After meeting Doug, who enjoyed a shorter drive from Kimberley, in Coleman at 8:30 we found the trail-head to Window up the Allison creek road helped by Damian's previous knowledge of the approach from a Calgary Scrambling and Mountaineering club trip. We decided to do the route Window, Allison,Ward as Alda had done it the other way around previously. In addition Alda, and other reports we had, reported loose, "messy" rock on Window which we thought would be safer to ascend than descend. With two vehicles we could do a short car shuttle and leave one up the road to Window Mountain Lake which we were grateful for later in the day. After leaving the ATV approach trail we ascended rubble to a point where we needed to decide whether to go up to the "window" or take Alan Kane's safer and easier route up a rib further west. We decided on the "window" splitting up and sticking, as much as possible, to the slabs / more solid rock either side of the gully below the window.


Seven Sisters, Crowsnest mountain and Window peak

Doug, Damian, John and Alda at the Window on Window Peak

At the window about 11:30 am we took a break admiring the view of Crowsnest and the Seven Sisters. We were surprised there was a register at the Window. We went climber's left, as seen from the north, of the Window and over the top of it to get to the summit of Window peak where there was another register which we signed.

Then we were off on the longish ridge to Mount Allison. A couple of steep steps in the ridge provided interesting scrambling and the ridge seemed longer than it looked. Alan Kane does not recommend this ridge but I did n't think it was too bad - certainly steep and you have to use care in a few spots. There is one point in the ridge where there is becoming a bit of trail a little below the ridge to the south which, perhaps, bypasses the loose, exposed blocky stuff Alan Kane mentions?

Alda scrambling a steep step on ridge between Window and Allison

We got to the summit of Allison around 1:00 pm for a leisurely lunch trying to pick out mountains such as Harrison, Mike, Fisher, Abruzzi etc. from the extensive panorama. After we got back to Calgary Bill used his geographically aware photo software to put up this annotated panorama. Surprisingly after making many initial incorrect guesses Bill's software confirms we did, more or less, sort out the peaks correctly eventually! The amazing fall weather of the last few weeks continues - we could see Chief Mountain 117 Kms away!

Damian, John, Bill, Alda and Doug on summit Mount Allison

After lunch we set off along the ridge to Mount Ward.


Damian descending Allison heading for Mount Ward on the left - ridge we ascended from Window peak o n the right

The wind - a noted feature of this country - had been picking up all day but was n't too bad but it kept the temperature cool and pleasant for hiking. A little bit of route finding, occasionally, on the route to Mount Ward which we reached around 3:00 pm. The coolish wind I think prompted a shorter stay on this summit before heading down towards Window Mountain Lake. We took different routes down but none of us reported good scree to run and I was very slow on the rubble (thanks all for your patience). As reported in the club database Window Mountain Lake is a surprisingly large and attractive mountain lake with, as of now, a nice clean camp site. Back at Damian's car around 5:00 pm for a trip of 7.5 hours we were grateful the boring travel at the end of the day, if we had a single vehicle, was avoided. We did discuss if, with a single car, this could also be avoided by descending the other side of the col below Ward. This, rather poor, photo suggests it may be possible:


Mount Allison and ridges from Window Peak (on left) and Mount Ward (right).

The above photo also shows the ridges to Allison your scribe, John, enjoyed a great day traversing in the excellent company of Damian, Alda, Bill and Doug. Thanks Damian for driving the long drive, Bill for the panorama and much better photos than mine, Doug for giving us the nice two car option and Alda for her great smile - and stories of ascents of Harrison, Tornado, Centre etc.


Always fun company on a trip, the always smiling Alda

Thanks all for patience with my slow travel and technical challenges with photography:


Damian, Bill, Alda and Doug enjoying photographer John's challenges doing a timed photo!

Damian measured net elevation gain 850m, total gain of 1150m and a distance of 9.9 Kms.


Window-Allison-Ward track