Well the weather forecast for the Lake Louise area wasn't the most promising for a scramble up Mount Temple but that didn't stop six ramblers and about fifty other adventurers from attempting the climb. And the weather didn't get any better the higher we ascended. Our 6:00 am departure from Assumption did allow for a departure from the Moraine Lake Trailhead by shortly after 8:00 am which more or less put our group in the middle of the pack. A motley pack at that, of adventurers of varying degrees of experience and a wide assortment of more or less appropriate scrambling gear and attire. By 10:15 we were at Sentinel Pass and after a short break we began the serious ascent up Mount Temple's 'tourist route' at around 10:30 am. The crux at the first cliff-band didn't pose any difficulty to our group as we attempted and successfully negotiated one of the more challenging options. The rest of the climb was really nothing more than a steep slog, up, over and through increasingly deeper snow.


A hoard of Mount Temple summiteers ascending to glory!

Ascending Mount Temple's summit ridge.

The summit was reached by the last of our group by 2:00 pm and a more hostile, uninviting summit one can hardly imagine.


With the Mount Temple summit cairn and registers buried beneath her, France pauses to take a few pictures.

Buried under at least three feet of fresh snow, the summit wind break offered no respite from the howling wind and swirling blasts of spindrift. Neither the ACC of ACME summit registers could be found to be signed. A lunch break, no matter how brief, was not an option. We summitted in two groups and each group left the summit as soon as possible to seek a more temperate rest stop further down the mountain. After speedy descents down the snow covered upper slopes our two groups rejoined for the final scree run to the Larch Valley tarns below Sentinel Pass.


Descending Mount Temple's scree slopes with the Larch Valley tarns below.

Mount Temple and the incredible scree slopes, AFTER our descent. Note the blue sky at the summit!

A quick snack break and group photos at the uppermost tarn


Mike, Jerome, Gary, Susan, France and Jim with the approach to Sentinel Pass behind us.

and a speedy return hike had us back to the Moraine Lake parking lot by around 5:30 pm. Next on the social agenda was a stopover at the Post Hotel Pub for a celebratory pint of the house's finest accompanied by selections from their fine pub menu. Great group of Ramblers to hike with, great mountain to ascend, lousy weather on the summit - two out three ain't bad! And for France, Mike and Jerome this was their first ascent of Mount Temple.

Participants: Gary; Susan; Michael; Jerome; France. Coordinator, photographer and scribe: Jim Powers.

Trip statistics: Distance - 13.9 km; Time - 8 hrs, 47 min; Elevation gain - 1723 metres; Summit elevation - 3555 metres.

Mt Temple route ascent from Sentinel Pass & scree descent to Larch Valley tarns.