(Almost) Big Bend

July 31, 2022

I was excited to visit the Big Bend Peak area. I knew that the views would be exceptional and that we would see mountains that are usually not seen. I wasn't sure if we would be able to climb the "real" summit, but at least, I hoped, we could get to the false one. I had confidence in an all-female team (except for me :)) reaching the sub-summit.

Big Bend Peak

The weather was supposed to be fair, with no rain in the forecast. It did rain, as we could see the system moving north on our drive to the trailhead.

Ideally, we would start by 7 AM, but we began our Big Bend hike almost two hours later.

I will not write about the trailhead parking location or the approach route, nor will I offer any detailed information about the trail. All of it has been described several times by other hikers/climbers (who are great writers!).

On the first steep slope

I will focus on my thoughts instead. I am still recovering after multiple surgeries on my right knee, and I am interested in exploring the "inner" side of my hiking/climbing. I wanted to explore the "deltas" of my performance, comparing it with the last week's Little Hector climb.

 

It took us half an hour to reach the first crux. I imagine that for many others, this steep, scree-reach avalanche slope wasn't a crux, but I like to refer to it like that. It gets steeper and steeper as you go up, and the last 30-40 vertical meters are rather challenging. It was super slippery, and we had to use almost all "four" to balance ourselves. I already started thinking about the descent. It will become almost a theme of this scramble.

Anna again spurred ahead of the group and ended up in unpleasant terrain. Hopefully, she will be better at taming her temperament during future trips. It will save her hiking poles!

It took us an hour to pass the first crux.

The travel became more straightforward. It was less steep, and we were now in the thick forest. The ground was soft, and it felt like we were walking on a carpet. Also, the views opened up. We could now see Parker Ridge, Mt. Athabasca, A2 and Hilda Peak. North Saskatchewan river valley and Icefields Parkway's Big Bend were beyond us and looked smaller. 

We took a break in the forest, which was enjoyable as we were in a deep shade. I was so happy to be here, as it was quieter and more peaceful than elsewhere in the mountains. Here, I felt I was in a more remote area. At least I knew we wouldn't be seeing other people.

We could see a glimpse of the peak we hoped to reach today. It still looked far and untouchable. But, first, we had to climb over the first sub-sub peak. I didn't recall that we had a smaller before a more significant obstacle in our quest to stand on the Big Bend peak.

We needed half an hour to climb the sub-sub peak. It was short but not easy. Again, I had to navigate between nasty scree patches. As always, I tried to find the path of the least resistance.

Again, I thought about the downclimb and mentally prepared for it.

 

This part of the mountain was significant as we could now clearly see the prominent peak, the false summit, and all of us almost stared at it. It looked big, steep, and intimidating. I was wondering about the actual summit and how tough looking that piece of rock was.

Anna was getting tired, and we suggested and agreed that she would stay at the sub-sub peak and wait for us. We emphasized to her not to go back by herself. I predicted we would return to Anna in four hours; we would need 2.5 to the top and the rest to come back. It sounded very long, but I knew the upcoming soft scree would slow us down and wear us out.

We departed at high noon from the sub-sub peak plateau. The false peak slope was fiercely steep, long, loose, soft, and exposed to the sun. I didn't know if we could climb it. I knew, though, that we could reach any mountain top if we focused on the next step and if we were patient and strong.

The scree climb turned out to be exactly like that.

Gosia and Basia took the lead at the beginning, leading us towards and the left from the cliff bands. We had to gain altitude and then turn right above the cliff bands.

I knew there was a "passage" somewhere on the face, where the scree was not that soft. Knowing that was easy; finding it was almost impossible.

Once we were above the cliff band, I took the lead. We gained too much height and moving up and even straight has become too hard. I decided to traverse to the right hoping to find a "hard passage."

I aimed towards the snow patch to the right. The snow was covering half of the face in length. I thought that the proper way was somewhere around the snow.

I did climb up, even when traversing. It was a game. I looked for bigger rocks so that I could step on them and not slide down. I would make 15-20 steps, find a flatter area (which was still steep) to stand more comfortably, and look for the next "destination."

