Mount Edith North Summit

August 27, 2021

The Cory Pass to Gargoyle Valley is a beautiful hike with spectacular views. The only way to improve upon it is to take a side trip to summit Mount Edith. Mike, Sonya and I did just that, scrambling the first, or north peak.

This was Sonya’s first time climbing at this level, so we brought ropes, harnesses and helmets. This was a great idea, because the rock in the initial chimney is very greasy, and trying to get purchase was difficult, even for a seasoned climber like Mike.

Sonya absolutely loved her summit, and FaceTimed her mom from the top. If we weren’t headed for the full hiking loop, I would have stayed and done the centre peak of Mt Edith as well. This just means another reason to come back.

Gear

For the hike approach to Cory Pass, hiking boots, poles and regular day pack kit.

For the scramble, a helmet is a great idea. We also had a harness and were short roping. Use your own judgement based on skill level.

Overview

Hike from Fireside Day Use Area to Cory Pass, by following this Trip Report. Before the pass, take the path that angles up to the right. Follow along the ridge, and into the churning scree. Hike to the base of the north summit. Climb up the chimney. Traverse across the top of the rocks to the far point to the east. Cross the small gap, and head to the summit cairn. Return the way you came.

Totals – Downloadable tracks on Gaia and Strava

Date: August 27, 2021
Group:  Three (Alisen, Mike and Sonya)
Distance:  17.6 km (full Cory Pass/Mt. Edith/Gargoyle Loop)
Elevation:  1,264 m (4,171′)
Time:  8 hours 28 minutes (includes lunch and breaks)

Parking and Trail Head

Parking is at the Fireside day use area. Use the Cory Pass Trip Report to get from the parking lot to Cory Pass.

Mt. Edith Trail

Just before Cory Pass, the trail splits. We took the uphill (right) track to start angling towards the summit of Mt Edith. The elevation gain was steep, but with fresh legs, it didn’t feel too bad. It’s only when I looked back at the photos did I say – Huh. That was steep.

The trail angled to gain the top of the ridge. We followed that until we came to the scree section, next to the rock wall. Here, we stayed far left, and kept as close to the rock as possible. For the descent, we came down the middle of the scree. The ascent was a bit of a grind, but it didn’t last forever.

Once past the steep scree, the angle backed off, and it was a hike as we headed over to the base of Mt. Edith.

We went to the first weakness in the rock, scrambled up the short wall, and then climbed the narrow rock fissure. Once on top, there was some easy scrambling as we traversed across to the summit. There is one gap to get across, and then we were out on the summit with amazing 360 degree views.

Time to summit from Bow Valley Parkway (we couldn’t access Fireside) was 4 hours, 20 minutes. Distance was 8.8 km (normal distance from Fireside would be about 7.7 km). Elevation gain was 1,264 m.

Mt. Edith Return

We returned the way we came. We felt really strong getting up here, but it was only when we turned around and viewed our route did the full elevation kind of hit me. We’d already gained 900 m to Cory Pass, and then it was pretty much straight up to Mt. Edith.

We chose to continue on and hike the full Cory Pass loop, and went right at the pass to descend down into Gargoyle Valley. If you haven’t done it, it’s a fun loop and makes for a great full day in the mountains.

Climbing up Mt Edith was a great way to spice up our hike.

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Alisen