Sparrowhawk Trail: 3 Things To Know Before Climbing 4,500 Feet
By Tiffany Schebesch
My first big hike when I moved out West to British Columbia was probably one of the most exciting and beautiful adventures I had ever been on.
I was with an experienced hiker who had lived in Canmore, AB for a few years and knew the terrain like the back of his hand.
When we headed out and I first looked at the mountain ahead of us, it didn’t look so bad.
Maybe a few steep switchbacks but overall it looked like a fun, difficult ascent.
I was leading as we headed up and realized about 1 km up that I was setting a pretty fast pace.
So, I let the professional triathalete take the lead (maybe I should have just let him lead from the start but only one way to learn!).
We finally reached the tree line of Sparrowhawk Trail on the spine we had just been climbing. I was sweaty and winded but overall feeling great!
I commented on what a great hike it was when my friend laughed at me replied “No, THAT is where we’re hiking,” pointing to a peak far in the distance. I laughed right back at him thinking he was joking. I soon learnt he never jokes about climbing.
He commented it was only 1.8 km left, which didn’t sound bad at all! I found out later he left out the part about the massive elevation gain that was involved.
So, off we went – up, up, up.
By Tiffany Schebesch
My first big hike when I moved out West to British Columbia was probably one of the most exciting and beautiful adventures I had ever been on.
I was with an experienced hiker who had lived in Canmore, AB for a few years and knew the terrain like the back of his hand.
When we headed out and I first looked at the mountain ahead of us, it didn’t look so bad.
Maybe a few steep switchbacks but overall it looked like a fun, difficult ascent.
I was leading as we headed up and realized about 1 km up that I was setting a pretty fast pace.
So, I let the professional triathalete take the lead (maybe I should have just let him lead from the start but only one way to learn!).
We finally reached the tree line of Sparrowhawk Trail on the spine we had just been climbing. I was sweaty and winded but overall feeling great!
I commented on what a great hike it was when my friend laughed at me replied “No, THAT is where we’re hiking,” pointing to a peak far in the distance. I laughed right back at him thinking he was joking. I soon learnt he never jokes about climbing.
He commented it was only 1.8 km left, which didn’t sound bad at all! I found out later he left out the part about the massive elevation gain that was involved.
So, off we went – up, up, up.
This is when the scramble started, over some big boulders with Sparrowhawk staring at us on the right and our peak in front.
We rinsed our heads in a stream coming down the mountain – it was MUCH hotter out than anticipated.
At the top, we reached a plateau before our one final ascent. I stared up at the peak looming in the distance, wondering how we were ever going to get up the snowy shale covering the rock face.
He asked if I wanted to head down but my stubborn, competitive nature took over so of course, we forged forward.
My first real, loose rock scramble – I couldn’t believe how thrilling it was having one goal and no real path, just reach the top!
Finally, we made it!
Looking around you could see mountains for miles and miles and winds that felt like they might pull me over the cliff face.
We pulled ourselves up just above the weather station over a small steep boulder and with a little bit of rock climbing - we had reached our summit! 4643 ft over 5km of climbing later – what a feeling being at 10,000 ft above sea level!
We munched on a cookie and took in the view before a quick jaunt down. Running down the scramble was one of the scariest and most exhilarating feelings.
I think my legs were somehow controlling my body and my mind was left to tag along for the ride.
The round trip only took 4 hours (recommended 7-9 hours? Challenge accepted).
This broke down into 3 up and 1 down, so I knew we must have been pushing it – but it felt so free and light, gravity is a wonderful entity.
After finishing the trail on a quick note I took one last look at the mountain before heading out. That trail took everything I had, and I couldn’t wait to do it again!
We rinsed our heads in a stream coming down the mountain – it was MUCH hotter out than anticipated.
At the top, we reached a plateau before our one final ascent. I stared up at the peak looming in the distance, wondering how we were ever going to get up the snowy shale covering the rock face.
He asked if I wanted to head down but my stubborn, competitive nature took over so of course, we forged forward.
My first real, loose rock scramble – I couldn’t believe how thrilling it was having one goal and no real path, just reach the top!
Finally, we made it!
Looking around you could see mountains for miles and miles and winds that felt like they might pull me over the cliff face.
We pulled ourselves up just above the weather station over a small steep boulder and with a little bit of rock climbing - we had reached our summit! 4643 ft over 5km of climbing later – what a feeling being at 10,000 ft above sea level!
We munched on a cookie and took in the view before a quick jaunt down. Running down the scramble was one of the scariest and most exhilarating feelings.
I think my legs were somehow controlling my body and my mind was left to tag along for the ride.
The round trip only took 4 hours (recommended 7-9 hours? Challenge accepted).
This broke down into 3 up and 1 down, so I knew we must have been pushing it – but it felt so free and light, gravity is a wonderful entity.
After finishing the trail on a quick note I took one last look at the mountain before heading out. That trail took everything I had, and I couldn’t wait to do it again!
Overall, what are the top three things I learned from my first hike climbing more than 4500 ft?
1. Always eat BEFORE you’re hungry – I was so pumped about the trail I didn’t have a snack until the end. That climb up would have been a lot easier with something in my tummy powering me forward!
2. Cotton is rotten. Okay, let me clarify, I actually love cotton. But when you’re planning to be mildly sweating for hours, take a hike as your workout for the day and dress in thin, moisture wicking layers. And always bring an extra warm sweater!
3. Sometimes running shoes trump hiking boots. So, I wore my hiking boots for this hike. However, on a clear trail with lots of climbing, sometimes running shoes can be lighter and more comfortable.
1. Always eat BEFORE you’re hungry – I was so pumped about the trail I didn’t have a snack until the end. That climb up would have been a lot easier with something in my tummy powering me forward!
2. Cotton is rotten. Okay, let me clarify, I actually love cotton. But when you’re planning to be mildly sweating for hours, take a hike as your workout for the day and dress in thin, moisture wicking layers. And always bring an extra warm sweater!
3. Sometimes running shoes trump hiking boots. So, I wore my hiking boots for this hike. However, on a clear trail with lots of climbing, sometimes running shoes can be lighter and more comfortable.
