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Date |
Ascent Time |
Descent Time |
| 1st Time |
23 Aug 98 |
1:09
(from Niblock Summit) |
2:35 |
12 Jul 98 - Mt. Whyte is one of the mountains surrounding Lake Louise.
More specifically, it overlooks Lake Agnes high above Lake Louise. It's a great mountain
for scrambling. There are numerous rockbands with running water which you can test your
skills. To get to this mountain, park at Lake Louise and walk to the lake-side
of the Chateau. As you face the lake, take the Lake Agnes tea house trail off to the right.
This is a very popular trail. From there, you will see see the remaining trail to the
summit.
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12 Jul 98 - Here we see Lake Agnes with Mt. Niblock (right) and
Mt. Whyte (left) high above. Follow a well worn trail around Lake Agnes to the back
side of the lake. Once at the other side of the lake, you will need to branch off the
well worn trail (which leads to the Big Bee Hive), and go towards the Mt. Niblock/Whyte col.
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12 Jul 98 - As you leave the Lake Agnes trail, heading towards
the col, you will first go up a long scree slope. Follow this scree to the first
set of rockbands.
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12 Jul 98 - Here is a closer view of the first rockband. You
will encounter several of these on your way to the summit. It really doesn't matter which
way you climb these rockbands, but generally speaking, you want to stay in the middle of
the first rockband.
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12 Jul 98 - After clearing the first set of rockbands, you will come
to the upper gully. From there, head towards the black spot in the next rockband. I would
advise walking around this one. From there, just pick your spot as you begin climbing
the next few rockbands.
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23 Aug 98 - Once you gain the col between Mt. Niblock and Mt. Whyte, you have
a choice. You can go to Mt. Niblock first, or you can go directly to Mt. Whyte. The added effort
is minimal, so I would recommend going to Mt. Niblock first. Once you get back to the Niblock/Whyte col,
go across toward Mt. Whyte. Immediately, you are faced with a wall. Circle to the right for
about three steps, where you will find a way to cross to the left. You will see a gully, which
you really want to stay out of. If you go into that gully, you might end up sliding down over
some pretty steep cliffs. Stay on the right side of the gully and go up the rocks there. At
the very top of the gully, look for cairns which will take you southwest, then up through the
crux.
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23 Aug 98 - This is from the summit, facing Mt. Victoria. You can see the Death Trap on the
left side of Victoria. What a view. As an alternative descent, you can go down this side of the
mountain toward the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House. But be warned. This descent is longer than
the way you came up. The next time I summit Mt. Whyte, I'm going to go back down the way I came up.
From the summit, make your way to the col shown in this picture, then turn left and head for the
valley below. Stay in the middle of this slope all the way down. You will encounter hundreds of
little 4-6ft rockbands, which are like giant steps. None of the rockbands are a problem once you
get to them. Eventually, you will find yourself on the trail of the Plain of Six Glaciers. Walk
about 300 yards toward Mt. Victoria to find the tea house. Otherwise, you can head back toward Lake
Louise and eventually to your car. You could probably ascend this descent route, but I think this
route is much longer than the "via Lake Agnes" route.
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23 Aug 98 - Here we see Mike going up the crux.
The crux is pretty easy, with lots of climbing. It's a fun trip. 