up Mount Carthew to the right and Buchanan Ridge at the left



At the top of the steep ascent gully



Back to that same place that makes the angle of the snow slope seem gentle



  Amore accurate representation of the grade of the snow gully



Much better with the Sun now shining on the colourful rock



Another view looking up the route



Halfway down



Near the bottom of the gully where I now had to traverse and ascend a bit over to the next ridge



The potential weakness is at the left and is very, very steep



The Kenow fire changed this environment in a big way.



Lots of red argillite lower on the mountain too



Epic burned-out trees



Summit of Carthew in the distance and the northwest ascent ridge at the right



Back to the other ridge and almost ready to get back into the drainages



A western outlier of Carthew that may see an attempt in the future - but not from this side!



Sweet and easy travel in the drainage



Same as above. Made it almost to the bottom without snowshoes but started to post-hole here.



Re-crossing Cameron Creek



Back at the start. Far left to right: Buchanan Northeast, a slither of Buchanan, The Middle Child, Buchanan Ridge, Mount Carthew, and the western outlier.

The End

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