Rundle Triple Header
This past weekend I had three days off! I wanted to get outside and do something awesome each day. The weather forcast didn't look the best, but I began planning what I wanted to do so I would be prepared if we got some sun.
My list of events for the weekend:
Day 1- Rundlehorn 11 pitch rock climb
Day 2 - Tour de Rundle 50km x-country mountain bike ride
Day 3 - Run to Rundle summit
Day 1 - Saturday June 13, 2015 - Rundlehorn
My friend Leor and I have been looking to try a multipitch climb for a long time, and with his broken foot healing quite nicely (due to some hardcore physio work on his part) we decided this weekend would be a great chance to get out. For those who don't know what multipitch means, it's basically one rock climbing route (usually 10-20 meters) stacked on top of another. We call each section a 'pitch'. The route we decided on was an easy 11 pitch route graded at 5.5 (we usually climb 5.10+) called Rundlehorn. This route climbs the ridge up Mt. Rundle that emerges from the Banff Springs golf course.
I woke up early Saturday morning to check the weather forcast for the day. The night before it was calling for rain and thunderstorms, not the best climbing weather. The sun was out, but the interwebs called for clear skies most of the morning, with no weather moving in until the afternoon. I messaged Leor that the climb was a go, and we set out for the foot of Rundle around 10am.
Having never done a multi before, we started out quite slowly. The climbing was easy, but it took some time to master the motions of setting up an anchor and safely belaying my partner up. After 5 pitches we reached a short scramble section (no bolt protection). The wind picked up significantly, and we contemplated heading back down. After making it to the anchor on pitch 6, we were quite sheltered from the wind and decided to press on.
Top of Pitch 6
Waiting for Leor to come over the edge of Pitch 10
Leor on Pitch 10
Sitting at an anchor belaying Leor
The top 5 pitches were rather easy, and we topped out on the climb, 250 meters up, about three hours after we started. At the top we took a rest, ate some snacks, and talked about the trip back down. I even had enough time to Facetime with my Mom, Grandfather, and Grandmother!
On the way up I was able to link 2 pitches together a few times, to make 7 longer pitches. The way back down was a little different, and the rope is only long enough to repel down a single pitch at a time. Two long hours later we made the final repel, and were safely back on the ground! What a thrill it was to have climbed up so high, using a mixture of climbing and rope skills to keep ourselves safe. This has put me one step closer to my main multipitch goal; climbing up the back of Tunnel Mountain!
To finish off the day, I ran from home up the trail to the top of Tunnel, a roughly 8km roundtrip.
At the top!
Panorama from the anchor of Pitch 5
Anchor of Pitch 5 with Leor on top of the scramble
Looking down on Pitch 1-4
Day 2 - Sunday June 14, 2015 - Tour de Rundle 50km
Today started with helping the boss move. It's actually the second time in one year I have helped Chris move, and the fourth move I've done while in Banff. It's pretty quick when you have the theatre crew, the theatre truck, and a prize of pizza and beer waiting at the end (I skipped the beer becuase I gave it up for my training). We started at 10am, and by 11:11 everything was in the new house and we were sitting on the porch eating pizza. Just in time for the rain to start.
I went home and changed into my biking gear, ready to get wet on the long ride to Canmore and back. As I set out, the clouds cleared away and the sun came out! My goal for the day was to circumnavigate around Mt. Rundle. Starting at the end of the Banff Springs golf course, the bike trail starts as a 10km single track along the banks of the Bow river. It was pretty technical, covered in roots, loose rocks and lots of mud. My biggest fear was coming up quickly on wildlife (bears, elk, cougars...) so I shouted into the woods for most of the ride. 45 Minutes in I had made it to the Canmore Nordic Centre, the home to Nordic events during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. From here, a long pretty flat gravel/paved road takes you 10km to the clubhouse, and the start of a gruelling 10km uphill to Whiteman's gap high above Canmore. At the top of the gravel road, I took a quick break to fuel up with a banana, and continued on the final 20km back to Banff. The last leg follows the Goat Creek Trail through Spray valley to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. This section was mostly downhill, and a well deserved rest for my tired legs!
