Ha Ling Peak - Canmore/Spray Lakes Road

Of course you can meet girls scrambling, look at these two I met on the trail. Allan, Emily and Victoria.

H'mmm they do grow up don't they Victoria!

Ha Ling Peak

Scramble: Class 1 – Steep Hiking

Altitude: 2,408m (7,898 ft)

Elevation Gain: 700m (2,296 ft)

Ascent Time: 1 1/2 – 2 1/4 Hours

Best Season to Scramble: Mid-May to October

Highlights

This scramble offers nice views and is great early season training for bigger scrambles later on. If you are coming to the Canadian Rockies for a two-week holiday this is one to test your legs on and get them acclimated with steep hiking.

Getting There

Head west out of Calgary on the TransCanada highway # 1 to Canmore 106km (66.2 miles). From the Bow River Bridge in Canmore drive 8.6 km (5.4 miles) up the Spray Lakes road to the Goat Creek parking lot. The road from the Bow River bridge takes you up past the Canmore Nordic Centre and onto the Spray Lakes road (packed gravel). Just past the Nordic Centre the road turns to dusty gravel and you head uphill for a few kilometers. It levels off at the gap between Ha Ling Peak and the East End of Rundle then goes down a short hill then hang a right into the parking lot. If your base is Banff head east on the TransCanada for 26km (16.2 miles) to Canmore and follow route as above.

Route Description

From the parking lot head straight across the road, up the hill and cross over the canal. At this point you will see a small wooden building. The trailhead starts just behind the building. Once on the trail just head on up. When you reach tree line the trail traverses far over to the right side of the slope then traverses back to the summit. In the old days we used to head straight up from the tree line, definitely a tough workout. The traverse makes it a nicer experience.