Opal Ridge Traverse

Lat/Lon: 50.78°N, 115.13°W
Located in the Kananaskis River Valley north of Grizzly Creek in Kananaskis Provincial Park,
Alberta, the Opal Ridge is an 8 km long ridge located immediately to the west of the Opal
Range (a front range of the Canadian Rockies). A geological survey team found quartz
crystals coated with Opal while prospecting nearby, thus, the unofficial name.

This is considered a difficult and exposed scramble route easily accessed via Hwy 40 which
is wholly submerged in the pristine Kananaskis Provincial park which borders the four
adjoined National Parks (Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay) of the Canadian Rockies.
Kananaskis Country, as it is called, is actually considered by many locals a more wild and
untamed experience compared to the national parks. This ridge traverse provides you views
all day of the most sought after mountain objectives in Kananaskis, i.e., Assiniboine, Sir
Douglas, Joffre, etc.

From a unique perspective, Opal Ridge has tightly folded strata towards the center. The photo
above displays this phenomena. Mountain sheep graze the ridge, but that is extremely
common in the Canadian Rockies, and particularly this area.

Getting There
Take the Kananaskis Trail (Highway 40) exit off of the Trans-Canada Highway between
Calgary and Canmore. Travel 35.7 km south on Highway 40 and park along side of the road
just south of the Eau Claire Campground. Opal Ridge sits right above you to the East. There
is no trail.

Red Tape
There are no permit requirements to enter, climb and/or park in Kananaskis Country. This is
active grizzly country and bear tape was up when I did this scramble in 2004. Take bear spray.
You drive by the park headquarters on the way in on Highway 40. Any recent notices will be
posted on the bulletin board outside. If they are open, check in with the ranger staff, they have
tons of beta and are always friendly.

When To Climb
This is a summer scramble and I don't see any attraction to tackle it in the winter. However, I
did complete this traverse in April, which is early by Canadian Rocky standards. This ridge is
part of the front range and sheds it's snow and ice earlier than other sections. I did take
snowshoes and an ice ax and needed both.

Camping
You can camp at Eau Claire Campgound and use it as your base if you like, but you could
also just make this a long day trip. You cannot camp outside of the marked specific camping
areas in Kananaskis. Refer to the park web site I provided above for more information.

Mountain Conditions
The Kananaskis Provincial Park website is a very thorough park website, including trail
conditions or closures, wildlife notices, weather conditions, avalanche conditions, camping
permits, whitewater conditions, etc. An excellent source if you are going to spend any time
here and comparable to any National Park website I have used.

Route
Place your bike at the Fortress Junction service station off of Hwy 40. Drive back to the Opal
Day Use parking area and park along side of the road if closed. Head straight up east from
here via no trail.

Some small rock climbing is involved to avoid snow this early in the season. You top out onto
a small ridge that takes you to the base of a false summit. Zig zag your way up to a gully on
the right, hop over the shoulder and head up snow/scree to another corner. Turn left and hit a
little saddle just left of a small problem. Climb up and onto another ridge.

This flat terrain takes you to another false summit. Make sure to angle left low around this
project to avoid the steeper snow. Find a line across the snow to the left that is not as steep
in regards to avalanche danger. Skirt on across and ramp up this false summit if you like, or
continue straight for the real summit. Once you gain the next altitude towards the real summit,
you will have a 10 meter step of rock up and onto a small flat summit which is the northern
peak of this traverse. You have just begun, be ready for a long day and some more technical
scrambling.

Descending this peak is treacherous in early season. Everything was loose (that really goes
for the whole ridge, but this descent is particularly rotten). Once on the traverse, you will hit
several problems. One of the largest is a section of tightly folded strata. You have to pick a
lot of lines and be equipped with route finding experience to tackle this ridge. Eventually
you will come to some overhanging and deeply exposed wall protruding for quite a distance
down the mountain. Glissade approximately 800' on steep snow seeking a suitable place to
climb over this problem. Trudge right back up the ridge and continue on for the south summit.
Several more technical sections block your path. With snow in April, I found it best to hit
everything straight on. One should be skilled and confident in their scrambling/climbing
abilities for these sections.

The south summit gives way to views of Kananaskis Lakes. Once you take a breather, head
back north to the last bump and straight down from there for a flattened area and continue
straight down even further and you will find your first trail of the trip (if you are going this early)
free of snow. This trail takes you to a fire road where you will eventually find a trail that takes
you down to the service station and your bike. There is public drinking water here to refresh
your yourself with, no matter what time of day or night. Bike on the road back to your car.

Essential Gear
Early season, snowshoes, ice ax, mini or regular crampons, helmet and a rope if you are not
an avid scrambler-climber.

Trip Report
I tried to face climb the false summit, got 3/4 of the way up and was beyond reasonable
exposure for a 40 year old man. I then attempted to traverse high to the left with snowshoes
to no avail. It was not until I backed away a kilometer, almost in defeat, that I found a line
across the snow to the left that was not as steep in regards to avalanche danger. I skirted on
across and ramped up this false summit but suspect there is a trail under the snow that
continues straight for the real summit. Once you gain the next altitude towards the real
summit, you will have a 10 meter step of rock up and onto a small flat summit which is the
northern peak of this traverse. You have just begun, be ready for a long day and some more
technical scrambling.

Eventually you will come to some overhanging and deeply exposed wall protruding for quite a
distance down the mountain.   I glissaded approximately 800' on steep snow before I found a
suitable place to climb over this problem. Then I trudged right back up the ridge and
continued on for the south summit. Several more technical sections blocked my path. I was
early and did not want to trudge around snow, so hit everything straight on. My system
worked, but one needs to be skilled and confident in their scrambling/climbing abilities to
follow it through.

I saw 3 groups of sheep, 1 bald eagle, one marmot hole (warmth came out of it from their
hibernation) and several pica tracks on the ridge. Biking and driving out at dusk, I saw three
groups of white tailed deer and three groups of elk.