The ladies followed me. Gosia, Basia and Ada were incredible. They all pushed without hesitation, and they all kept their enthusiasm high. We declared in the forest below that we would cherish and maintain our keenness and morale. I recorded several video clips of the uphill scree "battle." I knew it would be invaluable to have it for later, to see our determination and grit.

Once I reached the top of the snow patch, some 40 vertical meters remained. Seeing that and sensing that we were almost at the summit felt astonishing. My body was looking for a break, and I was virtually dreaming about "normal" footage and flat ground.

I stopped and waited for the ladies; Gosia and Basia passed me. They would be the first today to reach the false Big Bend peak. I waited for Ada, and we together hiked the last 130 meters.

We could finally see the actual summit, and when I saw it, I knew we wouldn't be going there today. It was too far and some 250 meters higher than the peak we were on. None of that was detrimental, though. It was the terrain that resembled the one we had just scaled. I knew that the ladies had given their all and that asking to go to the actual summit would be too much.

Well, it was almost too much for me too. If we didn't leave Anna, and if there was someone to go with me, I would go to the real summit. But, even if the ladies wanted to continue to the real summit, I am not sure if I would be able to go!

Not reaching the actual Big Bend summit didn't matter, though. We all felt satisfied. I did. I had it enough. The views were intoxicating. We could see a fantastic array of peaks in every direction. The giant Mt. Saskatchewan stole the show. It looked like an impenetrable fortress on the western horizon. Its towers and peak were guided by a vast Saskatchewan glacier which was further helmed by countless crevasses.

 

On the other side, Parker Ridge was now smaller, but Andromeda and Athabasca covered the view, emphasizing its vastness. The valley below, the Big Bend in the road, was dwarfed and looked so small.

Looking at this peak this morning from the trailhead, I thought we had slim chances of success. I almost couldn't believe where we were standing. It did look intimidating. It did look harsh to me. I can imagine many others find this peak to be easy.

But good luck to them. We will never compare ourselves to them. I will never compare myself to others.

I know that a year ago, four days after climbing Mt. Carnarvon, I destroyed my knee, and now, I was (almost) on the top of the Big Bend peak.

Gosia, Basia and Ada were "eclectic." They all were thankful to the mountain Gods who allowed them to stand on this peak. Basia immersed herself in the views and scenery. She kept repeating how magical this place, this summit was.

The weather was also kind to us. There were no signs of any thunderstorms, and there were only a few small clouds in the sky.

Out of 7.4 billion people, four of us stood on this little piece of rock.

I was content. I pushed harder today than a week ago. I thought today's hike/climb was more brutal than Little Hector's. It was ultimately the scree that made that difference. Little Hector scree was "kinder" to us. Big Bend's scree is an ultimate suffering foundation.

But I wouldn't want it to be different.

We all learned a lot about ourselves today. We puffed. We persevered. We were stubborn. We were strong. We were curious. We enriched ourselves with many positives, so everything felt right.

I was deeply impressed by Gosia and Basia. I knew they could do a lot, and I had no doubts about reaching the top.

I enjoy climbing with them because they are determined, inspirational, respectful and fun. Even though we climbed it individually, we functioned as a team. We all helped each other to relax and believe in ourselves.

And yes, any person would need such belief on that loose, soft, long, meticulous scree slope.

The Big Bend climb was such a wonderful birthday gift for Gosia!

 

My Sweet Sugar did it similarly, which was not a surprise. We did, together, even harder summits, and she exemplified her attitude on each mountain. Today, she struggled a bit on the scree slope, but she still pushed hard and smart.

 

Our descent was enjoyable, as we "skied" the scree slope (Gosia was so happy to master this new skill for her!), and we built snowmen which we dedicated to the "boys."

We also had a snowball fight, more bushwhacking, and super efficient and intelligent descent on the last steep slope.

The last two kilometres didn't feel tiring (usually, it is a drag), as we all felt fulfilled, content, happy and satisfied.

Yes, we were tired but full of life.

What a wonderful day! Life is good!