Summer Camp at Bow Hut
Story by John Pert and Damien Brown-Graham for the 2025 Gazette
In July of 2024, 10 members of the Ottawa Section of the ACC gathered for another great adventure in the Rocky Mountains. Our plan was to hike up to the Bow Hut and spend time on the glaciers and peaks of the Wapta Icefields. We had excellent weather and great times with good friends.
We met at the Clubhouse in Canmore and set off on our first adventure – heading to the local grocery store for the serious business of fueling up. Soon after we were on the road to Lake Louise for two nights at the hostel.
From Lake Louise we climbed Cirque Peak (2,993m), a popular hike along the Icefields Parkway, and were entertained by playful marmots along the way. This big day (more than 1,000 metres elevation gain) helped us prepare for the main event of our trip, four nights at Bow Hut.
The hike from Bow Lake up to the hut began at 7:00 am. The route to the hut is well travelled and crosses a giant boulder that forms a natural bridge over a steep canyon and creek. We arrived at the hut late in the morning and spent the afternoon practicing crevasse rescue skills in preparation for the days ahead.
We left the hut at 4:30 am the next day and moved across the glacier in two rope teams heading toward our first objective: Mount Rhondda (3,062m). A couple hours of glacier travel, thankfully with no crevasses, led to some gentle slopes, an abandoned weather station, and eventually the summit. We returned after a stop at the Onion, a smaller peak with nice views of the hut and Bow Lake below.
The following day we left the hut as two rope teams once again, but this time with the intention of parting ways at a col and climbing two different peaks: Mt. Olive and St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas Peak (2,938m) is a striking mountain, easily spotted from many places on the Wapta. The peak is not a long way from the hut, but the climb involves some scrambling and exposure that requires calculated movements. The east side is a very long and steep slope, and the west side is a sheer drop. The team short roped some sections for safety. The summit gives amazing views of the surrounding mountains and the crevassed glaciers below.
From the Olive / St. Nicholas col, the second team gained elevation on a classic, steep snow slope to the ridge. Each stage of the journey revealed scenic vistas with the northern fringe of the Vulture Glacier and Crowfoot Mountain dominating the view to the east, and the great expanse of the Wapta across to Mt. Gordon and beyond to the West. To top it off, the beautiful line of the full length of the ridge of Mt. Olive, back towards the col and over St Nicholas Peak, was laid out to the north. The weather continued to be excellent and one of our rope teams was able to complete both climbs in the same day.
The Bow Hut came alive that night with John Pert’s “Magic in the Mountains” show. His entertaining performance created a special evening full of fun and laughter for the hut guests. Ice chopped from the toe of the mighty Bow Glacier became the rocks for the evening’s dram of whisky.
Before sunrise, five climbers roped up for the final objective of our Bow Hut trip, Mount Gordon (3,161m). The weather had been cooperative all week and today was no exception. We traversed the glacier en route to a massive wind scooped area that led us to the shoulder of the peak. We fastened our crampons for a steep section that brought us onto the ridge and on to the summit. Below us was a stunning and beautiful turquoise tarn filled with giant pieces of ice.
We returned to the highway the following day, with a quick detour to the beautiful Bow Glacier Falls.
Climbing mountains and enjoying the friendship of each other made for a wonderful Ottawa Section summer camp.
Regional ACC Sections are the Alpine Club of Canada’s strength. Membership in an ACC Section enables members to participate in numerous summer and winter mountaineering, rock climbing, and skiing activities, coordinated by experienced amateur leaders in their local area. The majority of activities offered by sections are either free or are offered on a break-even basis to their members. Through ACC Section trips you’ll learn all the basics you need to travel safely in the mountains, while meeting new friends to enjoy your experiences with.
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