St. Eloi Mountain, 2nd peak of Syncline Mountain – July 13, 2006

Mountain height:  2500 m
Elevation gain:     1100 m + approx. 200m for Syncline
Roundtrip time:    10:15

Scrambling with Linda.

Linda invited me on this trip and since my only experience in the area was a miserable ascent of one of Syncline Mountain’s three summits, in which I was accompanied by lousy weather and a migraine, I very much wanted to go back and see was I had missed. I’m immensely glad I did, as the trip was scenic, interesting, and only inspired further visits to the West Castle area.

The day started with a short hike alongside Syncline Brook and then a longish hike up a rocky drainage. As usual, the variety of rocks and colours were entertaining throughout. Then began a brutally foreshortened slog up grass and scree slopes to the ridge. As we gained elevation, the striking rockbands separating two of Syncline’s summits were cause for many photos.

A pleasant ridgewalk with a couple of elevation losses and regains took us easily to the summit – we think?  There was a cairned summit of approximate equal height to the west and the one we were on was cairn-less. After checking the map and GPS coordinates, we confirmed we were on the summit of St. Eloi, as indicated on the map.

Linda was very much under the weather throughout the trip. A big credit goes to her for persevering and making it to the top. The summit view was terrific and we enjoyed a leisurely stay. Upon returning to the col between Eloi and Syncline, Linda decided to forgo the Syncline trip, while I quickly went to the middle summit to check out the possibility of a loop route that hits all three summits.

The rock scenery during the ascent was fantastic and at the summit, the views of the other peaks outstanding – especially when compared to my ascent to the true summit in December of 2005. A loop route did look possible, although there were a few sections that were not entirely visible. I returned to where Linda was, told her the good news and we both made a speedy and easy descent. A wonderful day of great scenery and terrific ridgewalking.   

Interesting scenery along the drainage

 

Linda ascends the drainage

 

Part of the ridge connecting Syncline's summits

 

Ridge hikes towards Eloi, with the three summits of Syncline behind

 

St. Eloi (behind)

 

More of the ridge

 

Mount Haig

 

The ridge, the summits of Syncline, a lake

 

Linda expires at the summit; luckily, someone had used the cairn rocks to start building a tomb

 

The summit view to the south; Mount Haig dominates

 

Tombstone Mountain (right)

 

Linda hikes back towards Syncline

 

Linda, the lake, and a snow patch

 

Linda approaches the col of Eloi and Syncline

 

Linda takes a little diversion to check out the Syncline ridge

 

The south ridge of Syncline

 

A striking band of red argillite and the rockbands of Syncline's connecting ridge 

 

More red argillite

 

The final summit block of the middle summit

 

Looking for a weakness in the rockband

 

The true summit of Syncline

 

The third summit of Syncline

 

At the summit of Syncline's middle peak, looking south; Eloi at the far right

 

Looking east to more peaks of the Castle

 

The weakness through the summit block in the centre

 

The interesting connecting ridge to Syncline's true summit

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