Northwest Ridge - Overview
The summit view from Nigel Peak has to be seen to be appreciated, with the Columbia Icefield and all of its peaks and glaciers off to the west and the Front Ranges to the east. On a clear day it is possible to view twenty-two of the Rocky Mountains' 11,000 foot peaks, according to Alan Kane, author of Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. This route is a non-technical scramble, however you will expend a large amount of energy getting to the top. The peak is very loose with questionable rock quality, the scree is as deep and loose and steep as it can possibly be, and the route is long but rewarding.
The summit view from Nigel Peak has to be seen to be appreciated, with the Columbia Icefield and all of its peaks and glaciers off to the west and the Front Ranges to the east. On a clear day it is possible to view twenty-two of the Rocky Mountains' 11,000 foot peaks, according to Alan Kane, author of Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. This route is a non-technical scramble, however you will expend a large amount of energy getting to the top. The peak is very loose with questionable rock quality, the scree is as deep and loose and steep as it can possibly be, and the route is long but rewarding.
Northwest Ridge Approach
Most people start from the Wilcox Campground, 2.7 km south of theColumbia Icefield Centre on Highway 93, the Icefield Parkway. This big new establishment is located 189 km north of Banff, Alberta, or 103 km south of Jasper, Alberta, right across the highway from the huge Athabasca Glacier.
The actual trail can be hard to find, but you don't need it. There's no real bushwhacking involved; just leave the campground and hike up the steep side of Wilcox Pass through the trees, making sure to stay to the left of the small stream that is a drainage for the entire Nigel Peak massif. This stream runs through the campground. In twenty minutes to half an hour, you will find yourself at the lower, southerly end of Wilcox Pass, a large, colorful, undulating expanse of small coolies, hummocks and a multi-hued carpet of wildflowers and moss.
Wilcox Pass is about 2 miles long and at least a half mile or more wide, if memory serves me correctly. From here, the straightforward hike to either Nigel Peak or Mt. Wilcox is laid out for you. You merely have to hike straight to the peak of your choice and select a route. The beauty of the Pass and the already-awesome views of Mt. Athabasca, Mt. Andromeda, Snow Dome, Mt. Kitchener and other giants of the Continental Divide immediately lull you into a slower hike than you might prefer, and it takes a conscious effort here to hike to Nigel Peak to begin your route, and not to simply stop and start taking pictures as you take in the view.
Most people start from the Wilcox Campground, 2.7 km south of the
The actual trail can be hard to find, but you don't need it. There's no real bushwhacking involved; just leave the campground and hike up the steep side of Wilcox Pass through the trees, making sure to stay to the left of the small stream that is a drainage for the entire Nigel Peak massif. This stream runs through the campground. In twenty minutes to half an hour, you will find yourself at the lower, southerly end of Wilcox Pass, a large, colorful, undulating expanse of small coolies, hummocks and a multi-hued carpet of wildflowers and moss.
Wilcox Pass is about 2 miles long and at least a half mile or more wide, if memory serves me correctly. From here, the straightforward hike to either Nigel Peak or Mt. Wilcox is laid out for you. You merely have to hike straight to the peak of your choice and select a route. The beauty of the Pass and the already-awesome views of Mt. Athabasca, Mt. Andromeda, Snow Dome, Mt. Kitchener and other giants of the Continental Divide immediately lull you into a slower hike than you might prefer, and it takes a conscious effort here to hike to Nigel Peak to begin your route, and not to simply stop and start taking pictures as you take in the view.
Northwest Ridge - Route Description
Once you have reached the scree slopes of the obvious Northwest Ridge, start hiking up. As a starting point you should aim for the most southerly point of this ridge, where it curls around to the east to meet the main summit massif. This will allow you to bypass the pinnacles located further down the ridge to your left. The pinnacles are climbable, but very time consuming, with exposure to a long, roughand potentially fatal slide. Start slogging your way up the never-ending scree, and marvel at the wide pools of scree you will see sliding slowly downhill, passing you as you grunt your way up.
This face is loose, and you will be accustomed quickly to taking two steps up, and sliding back down a step. After what will seem like an eternity, you will reach the crest of the Northwest Ridge, just south of the last pinnacle. Here, the ridge is broad and rounded, and is easily hiked as you curl around it off to the left and begin the moderate scramble to the point where the ridge intersects the north bowl of the main massif.
There is a set of very friable, rotten rock steps here - head down just a few feet and work your way around the extremely loose and steep bowl until you reach the final summit ridge, which is the crux of this big scramble.
