Mt Ball and Shadow Lake
August 21st 2016
Mt Brett Scramble is listed in Kanes Scrambles of the Canadian Rockies as difficult. Other fellow scramblers have said it is second only to Mt Smuts. I cannot comment on Smuts. I met up with Damian and Chip from the Rocky Mountain Ramblers out of Calgary on a perfect August day. The plan was to bike up the Redearth Trail. I do not like biking if I can help it but this way it would save a boring hike of 10km. We did walk up some of the steeper sections but it sure was nice on the way down. The spot we stashed the bikes is shown on the picture below. Then bushwhack through the woods keeping the ridge on your right. After about an hour the trees thin and rocky out crops appear. Keep pushing upwards bearing right until the main Col is insight third picture down. At the Col the books and blogs all describe heading up the ridge to the summit. After descending from the summit on a more southern route this could also be the way up to bypass the scramble on the ridge. The pictures below show both routes. To sum up if you are looking for the most direct route and like the excitement of some tough scrambling go up the Ridge. On the other hand if you just want an easy way to the summit take the southern route, which is mostly just a hike. The fit young guys like to do a double summit day by starting with Pilot Mountain then coming over to Mt Brett. It would be way beyond my fitness level to attempt both summits in a day, feeling knackered after one summit.
Redearth Creek trail bike stash
Bushwhacking after biking. About an hour of this.
Just clearing the trees heading across to the col above hikers head right.
Just above the col and easy hiking. Just another 600m. Mt Brett summit top left.
Believe it or not this is an easy section
After the slabs a nice respite
Some more of the route.
This is a view looking back at the first crux.Easy eh, Not.
Bill looking a little apprehensive about this section. At the first crux.
Next after the first crux. Somewhere ahead is the second crux.
Around or go over as Damian is doing, your chose
The round or over bit.
Then some slab work no pole’s required. Very steep.
Yes Martha we came over this
Mt Assiniboine and Sunshine Ski Area. From the summit of Mt Brett.
Starting off down from the summit to the scree run.
Some one snaked up the soft scree we bounded down.
Down a bit further and traverse across right to the col where the green is. Scree run has ended and this is a rubble traverse.
There is a faint trail from the col across the slop. Then head down to the first Col.
Coming across the faint trail from col to the first col on the way up.
From the faint trail which finishes at the skyline to the first Col on the way up. Arrow shows approximate direction.
Track shows route up craggy ridge and lower south way back missing Ridge. The south route would work to reach the summit as a none scramble route. Brutal scree. Snow would help.
Profile includes bike up from Redearth Trailhead of 5.5 km each way.
Distance return 11 km bike 12km hiking Time return 10 hrs ( inc 30 min lunch ) Elevation Accumulated gain 1712 m Elevation to Summit 1570 m Summit height 2980 m
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