Mt. Fairview - Lake Louise

SB - Saddleback Mtn

Mt Fairview

Scramble: Class 1 – Steep Hiking

Altitude: 2,744m (9,000 ft)

Elevation Gain: 1,000m (3,280 ft)

Ascent Time: 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 Hours

Best Season to Scramble: June to September

Highlights

This scramble offers a great viewpoint for some of the best big mountain scenery in the Rockies and is aptly named. The first two thirds of the route is on a wide well maintained trail.

Getting There

Head west out of Calgary on the TransCanada highway # 1 to the Lake Louise town-site 187km (116.9 miles). If your base is Banff head west on the TransCanada for 56km (35.0 miles) to the Lake Louise town-site. There is only one exit so keep your eye out for it. Go straight through the town-site and up the hill to the Lake Louise hotel parking lot (around 4-km more). Park in the lower or upper parking lot. Washrooms are in the parking lot.

Route Description

You need to access the Saddleback trail either from the boathouse near the lake or through the upper parking lot. From the upper parking lot there is a side trail that intersects with the Saddleback trail. Once on the Saddleback trail it is 3.7km (2.3 miles) to the col between Mt Fairview and Saddleback Mtn. At .4 km go straight ahead and do not take the right hand trail to Fairview lookout. At .8km keep right and at 2.4km the trail splits again, keep right, then right again on the trail that goes directly up to the col. From the col head right on the well-worn path as it winds its way up the southeast slopes to the summit.