From this point you can either climb up the crest of the very rotten rock and boulder ridge, which overlooks a small but moderately-sloped glacier on your left, or you can don crampons and get out your ice ax and hike easily up the edge of the glacier itself for the last few hundred feet. This option is only for those already skilled in the use of ice ax and crampons, as this is no place to learn the use of these mountaineering tools.
Once you have reached the scree slopes of the obvious Northwest Ridge, start hiking up. As a starting point you should aim for the most southerly point of this ridge, where it curls around to the east to meet the main summit massif. This will allow you to bypass the pinnacles located further down the ridge to your left. The pinnacles are climbable, but very time consuming, with exposure to a long, roughand potentially fatal slide. Start slogging your way up the never-ending scree, and marvel at the wide pools of scree you will see sliding slowly downhill, passing you as you grunt your way up.
This face is loose, and you will be accustomed quickly to taking two steps up, and sliding back down a step. After what will seem like an eternity, you will reach the crest of the Northwest Ridge, just south of the last pinnacle. Here, the ridge is broad and rounded, and is easily hiked as you curl around it off to the left and begin the moderate scramble to the point where the ridge intersects the north bowl of the main massif.
There is a set of very friable, rotten rock steps here - head down just a few feet and work your way around the extremely loose and steep bowl until you reach the final summit ridge, which is the crux of this big scramble.
From this point you can either climb up the crest of the very rotten rock and boulder ridge, which overlooks a small but moderately-sloped glacier on your left, or you can don crampons and get out your ice ax and hike easily up the edge of the glacier itself for the last few hundred feet. This option is only for those already skilled in the use of ice ax and crampons, as this is no place to learn the use of these mountaineering tools.
I climbed the ridge crest because I did not have crampons with me, and I didn't trust an ice ax-only belay in the event that I slipped on this glacier. It's a long way down from this point, and a fall would likely result in a severe injury or fatality. While climbing the crest I pulled off a three hundred pound boulder (one of my "holds") and watched it crash onto the glacier twenty feet below and quickly disappear out of sight, noisily making its way to the bottom of the east face.
Finish this ridge, and within a half an hour you are on the summit, a wide, rounded pile of scree with a cairn on top, and a dominating view of the Columbia Icefield to the west, the Front Ranges to the east, Banff National Park to the south, and Jasper National Park to the north. To the southeast you will see the subsidiary southeast summit of Nigel Peak at least a mile away. However, one look at the long, hazardous connecting ridge will probably dispell any urge you may have to link these summits with a traverse.
Descend the route by the same way you came up. Do not cross the difficult ground of the drainage on your left, as this will lead you too far south; lower down you will be cliffed out and forced to hike too far down Wilcox Pass. If you do so, you could end up two miles further down the Icefield Parkway, and at the wrong campground. Then it will be an extra long highway trudge back to Wilcox Campground where you left your car. It would be preferable to avoid that, after the physically hard day you've just endured.
Finish this ridge, and within a half an hour you are on the summit, a wide, rounded pile of scree with a cairn on top, and a dominating view of the Columbia Icefield to the west, the Front Ranges to the east, Banff National Park to the south, and Jasper National Park to the north. To the southeast you will see the subsidiary southeast summit of Nigel Peak at least a mile away. However, one look at the long, hazardous connecting ridge will probably dispell any urge you may have to link these summits with a traverse.
Descend the route by the same way you came up. Do not cross the difficult ground of the drainage on your left, as this will lead you too far south; lower down you will be cliffed out and forced to hike too far down Wilcox Pass. If you do so, you could end up two miles further down the Icefield Parkway, and at the wrong campground. Then it will be an extra long highway trudge back to Wilcox Campground where you left your car. It would be preferable to avoid that, after the physically hard day you've just endured.
Essential Gear
Take an ice ax and crampons; even if you don't access the minor glacier at the final summit ridge, the ridge crest itself could still be snowed in early in the season. A helmet is a must, because you'll find yourself sitting unexpectedly slipping more than once during this loose, slippery ascent. Take at least a liter or more of water, as there is no source to be found up on the peak. A rain shell would be wise, and a good fleece jacket and a good pair of sturdy leather hiking boots are a must. This mountain is no place to try out a pair of lightweight hiking runners.
A rope is unnecessary, and you likely could not find a place on this peak that would reliably hold any trad gear or bolts anyway. Exposed areas simply require a lot of caution. A pair of hiking poles are indispensable here; they would save your lower back and legs a great deal of work, allowing you upper body to assist with the mind-numbing, endless task of ascending the scree of this peak.
