Scrambles in Canada
Canada is perhaps the ultimate adventure holiday destination, with huge national parks, towering mountain ranges, crystal-clear alpine lakes, and lush forests. If you’re looking for a real experience in the Great Outdoors, Canada certainly won’t disappoint. The world’s second-largest country, Canada has enough awe-inspiring sights to satisfy even the most enthusiastic nature lovers!
Spreading across the top of North America, and extending all the way into the Arctic, Canada is home to an abundance of rare and wonderful wildlife. Travelers here must share the land with a whole host of creatures, including moose, bears, mountain lions, and wild Canadian geese, and if you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of some of these remarkable creatures in their natural habitat. Indeed, it’s Canada’s wildness that attracts many visitors – it’s one of the only places in the world where you can really escape from it all and immerse yourself in nature.
Canada’s most popular regions for adventure travel are Alberta and British Columbia, home to the Canadian Rockies and some of the country’s most spectacular scenery. Come here for hiking, backpacking, climbing, scrambling, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and much more! Whether you want to dip your toes in a crisp alpine lake or trek along some of the most exhilarating ridge walks in the Rockies, there’s something for everyone here.
Canada is so huge, and the possibilities for adventure travel so vast, it can be difficult to know where to start! To help you plan your journey, we’ve put together guides to all the best regions for adventure travel in Alberta and British Columbia. You’ll find activity guides, tour recommendations, and top tips for planning a trip – all you need to do is decide where to go first!
Scrambling regions in Canada
Best Scrambles in Canada
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is the highest peak in the Castle area, scrambling up Victoria Peak provides spectacular views of where the colorful mountains of the Castle meet the prairies.
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Pyramid Mountain Scramble
The famous Pyramid Mountain is one of Jasper’s premier landmarks. It casts unforgettable reflections on nearby Pyramid and Patricia lakes as it stands tall above. This scramble route requires a full day’s effort and will leave your legs screaming by the time you finish up the lengthy distance and elevation gains required to reach the summit.
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Loaf Mountain and Spionkop Ridge
Loaf Mountain is the second highest peak in the Castle area and is bordered by spectacularly colorful valleys. An extension to the summit of Spionkop Ridge provides a spectacular view into Waterton Lakes National Park.
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Windy Point Ridge, The Buckle, and Talus Peak
This beautiful scramble to Windy Ridge with an extension to Talus Peak and the Buckle can be called a gem found off the beaten track. It’s not very popular and we don’t really know why. The views are breathtaking (Abraham Lake especially), making the Windy Point Ridge, the Buckle and Talus Peak Scramble our favourite along the David Thompson Highway!
User Ratings
Drywood Mountain Traverse
The Drywood Mountain Traverse is a long and easy traverse of a high ridge in the colorful Castle Wildland. The traverse is followed by a descent to a brilliantly-blue lake for a swim and possible camping, making this a spectacular summer outing!
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Southfork Mountain and Barnaby Ridge
This scramble to Southfork Mountain and Barnaby Ridge has it all, a backcountry campsite on beautiful Southfork Lakes, a long ridge top traverse, and spectacular scenery throughout!
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Mount Ernest Ross
The trail to the top of Ernest Ross Mount is a little challenging, but a fun scramble. You will find yourself on a quiet path with constantly changing surroundings: from bushes, trees, scree to almost vertical rock boulders. Although most of the trail is not too hard, one section will make you sweat a little: the scrambly part is a little steep and you will have to use some of your rock-climbing skills. But it’s worth all the effort, as the views from the top will take your breath away. From the surrounding peaks, to Kootenay Plains, and Abraham Lake – the panorama here is stunning!
User Ratings
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a colorful ascent alongside a creek, with spectacular photo opportunities above the sheer north face, and great summit views of where the mountains meet the prairies. In other words, a perfect day out in the Castle!
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Turtle Mountain
The rockslide off Turtle Mountain over a century ago fractured the mountain on a scale that is difficult to imagine, yet this scramble takes you across the fractured summit ridge where the sheer scale of the forces at play are apparent. A stop at the Frank Slide Interpretive Center afterwards to complete the history lesson makes this a fascinating and different kind of scramble.
User Ratings
- Technical Difficulty
- Physical Difficulty
Two O-Clock Ridge
The Two O-Clock Ridge Trail is a wonderful scramble near David Thompson Highway. After a short, but steep scramble you will find yourself surrounded by the Tuff Puff Ridge, Mt Ernest Ross and Two O-Clock Peak.
User Ratings
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Suggested Tours
Summit Mount Olympus Trekking Tour
Months Tour Operates
This tour is your chance to trek one of the most mystical mountains on earth: Mount Olympus. This self-guided journey starts in Litochoro, an enchanting town at the foot of Greece’s highest peak. Then you’ll spend two days on the mountain, sleeping in a mountain hut on the second night. You should be comfortable hiking up some serious elevation on this tour to reach the summit, a worthy reward for your effort.
Avalanche Skills Training 1 in the Canadian Rockies
Months Tour Operates
Avalanche safety is a must-have tenet of backcountry adventure and a critical step in keeping yourself and your adventure partners safe in the wintertime and shoulder season. The Avalanche Skills Training 1 in the Canadian Rockies tour is a practical chance to learn the basics of avalanche safety in one of the most beautiful mountain environments in the world.
Self-Guided Mount Triglav Trek
Months Tour Operates
Take on a quintessential Slovenian trekking adventure to the summit of its highest mountain! The Self-Guided Mount Triglav Trek allows you to hike at your own pace and enjoy the incredible scenery of Triglav National Park.
Walking and Dining in Athens Tour
Months Tour Operates
Athens is the oldest city in Europe and the city with the longest history! Strolling through Athens, you will be thrilled to discover this rich history as Ancient, Roman, Byzantine and modern monuments abound. Pedestrian walkways lead you through green parks connecting major sites like the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and the Pnyx Theater, which is considered the birthplace of democracy. Dine on multiple courses at fine restaurants and sample the fare at local taverns in each spot. A unique food-on-foot tour!