Akamina Ridge via Forum Lake Scramble on 24-Jul-2026

We set off on the trail at 9:30 am with 11 hikers, which was significantly less than the 20 who had originally signed up for the trip. The amount of smoke from forest fires was decidedly better than the previous day, but still not as clear as we would like. Temperatures were expected to reach around 28C by early afternoon and winds were also forecast to pick up by mid-day. Not optimal conditions for a long ridge hike, but we planned to make a group decision on whether to complete the circuit once on the ridge at lunchtime. The ascent went smoothly, including the short scramble section, and we stopped for lunch at around 12:30 pm. However, once on the ridge we were hit with a 60+ km with wind, with occasional gusts that were sufficient to blow a walker sideways. After lunch we had a discussion and 4 members decided to continue the circuit with Carl as the coordinator, while 7 members decided to return the way we had come up with John. There was some concern about down-climbing scramble section, but this proved to be very straightforward and everyone managed it without difficulty. The leisurely descent was uneventful and we arrived back at the trailhead at 4:30 pm having covered 13.4 km and 834m. Carl’s sub-group completed the circuit and arrived back an hour later at 5:30 pm, covering 18 km and 1260m. Despite the wind, all went well on the ridge and their descent was also uneventful. Thanks to Alda, Carl, Jeannette, Nardi, John, Teresa, Cathy, Krystyna, Kate, Andrew, Laura for coming out despite the sub-optimal conditions, and thanks to Teresa and Cathy for photos.