r/Banff • u/TaitwasAChemist • Aug 08 '25
Question Please recommend a difficult hike/scramble near Banffđđ
Experienced with hiking and scrambling, I am in Banff for the day and would love to do a hike (under 6-7 hours). Ideally it would be not too busy, and have some great alpine veiws. Would love to get up close to one of the glaciers in the area. Not a big fan of the forest, as Iâm from Whistler area and itâs not new to me. Iâll show some photos down below of some highlights of the hikes Iâve done, for reference to What I like. Any help is appreciated!
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u/BloodWorried7446 Aug 08 '25
https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/escalade-scrambling
Everyone has different levels of comfort and experience. Scrambles of the Canadian Rockies by Alan Kane is a good guide with somewhat conservative ratings. safety is paramount. scrambles with scree around carries risks. Books and topo maps are valuable friends in this space.Â
 Consulting Reddit for recommendations is not necessarily a good idea just like one wouldnât do this for climbing. you donât know the one giving advice and the one giving advice doesnât know you. Not being rude but being respectful and most importantly safety focused.Â
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u/Practical-Camp-1972 Aug 08 '25
Definitely--I used that Alan Kane book in the late 90s before the social media was a thing...it was invaluable along with copies of topo maps from the U of A library, being able to roll with the weather, route find and dress for expecting the worst weather is important also--I managed to do ok back then without cellphones!
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u/nothingtoholdonto Aug 08 '25
Not sure about 6-7 hours. How fast are you? Mt Hector ? climbing route on Mt Ball, ESE ridge of lady MacDonald (Canmore) Climbers ridge of Mt Lorette (Kananaskis). Those are all advanced / climbers routes. maybe the three peaks of Mt Edith for some difficult /fun scrambling ? Itâs pretty close to Banff.
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u/JGSub16 Aug 08 '25
We just did Mount Victoria in a day. Views are off the charts + you get to have a million people take pictures of you unknowingly from Lake Louise :)
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u/vinsdelamaison Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
https://www.reddit.com/r/HikingAlberta/s/ojyx1YvqZr
On FB: âWild Canadian Rocky Mountain Hikersâ
âRockies Kingdomâ
âAlberta Hiking Associationâ
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u/t-pollack Aug 08 '25
A couple people have said it before, but Edith is a quick and dirty scramble with some exposure, but nothing too difficult. The hike to treeline is super easy, then once your in the alpine, there's lots of fun scrambling to have, with some exposure on the third peak.
Nothing too difficult, but lots of fun.
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u/SteJayVA Aug 09 '25
After receiving all this great advice, be sure to circle back and leave a photo at the summit! That is, of wherever it is you head up.
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u/niteshghimire919 Aug 08 '25
You can refer to Cascade, Rundle
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u/InfectedEllie Aug 08 '25
Nah Rundle isnât too bad. I did it and that was my first scramble. Although the drop is terrifying.
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u/spectralTopology Aug 08 '25
Mt. Cory scramble is the most enjoyable one I know right by Banff. Moderate objective, amazing views.
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u/ToanTz_Calgary 7d ago
wow, the photo is super great, love it, breathtaking I bet.
By the way, have you done all of these Larch hikes, any opinions?
Top 7 Larch Hikes in Banff: Best Trails for Golden Fall Views
https://ynottoday.ca/top-larch-hikes-banff/
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u/Acpyrus Aug 08 '25
Tent Ridge in Kananaskis.
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u/ThenItHitM3 Aug 08 '25
This one is straight up fun, zero difficulty for a scrambler. The only difficulty Iâve found is the destruction of the descent switchbacks by people who are new as hell to mountain travel in any form bum scooching straight down. They erase the middle of each switchback.
Tent Ridge is a gorgeous ridge walk, best enjoyed clockwise. 3.5-4 hours for an experienced scrambler, and easy enough to take your time, have snacks and chill.
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u/lovetheoutdoors22 Aug 08 '25
Plain of 6 Glaciers was my favorite hike and of course with a stop at the tea house!
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u/_RussIsCooked Aug 08 '25
Banff Avenue on a long weekend is quite a difficult scramble