Sunday, 6/03/2018,
Mt Fable – Hwy1A,
B.V.W.
PP, Exshaw, AB
· Round Trip 22.4km;
Elevation: 2713m; Elevation Gain: 1406m; Time: RT – 10:15hrs (8:45-19:00),
ascent – 5:30hrs, descent – 4:05hrs; Moderate to difficult scramble with some
exposure and a long approach on ankle-bitten creek bed
· Books: “Scrambles in the
Canadian Rockies” by Alan Kane
·
51.1175N
-115.226W. Located in the Exshaw Creek Valleyat the head of Cougar Creek. Province:
Alberta. Headwater: Bow. Visible from Highway 1.
·
Ascent Date:
1947. Ascent Party: R.C. Hind, L. Parker, J.F. Tarrant
·
Unofficially
named in 1947, it is said that a group attempted to climb the mountain in that
year but claimed they were unsuccessful due to heavy bush. A subsequent attempt
was successful without experiencing any difficulties, deciding that the story
of the heavy bush was a "fable." (From peakfinder.com).
Drive
From Calgary, drive west on Hwy 1 for about 63km and take exit 114/Seebe then
drive north on 1X for 4 km until a T intersection. Turn left/southwest towards
Exshaw for 7.5 km then turn right onto Mount Allen Drive for around 230 metres.
There is a small clearing, where we parked on our 2016 trip to Exshaw Ridge, on
the right side of the road right past the recycle area, but we didn’t use it
this time since a new no-parking sign there surprised us while the other sign
below it saying ‘staff parking only from Mon. to Fri.’ confused us. We eventually
re-parked our car on a small area between this clearing and the recycle area. Driving
time would be around 1 hour.
Hike
Mt Fable is an unfinished business for us back to 2012. We then totally
lost our interest and courage on repeating the long and boring creek bed approach
until recently. It doesn’t mean we change our attitude towards the approach. We
just have less and less choice after these years scrambling life, especially in
shoulder season when many mountains in the central Rockies are still
snow-capped.
The route to Mt Fable is straight forward but
involved approximately 8 km of flood-damaged creek bed floor, countless creek
crossing, steep scree slog, steep slab, and a short but a bit narrow and
exposed ridge. The hardest thing for me that day was the anklebiter creek bed
and time consuming creek crossing. In my memory of last attempt, there was a
trail on either side of the creek, but was apparently damaged by the 2013
flood. Therefore we made slow progress on Exshaw Creek and Fable Creek even
though we could occasionally find some faint trails in the woods to avoid
logjams. After 3:45 hours long trudge, we finally reached the headwall, where
we turned around last time, that precedes the scree slope leading to the col. We
then ascended the rock step on the right side of the headwall feeling better
and better when comparing to the monotonous creek bed.
From the col, a trail brought us up to the crest
where a small down climb was waiting for us. After the down climb, Gua climbed
up a gendarme blocking our way only to know it is a deadlock. So we went down a
little on the right side and followed a trail to the front of a slab. Using the
small cracks, we climbed up the slab with extra caution due to the exposure and
steepness. When we eventually topped up on the summit ridge, we abandoned the
easy scree ledge behind a confined crack on the right (SW) side of the ridge
because the crack is too narrow to pass through for Gua with a backpack on his
back, although we used it for our descent. The broken short ridge we preferred
was a fun scramble, but did involved one difficult and exposed move and a
narrow section well earned our respect. After that, we soon stood beside the unique
summit cairn - a metal cross.
By the time we reached the summit of Mt Fable,
the weather had gradually deteriorated and the blue bird sky in the morning had
been darkly clouded. However, this didn’t water down our joy of completing our
unfinished work, since if we didn’t summit this time, we might have to suffer
the horrible long approach again.
After 40 minutes stay, we left the summit by
walking back (NW) along the ridge for a short distance, and then got down to
the scree ledge we abandoned on our ascent. The climb up to the confined crack
was easy, but the crack itself was too narrow to go through. Gua had to climb over
the rock to the other side while I could barely squeeze my body through with
just a waist pack on me. We then followed our ascent line back to the col and
hiked the rest of exhausting deproach back to the car.
The trailhead
Mt Fable with blue bird sky from parking
It was an old dam last time we were here
Occasionally find some faint trails in the woods to avoid logjams in the creek bed
Turn left leaving Exshaw Creek
Fable Creek with Mt Fable peeking out at centre right
The snow below the col concerned us a bit
Taking advantage of the snow
Ascending the rock step on the right side of the headwall
The scree slope leading to the col
View from the col
From the col, a trail brought us up to the crest where a small down climb was waiting for us
The small down climb
The cairn indicates a correct route to bypass the gendarme from the right side of the ridge
Using the small cracks to climb up the slab with extra caution due to the exposure and steepness
Upper part of this slab
The angle of the slab
On the way up
The last bit to the summit ridge and the easy scree ledge behind a confined crack on the right (SW) side of the ridge
Start negotiating the broken short ridge
The difficult and exposed move
Followed by this
Easier section of the ridge
A narrow section
Standing beside the unique summit cairn - a metal cross
View east towards (l-r) Old Fort Peak (L), Goat Mtn(CL), Loder Peak(R), and Door Jam Mtn(rightmost)
View southeast
View south-southwest
View southwest with (l-r) Mt Nestor, Old Goat Mtn(CL,B), and Three Sisters (C,B) rise above Windtower (L,M), Rimwall (CL,M), and Grotto Mtn(C,F)
View west-southwest
A closer look at (l-r) Mt Bogart, Wind Mtn, Lougheed 3, Mt Sparrowhawk, Mt Lougheed(C), Lougheed 1(CR), Windtower
View west-northwest: (l-r,f-b) Cougar Mtn(C), Mt Lady MacDonald(L), Mt Charles Stewart(R), and Mt Rundle (CL,B)
View northwest with Mounts Peechee(C), Girouard(C), and Aylmer(R) in the b/g
View north-northwest with Mt Townsend at right
View north with Mt Townsend at left
View northeast
View east-northeast over Exshaw ridge to Morrowmount (L) and Old Fort Peak(R)
Zooming in on Old Fort Peak(L) and Goat Mtn(R)
Fisher Peak to the southeast
A closeup of (l-r) Mt Bogart, Wind Mtn, Lougheed 3, Mt Sparrowhawk(C,B), Mt Lougheed(CR), and Lougheed 1 (R)
Mt Peechee and Mt Girouard to the northwest
Mt Aylmer still covered by snow
Mt Townsend might be good to go
End Mtn(L) and Association Peak(R) in the sun
A panorama from the summit of Mt Fable
Leaving the summit by walking back (NW) along the ridge for a short distance
Below the ridge to skier's left is the easy scree ledge abandoned on ascent
A closer look
Getting down to the scree ledge
Walking the scree ledge to the confined crack
The climb up to the confined crack was easy, but the crack itself was too narrow to go through
Had to climb over the rock to the other side
Looking back down through the crack
Could barely squeeze the body through the crack with just a waist pack on
Looking back at the scree ledge
Keep going down
On the ridge
The slabby section
Going around the gendarme
Going back up the ridge crest
Fun scrambling
Last slope to the col
Quick descend on scree
Looking back up the col
Looking back at the rock wall
Boot skiing on the snow filled gully
Typical terrain along the creek bed deproach
Finding a trail in the woods to avoid logjam in the creek bed
Back to the trailhead after a rather exhausting deproach with Heart Mtn in the background
The end.
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