The Fortress III


May 4, 2013
 
Mountain height: 3000 m
Elevation gain:    1100 m
Ascent time:        4:35
Descent time:      2:55

Solo snowshoe/scramble.

(written May 3, 2017)

Writing a trip report four years after the fact is unlikely to yield a detailed and thorough description of the event. Nevertheless, my recollection of this trip is that my intention was to snowshoe up to the Headwall Lakes and then return the same way. Stunning weather and scenery prompted me to go a little further up the valley than anticipated and I ended up atop one of my favourite Kane scrambles/Daffern hikes: The Fortress.

After absorbing the fantastic summit view, I also remember thinking, “It’s a long, long way back to the car in these conditions -  what have I gotten myself into!!!” Although I was initially weary about descending into the Chester Lake valley because of the significant amount of snow on the slopes, conditions were seemingly bomber and so down I went. The descent was easy and fantastically scenic throughout.

Killer day out!


Approaching treeline in the Headwall Lakes valley




Mount Chester (right) and Little Chester (left)




Here comes the Sun




The lower section of  the Headwall Lakes Valley. The long mountain lining the valley is part of unofficial Headwall Peak




The Fortress can now be seen at the far end of the valley



Looking back to Mount Murray and company



Interesting fracture line. The long mountain lining the other side of the valley is part of Mount Chester













The Fortress



A small avalanche on Mount Chester



One of the other highpoints of Mount Chester



Approaching the col, with a highpoint of Chester in the background







From left to right: Headwall Peak, Headwall Lakes valley, Mount Chester, Chester Lake valley



The summit block of The Fortress



Left to right: Gusty Peak, Mount Galatea and The Tower





The view to the northeast




Assiniboine (right ), Eon and Aye to the left



Looking down the Chester Lake valley



Interesting clouds




The scary looking northeast side of The Fortress




More summit views




Mount Galatea in the middle




Southeast view




Looking back down the Headwall Lakes valley




The complex Mount Chester massif




Cool rock in the Chester Lake valley



Looking back to The Fortress




Birdwood (left) and Smuts





Still plenty of snow near Chester Lake











Little Galatea



Little Chester



A more comprehensive view of the stunning Chester Lake area

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