104 MOUNT INDEFATIGABLE TRAIL

Day hike
Official & unofficial trails
Distance 2.5 km to end of official trail
Height gain 503 m
High point 2225 m
Map 82 J/11 Kananaskis Lakes

Access: Kananaskis Lakes Trail (Hwy.) at North Interlakes parking lot. Via Three Isle Lake trail (#99).
Also accessible from #88, Gypsum Quarry.

If you had to choose only one trail in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, this should be the one; the views of both Kananaskis Lakes will have you reaching for your camera at every twist and turn. Naturally, the most spectacular views are from Mt. Indefatigable, though, in my opinion, the alpine meadows of Indefatigable Outlier are no less thrilling. Wherever you go, payment is exacted in the shape of demanding climbs.

Official trail Head north across the isthmus on Three Isle Lake trail. Shortly after the fire road swings left turn right onto Indefatigable trail. After easy preliminaries through pine forest, the trail climbs up the left side of a ridge, a dry, dusty treadmill up rocks and shales. Only when sufficient sweat has been wrung from your brow does the trail swing right onto a promontory with bench for a well-earned rest. This is the superb Wendy Elekes Viewpoint.

Continue more easily up the ridge between a gully on the left and the eastern escarpment. As Upper Kananaskis Lake falls astern, Lower Kananaskis Lake comes into prominence and the whole of the Opal Range. On your left rises the south summit of Mt. Indefatigable which is mainly of interest to summiters who can pick out the route. Where the trail levels two narrow trails take off up the hill, the second at a sign urging you to stay on the official trail. Both lead to Indefatigable Outlier. But why not bag another viewpoint? Continue on the official trail to its end at a bench.

GOING FARTHER
Mt. Indefatigable South 2646 m add 1.3 km, height gain 933 m from trailhead. Did you know Walter Wilcox made the first ascent in 1901 after lunch? The fact is Indefatigable's south summit is nothing more than a strenuous walk up steep slopes. There's nothing to be scared of unless you count the final two hundred metres, which are slightly exposed and entirely optional.

The starting point is Indefatigable trail at the top of the ridge. As soon as the official trail levels, turn first left onto a narrower trail trending uphill through spruce, larch and heather. At a flat stretch an arrow made of branches laid on the ground points you up an even narrower trail to the left. Follow it through a glade to flagging, then either follow flagging or the trail to its left that the flagging joins higher up. This gets you started up a broad grassy ridge.
Initially the trail veers right (view of Indefatigable Outlier), but after the gully on the left dies out, swings left across grass to another broad ridge. Look for it crossing patches of shale.

Toil up the new ridge on grass. When the ridge steepens, becoming rocky, the trail enters a shallow scoop on the left and splits, the easier option climbing diagonally right to left across the scoop on good firm rubble. Top out on the south ridge at a cairn.

Ahead is a view to die for: Upper Kananaskis Lake with a backdrop of blue mountain shapes receding into the distance. When the sun is west of south it puts a glitter on the water and a shine on the icefields and nevés about Mt. Joffre. Farther to the right you can pick out the routes to Aster Lake, Three Isle Lake and Invincible Lake, and identify such notable peaks as the Royal Group and Sir Douglas.

The view doesn't change much as you plod up a low-angle scree ridge to the repeater station (boxes and aerial). Either call it a day or carry on to the true summit across Wilcox's "several hundred yards of knife edge". It certainly gives you a taste of the moderately difficult scramble between the two peaks: a dramatic narrowing, a drop on the right, scree and slabs on the left, a sudden feeling of exposure. After setting up his tripod Wilcox found no room to stand behind his camera and "had to focus and expose plates by a method adapted to such emergencies".
Indefatigable Outlier 2484 m add 1.8 km, height gain 762 m from trailhead. A less strenuous option is Indefatigable's eastern outlier at GR298132, a good choice if you love flowery meadows. This is also the cross country route to Gypsum Quarry.

From behind the bench a trail sneaks up the hillside into the larch and glacier lily belt. Turn right at the next two T-junctions.

The trail traverses steep hillside to a meadow crammed with Valerians and Indian Paintbrushes all the colours of nail varnish. On the right is a useful side trail leading to a spring. Continue past a seasonal pond and up a draw as if making for the col between the outlier (on the right) and the north summit of Mt. Indefatigable (a moderately difficult scramble with a lot of loose rubble). A faint trail does, indeed, climb to the col at GR297329 which is the route to Gypsum Tarns and Gypsum Quarry (#88). The main trail, however, heads right, making for the south ridge of the outlier. It's here you'll find long-stemmed fleabanes that blur to a purple haze on hillsides dropping away to the escarpment edge-a wonderful sight never forgotten.

The trail peters out and the ridge, now covered by scree, rises more sharply above the drop-off and features dozens of unnecessary cairns constructed either by people with energy to spare or by a Scout group. The final summit cairn occupies an airy spot on the edge of the escarpment which here attains its greatest height. Added to Lower Kananaskis Lake and the Opal Range is a new view up the Smith-Dorrien Valley. Remarkably, the whole of route #88 can be traced from Gypsum Quarry through to Gypsum Tarns and up to the col below you.

Descent variations Walk down to the col. Turn left and descend a faint trail on the west side of the shaley gully to join your upgoing route. Another variation occurs after the traverse. Instead of turning left, go straight. Keep left (Mt. Indefatigable trail to right) and arrive back on the official trail at the sign.