Mount Niles

Mount Niles attempt – August 24, 2005

Roundtrip time: 7:45

Scrambling with Paul Russell.

I met Paul Russell about 10 years ago, through a mutual friend. At the time, I didn’t scramble and I had no idea he did. When we found out that we actually knew each other and now shared a common interest, we set up a trip. Initially, Paul suggested Mount Vaux in Yoho and we drove there only to find the whole area closed to the public for a prescribed burn. Our back-up plan was nearby Mount Daly and so we spent a restless night at The Monarch campground (trains and trucks whizzing by all night), and set off early the next morning for Daly.

We hoped the overcast conditions would give way to clearer skies later in the day. Unfortunately, they did not and as we hiked past Sherbrooke Lake, the rained started and the clouds came in lower. By the time we reached the south end of Niles, Daly was all but out. Clouds covered the summit and surrounding peaks and there was fresh snow all over the mountain. An attempt would have been dangerous and yielded the ever popular “blank white sheet of paper” view. We therefore decided to see if we could ascend Mount Niles from our present position, as opposed to losing elevation and ascending via the Kane route.

The route proved to be a good one and provides a shorter alternate route if ascending Daly and Niles in a single trip. Unfortunately, Paul was feeling a little under the weather and decided not to proceed to the summit of Niles. I started up and made my way across slabby slopes over to the Kane route on the other side of the upper slopes. About 200 vertical metres from the summit, I looked over the side of Niles, to the north, to see thick clouds blanketing the Waputik Icefield. Peaks of the icefield were not even barely visible. This was more than enough to make me turn around. I was only 30 or so minutes from the summit, but what was the point – no view, no point!

I managed to find Kane’s ascent route and used it for descent. Meeting up with Paul, back at Niles Meadow, we hiked back to the car in continuing dismal weather. The trip was not a total waste: we did find an alternate ascent route up Niles, see some interesting scenery, and hiking with Paul was a great pleasure. Hopefully the first of many more trips together.