Perfect day and conditions, I’m in love with this mountain and route. I think this is my tenth time on the route (including both directions). Feel like I’ve learned a lot from that first time when I carried a full 60 m dynamic rope and was fearing for my life on the final moves before the summit of WEOR. Been amazing to see the standards increase and the bar continuously raised in the Bow Valley.
A few notes on approach:
- Start at the EEOR trailhead on 742
- End at Waldhaus in Banff
- Summit all major peaks including the rubble mound just before the climb up the true summit and a backtrack on the peak following the true summit
- Run all of the switchbacks on the descent off of WEOR
Carried two flasks with high carb and filled up once. Ate two Precision gels and one chew. Brought a light wind layer for emergencies. Duct tape over the gaiters was clutch for keeping stones out.
The Arc’teryx Vertex Speeds are the dream shoes for this type of route/effort. Took some getting used to but can’t say enough good things about them now.
For anyone looking at the route for the first time, it’s a beautiful, worthwhile, tiny bit loose, outing. I will always recommend taking a rope and small rack for your first time and budgeting more time than you think. While rope less ascent is possible and maybe even preferable, it is probably worth reiterating here that this more involved than your average trail run!