Mt. Robson

  • Description

    The King of the Rockies! Mt. Robson is a jaw dropping, beautiful mountain that draws people in from all around the world. For many climbers, Mt. Robson is THE mountain that tops the list. It is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and has huge prominence as it rising almost 3000m from the valley floor to a height of 3959m or 12,989 feet. At that height, Mt, Robson is more than 200m (or 656′) higher than any other 11,000ers of the Canadian Rockies. The peak was first climbed on July 31st of 1913 by Albert MacCarthy, William Foster, and their guide, the famed Conrad Kain, in a monumental feat of perseverance, skill, and experience. The first ascent route followed the NE face and then the SE ridge to reach the summit. To this day, this first ascent route remains the most popular way to Robson’s summit, and is well known amongst climbers as the Kain Face, which refers to the NE face of the mountain where Kain cut more than 600 steps to achieve his finest mountain moment. The Kain Face route is still demanding for climbers, requiring lots of skill, experience, fitness, and even a bit luck. Summits are never a guarantee and The King of the Rockies thwarts many valiant attempts as its summit block is often cloud capped or producing its own weather, due to its dominance over the surrounding mountains. Anyone wishing to climb Mt. Robson with us should reach out via email (or phone) as their are many details to discuss.

    • Kain Face via the Patterson Spur, (IV 50° 300m). From the trailhead (850m), it’s a big 1 or 2 day push to get to the R-R col (2925m) or The Dome (3130m) via the Patterson Spur, which involves roughly 2100m elev. gain and +14km of travel by bicycle, hiking, scrambling, low angle climbing, and glacier travel. Provided all goes well, the next day would be the summit push (12-16hrs) via the Kain Face (NE face) and SE ridge to the top and then back to our chosen campsite. Any subsequent day(s) would be for the descent or for further climbing/weather days if needed/planned. Typical trips are between 3 to 5 days in length. The details for helicopter accessed trips will vary.
    • There are many other great routes up Mt. Robson, which can be discussed with guests individually.

  • Grade

    VI

  • Duration

    3-5 days

  • Aspect

    NE

  • Length

    12'989 / 3959m

  • Max Guiding Ratio

    1:1

  • Directions

    From Canmore, drive north to Jasper and then head west on Hwy. 16 till you arrive at Mt. Robson Provincial Park. The drive from Canmore is roughly 5hrs total.

  • Approach

    The main approach is from the south side via the Patterson Spur which positions you at the Robson-Resplendent col. Other approaches are from the north side via Berg Lake and the Robson Glacier, or by helicopter to Berg Lake or to The Dome, which is below the Kain Face.

  • Descent

    Often down your ascent route.

  • Routes Nearby

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