June 21, 2007, the weather forecast looked good. Therefore, we gathered in a large group and we headed to Lake Louise with the intention to hike Mount Temple. This peak is also known as Canadian Eiger for its alpine routes on the northern side. We hiked on the southwestern slopes where there is a scrambling route, quite long, involving a height gain of 1700 m, few steeper steps, but nothing too serious. The difficulty of this route can increase if the rocks are wet or if they are covered with snow or ice. Being one of the most accessible peeks over 11000 feet, it is often hiked, and as a result there are numerous cairns. The area constitutes a good habitat for grizzly bears and sometimes the hikers’ access in the area is prohibited or permitted only to groups of four or more.

The trailhead is close to Moraine Lake and it gains altitude through few large switchbacks towards Larch Valley. We had a short break at Minnestimma Lake to enjoy the scenery and we hiked towards Sentinel Pass.

In this picture the pass is visible in the center and on the right our destination.

The pass is a good spot for a break and while resting we were “assaulted” by chipmunks. The summer is short and they need plenty of provisions for the rough winter.

The route avoids few boulders and it has some steeper steps.

A lot of scree

Towards the top the slope’s slant increases and it is covered with scree. On the right side, on the eastern face, there are some huge cornices.

On top, we adventured few meters on the glacier.

View towards the Valley of Ten Peaks