The Tower Scramble

Lat/Lon: 50.85556°N / 115.28472°W- CLICK FOR TOPO MAP
The Tower, due to its access, is actually a relatively popular scramble in Alan Kane’s
“Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies” guide book. Pvalchev and I actually tried to ski this
mountain last spring (2006), but to no avail, therefore, this past summer I achieved the
summit via the scramble route. The Tower is located between Mount Galatea and Mount
Engadine in the Kananaskis Range of Kananaskis Provincial Park. “Kananaskis Country”
encompasses over 4,000 square kilometers of foothills and mountains bordering Banff
National Park in the central Canadian Rockies. Other climbs in the Kananaskis Range
besides The Tower, Mount Galatea and Mount Engadine include: Gusty Peak, The Fortress
, Mount Chester and Mount Lawson.

Originally bearing the name “Unnamed 3117”, The Tower was unofficially tagged such
sometime after 1957. Supposedly Hans Gmoser climbed the The Fortress in 1957 and
named it the Tower (which it resembles to be sure) thinking he had climbed a new peak.
Somehow the name got transferred to this peak despite the fact that Gmoser did not climb
it. From what I can tell, it bears no specific resemblance to a Tower.

The south slope scramble route is very similar, although not as steep, to neighboring
Mount Galatea and thus presents a certain amount of avalanche danger in the winter and
spring months. As with most 10,000’+ peaks in this area, the 360 degree views will not
disappoint, including peeks at Mount Sir Douglas, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Joffre,
three mountains over the 11,000’ mark in the local vicinity (I have soloed all three of these
objectives).

Getting There
From the Canmore Nordic Center, drive 36 km south on the Spray Lakes Road (gravel or
in winter, snow laden, maybe not even be plowed depending how early you are getting
started). Watch for hazardous rock or snow fall on the switchbacks above Canmore. Turn
right at signs for the Mount Shark Cross Country and Biathlon Range, Mount Shark
Helipad and Engadine Lodge . Park immediately off the side road to the left. I have
observed as many as 10 female moose at one time in the mud flats west of Engadine
Lodge. This is one of the most popular locations for moose in all of the Canadian
Rockies. On this particular climb, as we parked, a mother moose actually brought her calf
over to us for inspection. Normally mothers are very protective and shy about their calves.
We also had a wild hare hanging out where we parked (photo). Seeing a wild hare in this
neck of the woods is less common than spotting a bear.

Red Tape
There are no permit requirements to enter, climb and/or park in Kananaskis Provincial
Park. This is active grizzly country and there are plenty of wild strawberries on the ground
as well as berry bushes along the approach.

Camping
The closest camping is located back at the north end of Spray Lakes Reservoir across the
damn at random campsites located on the west shore of the lake. You cannot camp
outside of the marked specific camping areas in Kananaskis. Refer to the Kananaskis
Provincial Park website for more information regarding camping and/or lodging. A
premium accommodation is the Engadine Lodge.

When to Climb
As with most climbs in the Canadian Rockies, the driest time is from June through
September. I attempted to ski The Tower in the spring without success. I climbed it via the
scramble route in August and the route was free of snow.

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. It is an excellent source if you are going to
spend any time here and comparable to any National Park website I have used. Outside of
the parks web site, Canadian Avalanche Association is also useful, particularly for winter
travel. Canadian Alpine Accident Reports are also extremely useful.

Route
This is a 4150’+/- ascent day. An unmarked trail starts off of Spray Lakes Road directly
across from where you parked (east side of the road). It angles right for a distance and
then starts aggressively climbing the logged slope to the east, moving back left (north),
until it finally enters the mature forest. The trail leads to Rummel Creek and finally crosses
it to the north right before scenic Rummel Lake below Mount Galatea. From the lake,
follow a trail north and then east as it works its way above tree line and towards the Tower
and Mount Galatea col. There is a small lake or mud flat (bear tracks in 2006),
depending on the time of year, right before you get to the col. Traverse the left side of
this feature and start angling your way towards the Tower’s southern slopes. There was a
decent sized cairn marking the start of the route in 2006, but in any case, you are looking
to gain the slope via a line that stays just left (west) of a significant water
runnel/drainage coming down the right side of the south face of the Tower.

After considerable gain and before you reach the upper ridge, look for some cairns that cut
across the face back left through several weaknesses. Scramble left up a short climbing
section and continue to the ridge from there scrambling on up to the summit in short
order. Most of this scramble is a scree hike with few if any challenges when dry. There
was a summit cairn and register in 2006. Return the same.

Essential Gear
Helmet, Hiking Boots (tons of scree), Poles, Appropriate Clothing, Bear Spray