There's a reason why I wrote climbing up to Ha Ling Peak and not hiking. This trail is like a Stairmaster, it's pretty much up the entire way. Situated above the town of Canmore, it's further up Mount Lawrence Grassi from my last hiking post. In fact this one takes you right up almost to the top of the mountain.
The trail starts above the Rundle Forebay reservoir, you cross a canal and it's relatively flat for about a hundred steps. From here on out prepare to work those calves.
They recently rebuilt the trail, it was closed in 2022. The upgraded parking lot and steps were a welcomed addition. After a while trails can wear out and erosion or avalanches makes them dangerous.
They installed some fences with rails so people won't go scrambling all over the hill loosening stones. This is a fairly popular hike and it is easily accessible. It's one of the easiest peaks to conquer, especially now.
They added some stairs which is rare on mountain trails in Alberta. Banff, Jasper and Kananaskis have very few if any trails up almost to the top of the mountain that are this well maintained.
The map at the bottom shows how high up the maintained trail goes. It's about 7.5 kilometers to the peak and back, you ascend 755m up to 2474m above sea-level. There are great views the entire way.
A few areas warn of avalanche danger. This isn't a significant problem in July. One could assume some of the bravest folk climb this peak all year round. Bring clamp-ons as slipping could mean sliding a few hundred meters down.
Like any mountain, the views get better and the trees grow thinner as you get higher up. Shade became a luxury on a hot day and we went through a lot of water.
With the sun beating down upon us, there was only one way to go, up. In the background you can into the Spray river valley almost all the way to Banff.
This is the sign that marks the end of the maintained trail. From here on out, you would want excellent footwear to continue. Maybe even a hundred meters before this sign. Not everyone is brave enough to continue and who am I to argue. We were supposed to take an easy hike this Saturday and this was enough adventure for one afternoon.
The trail is dedicated to those who worked the mines in Canmore. I believe Ha Ling was some Chinese railway worker who first climbed the peak so they named it in his honor.
After a grueling hike on a hot summer's day, the parking lot was a welcomed sight. You need a Kananaskis pass to park here but other than that it is free. It's a good place to start many adventures.
Thanks for reading.
All photos are taken with an s22 and are unfiltered