The Eaglet III




 
Raptor Peak III






March 28, 2026
 
Mountain heights:    1978 m, 2055 m
Total elevation gain: approximately 750 m
Ascent time:             2:55
Descent time:           3:50
 
Solo scramble.
 
Early morning cloud cover and avalanche concerns in snowy areas prompted me to pick an easy and snow free objective. A repeat trip up The Eaglet and Raptor Peak fit the bill. Instead of the normal approach, I would follow the route I used 4 years earlier from the east.

There had been more clear-cutting since my last visit which gave me some additional route options. Unfortunately, I chose badly at one point and ended up having to bushwhack through a stand of poplars. Thankfully, it was short lived. 

A similar though not familiar jaunt up the east face followed. Four years had dulled my memory of the terrain significantly, so the ascent very much felt like the first time. 

Reaching the ridge above took far longer than expected, yet again because of the proliferation of terrific rock scenery and my obsessive need to see every single one of those rocks! On the ridge, the more subdued scenery allowed me to gain the summit of The  Eaglet with ease, followed by a quick hike to higher Raptor Peak. Surprisingly, the weather, forecast to become increasingly cloudy throughout the day, took a slight turn for the better, at this point. As such, I turned my attention the ridge on the south side of Raptor Peak, hoping for a thorough exploration of that terrain.  

And, holy smokes, what a ride it turned out to be! Of course, the outrageously colourful and striking rock formations were the main focus, however, close-ups of a bunch of small ice formations yielded some of the coolest photos I’ve ever taken. In addition, the terrain below appeared to offer many interesting routes around the east face of Mount Roche – definitely fodder for some future trips. A haphazard route all over the ridge and face ensued.

 Eventually I had to peel myself away from this stunning area and turn my attention to getting down. Several options were available, but I chose the safest one, via the route I had taken on my previous trip. I would wait for the perfect weather day to explore more adventurous paths.

The descent went with relative ease, a few gullies full of hardened snow providing the only challenge. Beyond that the remainder of the trip amounted to an easy hike, though with several ups and downs. And naturally I avoided the bushwhack, finding a super easy route back to the start.

This route has the potential to become a classic – at least for me and the perhaps a few others who cherish the wonderful East Castle outliers. A return trip on a perfect day, with further exploration of the terrain around the east face of Roche is pretty much guaranteed.

One of the first views is that of Bakery Peak and Icing On The Loaf Peak



Raptor Peak ahead



The red argillite on The Croissant



I should have followed this path...



...but instead tried to find a direct route to the base of The Eaglet, which eventually required weaving my way through the trees ahead



Generally overcast skies but a few of the clouds were interesting



At the base. The ascent doesn't appear to have any interest from afar, but up close, it's a different story.



The (delicious) Croissant again



The distant Livingstone Range, featuring Centre Peak



The start of the cool rock







...and clouds



...and dead trees



























A small lake below that might be worth a visit someday



Spread Eagle Mountain at the left and the west summit at the right



Loaf Mountain's true summit



The highest point at the east end of Loaf is unnamed, but I call it "Icing On The Loaf Peak"



Drywood Mountain behind The Croissant



All of the above



The first of several ice encounters



Close-up



The magic of light refraction







Back to the trees...



...and the rock















Tornado Mountain in the centre















Lichen close-up



Super close-up



Rocks that look like lizards



Same as above







The summit of The Eaglet at the left















Summit pano from The Eaglet




Heading for Raptor Peak











Rogan, Dungarvan, Cloudy Junior, and Cloudy Ridge in the background; Yarrow Ridge in the foreground



The summit of Raptor just right of centre



Chief Mountain at the left



Closer look at Mount Dungarvan



Nice red rock band before the summit



Same as above with The Eaglet at the right



The west summit of Spread Eagle is a worthwhile destination in itself or en route to the summit of Spionkop Ridge


Of course the summit of Loaf Mountain fits that bill too



Turquoise lichen



It always looks like paint



Less obvious here but all this rock sports some turquoise lichen



Looking down to the ridge I want to explore (lower left) after reaching the summit of Raptor



Prairie Bluff (left) and distant Tornado



Looking back to Raptor Peak and heading for that lower south ridge



I am not alone, but I'm going to try to avoid disturbing them







Yet another look at the magnificent section of red argillite that sweeps across The Croissant


Views from the col between Raptor and the continuation to Spread Eagle


























I've been spotted



The complex upper ridge of Spread Eagle



The also complex summit blocks of Icing On The Loaf Peak (left) and Bakery Peak (right)



Loaf close-up



Pastry Peak at the left



Most of Loaf except the true summit



Starting down towards the south ridge



Dead trees creeping down the mountain



  And some still trying to stand up - good luck in the Southern Alberta wind!







A few ice smears that may be good ice climbs, although they would probably be highly exposed to avalanches from above



The ridge I'm aiming for is at the left, but the terrain to the right was far more alluring



The start of much "alluring"











Second ice encounter





























Time for some rock close-ups




















This one looks like a really bad tooth







Back to the bigger picture



And even bigger



Ice encounter #3







Finally traversing towards the ridge I intended to be on...



...but with many more distractions en route













This little chunk of ice yielded one of coolest photographic experiences I've ever had in the mountain


Initially it doesn't to be anything special



Great example of translucency



Close-up of the edge




The little piece of melting ice was the main focus



Closer



Really close



It slowly melted as I took photos











Definitely one of the most gratifying photos I've ever taken



The play of light here was mind-boggling











Last one



Back to something more permanent















I'll have to head down that way at some point



After much meandering around the southeast face I'm finally on the south ridge



The ridge looks boring but has a few nice surprises



This significant band of red rock is one of the surprises (that's hardly a surprise!)


























Interesting clouds above The Eaglet











Last look at the terrain behind



Looking down the route I will eventually take



But first, I need to see the end of the ridge, because...



...it has a very cool band of lichen-covered gabbro











The valley below also looks very interesting and will hopefully be explored on a future trip



The most prominent of the ice climbs











Heading down the route I took in 2022



A steepish snow slope to cross



It doesn't look steep once past it but I had an ice axe ready while crossing



A canyon-like feature that is worth exploring



In it and going up



Looking down it



The top of the canyon still had lots of cool ice















Ready to descend



Looking back up



The second snow gully was much easier to cross



One is obvious, but I count 10 deer



7 of 10 (Star Trek reference)



Back to the east side of The Eaglet



And back to the point where I should have stayed on the trail



Nice easy hike back to the start from here



Bye for now Eaglet and Raptor

The End

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