Take an ice ax and crampons; even if you don't access the minor glacier at the final summit ridge, the ridge crest itself could still be snowed in early in the season. A helmet is a must, because you'll find yourself sitting unexpectedly slipping more than once during this loose, slippery ascent. Take at least a liter or more of water, as there is no source to be found up on the peak. A rain shell would be wise, and a good fleece jacket and a good pair of sturdy leather hiking boots are a must. This mountain is no place to try out a pair of lightweight hiking runners.
A rope is unnecessary, and you likely could not find a place on this peak that would reliably hold any trad gear or bolts anyway. Exposed areas simply require a lot of caution. A pair of hiking poles are indispensable here; they would save your lower back and legs a great deal of work, allowing you upper body to assist with the mind-numbing, endless task of ascending the scree of this peak.
Disclaimer - Hazard Warning
This is a big mountain. While not technical in nature, a climb of this peak requires an extreme amount of energy. Good mountain knowledge, recognition of conditions and experience are important on a major peak like Nigel. Winter ascents bring out the same hazardous conditions faced on any winter ascent of a Columbia Icefield mountain.
Unroped scrambling or climbing is dangerous. Climb at your own risk.
This is a big mountain. While not technical in nature, a climb of this peak requires an extreme amount of energy. Good mountain knowledge, recognition of conditions and experience are important on a major peak like Nigel. Winter ascents bring out the same hazardous conditions faced on any winter ascent of a Columbia Icefield mountain.
Unroped scrambling or climbing is dangerous. Climb at your own risk.
Northwest Ridge - Miscellaneous Information-
There is a minor glacier on the east side of the mountain. Although it is not necessary to climb this glacier, (it can be bypassed by climbing several hundred feet of very crumbly 3rd class boulders and rock) great care must be taken not to fall onto it when climbing the loose, rocky crest of the final summit ridge. The glacier is moderately steep, and an unarrested fall would almost certainly result in a severe injury or fatality.
The option of climbing the edge of this glacier to a point just below the summit would likely be easier, quicker and safer than climbing the loose rock ridge, provided the climber was equipped with an ice ax, crampons, was skilled and experienced in their use, and stayed right at the edge of the glacier where it borders the rock up the final summit ridge.
Routes have been done up the northwest bowl of the main summit, but the rock is very loose, protection is dubious, and risk of a fall would be far greater to a climber on this face than one who simply chose to scramble up the ridge route. It would be prudent to remember that there is a good variety of wildlife in this area; grizzly and black bears, cougars, elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, marmots, wolves and coyotes abound here. If you camp here, keep your food away from the tent and out of the tent, if you use one. I do not know if "bear barrels" are required for the transportation of food in the backcountry here; the Park Wardens would be able to answer that question.
There are 1175 meters / 3820 feet of vertical gain from trailhead to summit on this mountain.
There is a minor glacier on the east side of the mountain. Although it is not necessary to climb this glacier, (it can be bypassed by climbing several hundred feet of very crumbly 3rd class boulders and rock) great care must be taken not to fall onto it when climbing the loose, rocky crest of the final summit ridge. The glacier is moderately steep, and an unarrested fall would almost certainly result in a severe injury or fatality.
The option of climbing the edge of this glacier to a point just below the summit would likely be easier, quicker and safer than climbing the loose rock ridge, provided the climber was equipped with an ice ax, crampons, was skilled and experienced in their use, and stayed right at the edge of the glacier where it borders the rock up the final summit ridge.
Routes have been done up the northwest bowl of the main summit, but the rock is very loose, protection is dubious, and risk of a fall would be far greater to a climber on this face than one who simply chose to scramble up the ridge route. It would be prudent to remember that there is a good variety of wildlife in this area; grizzly and black bears, cougars, elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, marmots, wolves and coyotes abound here. If you camp here, keep your food away from the tent and out of the tent, if you use one. I do not know if "bear barrels" are required for the transportation of food in the backcountry here; the Park Wardens would be able to answer that question.
There are 1175 meters / 3820 feet of vertical gain from trailhead to summit on this mountain.
Northwest Ridge - Acknowledgements and Photo Credits
The information contained on the Northwest Ridge route page has been compiled by Henry Timmer, a Canadian citizen, mountaineer and adventurer currently residing in Sacramento, California, USA. To make comments, corrections, additions or inquiries, contact me atclimbwild@hotmail.com
The information contained on the Northwest Ridge route page has been compiled by Henry Timmer, a Canadian citizen, mountaineer and adventurer currently residing in Sacramento, California, USA. To make comments, corrections, additions or inquiries, contact me at