Castle Mountain

Helena Ridge, Stuart Knob, Television Peak – July 15, 2005

Mountain height:
                Helena Ridge:                                           2,862 m (9,387 ft)
                Stuart Knob:                                              2,850 m (9,348 ft)
                Television Peak:                                        2,970 m (9,742 ft)

Elevation gain:
                To Helena Ridge:                                      1,450 m
                From Helena Ridge to Stuart Knob:          -420 m, +405 m
                From Stuart Knob to Television Peak:       -225 m, +350 m

Ascent time:
                To Helena Ridge:                                      3:05
                From Helena Ridge to Stuart Knob:          1:40
                From Stuart Knob to Television Peak:       1:45

Descent time via alternate route: 3:00 to Bow Valley Parkway;
0:40 to cycle 12 km back to car

Solo scramble.

This is one route I seriously doubt I will be rushing out to repeat during this lifetime. It’s long, often tedious, and the best view occurs near the beginning of the trip, at the summit of Helena Ridge – everything after that, as Alan Kane astutely states, “takes on an air of pointlessness”. Perhaps the dreary, overcast weather had a part in my uncommon lack of enjoyment of the route.

One good move, on my part, was to stash a bike near the Protection Mountain Campground. After more than 2 kilometres of total elevation gain and 25 odd kilometres of hiking, that 12 km walk back to the car at the Rockbound Lake, would have been sheer misery – as a matter as fact, I probably would have resorted to trying to hitch a ride back.

For the alternate descent route off Television Peak, downclimbing the rock step was fairly tricky and exposed in places, and it took me almost an hour to get from the summit to a point below the step. Still, it was infinitely preferable to the alternative – a lengthy slog all the way back via the ascent route. I may someday return to Television Peak (the weather had closed in at that point and I didn’t get the pleasant view I was hoping for), but I would use the alternate descent route to get to the summit. Not my most enjoyable day in the mountains, but I’ll take it over sitting at home any day.