Three hours after I set off, I was back in Banff. Tired and covered in mud, i slowly rode home. After cleaning up a little, I finished the day off with a leisurely stroll up Tunnel Mountain.
Return from the Tour
Day 3 - Monday June 15, 2015 - Run to Rundle Summit 16km
To finish off the trifecta weekend I decided to run the Mt. Rundle trail, to gauge my time for the big run. I had no intention to push very hard, as my legs were still feeling the 50km I had put on the bike the day before. I jogged from home, down to Bow Falls where the trail starts to warm up.
At the trailhead, I started the timer, and headed off down (actually up) the trail towards the top. It starts off quite steep, and then traverses along the side of the mountain, changing grade from flat-ish to steep along the way. I ran as many sections as I could, the whole time concentrating on my breathing. In no time I had made it to the section of switchbacks, and proceeded to take in an energy gel as fuel for the mean scramble ever looming before me. Once at the top of the switchbacks there is a short downhill section that takes you to a big gully, and then the slog straight up the mountain begins.
My legs began ache as I started high-stepping up through the woods. I tried to put the pain out of my mind, but it would not subside, and my progress was slow. I emerged from the trees, and looked up towards my goal; the summit. It seemed so far, but I put my head down, and one foot in front of the other, I slowly made my way up.
Looking up to the Summit from above the Dragons Back
The scariest part on Mt. Rundle is the Dragons Back, a narrow ridge only a few feet wide in sections, with 300 foot drops on either side. After sloggin up scree for what felt like hours, I finally made it to the summit ridge. I jogged along a narrow path to the highest point, sat down, and took a giant swig of Gatorade. I had made it to the top!!
On the Summit!
Looking over the edge
Summit ridge looking towards Banff
My mind quickly moved to the timer, still running on my phone. How long had it taken me to get to the top? 2.5 hrs? 3hrs? I guessed 2hrs 45m. I opened up my phone, and switched to the clock app.
The screen read 01:57:22.
Holy crap! I had just run up Mt. Rundle in under two hours.
'WAAAAAHOOOOO'
I yelled so loud I was sure people had heard me down in Banff! Never in a million years would I have thought I could manage such a great ascent time on this mean mountain. I quickly put on my gaiters (boot covers to keep rocks out), downed a cliff bar, and set off running along the ridge back towards town.
Looking down the Dragons Back
The best part of the way down is scree skiing. Basically it's when you quick step down flows of loose gravel, almost like skiing down on your shoes. If you have good balence and no fear, it's a quick way to the bottom. I zoomed past a few people making their way up, and was soon back in the woods.
I think my legs burned more on the way down than on the way up, becuase you must constantly keep the muscles engaged to prevent damage to your knees and ankles. A friend of mine once likend it to moving gracefully like a Puma, with knees bent trying to stay low to the ground. The trail back towards town went by in a flash, and I sprinted the final section to the trailhead. My roundtrip time was 03:05:28!
I walked all the way home with a smile on my face. I was hoping for five hours, and had totally smashed my expectations. When I got home a did a little research into the Fastest Known Time for Mt. Rundle. The most information I could find was a spreadsheet that listed FKT's for mountains around Banff. I scrolled down and found Mt. Rundle.
Here is a link to that spreadsheet:
Time: 3:30
Who: Will Gadd
Did I just set a FKT for Mt. Rundle??
I don't go around trying to set FKT's, but it's pretty cool to know you have put up a time that rivals a great athlete like Will Gadd. You may recognize him as the first man to ice climb Niagara Falls. He is a Canmore local, and someone I look to for inspiration.
As I contemplated this feat, I decided to end my day the only way I know how.
I left home, and headed to the summit of Tunnel Mountain!
