Sun, Jun 27 2010 - Mt. Saint Piran, Devil's Thumb and Plain of Six Glaciers (View Original Event Details)
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Well, what can I say about this trip? With some last minute cancellations, it was just the three of us that took on the challenge of this trip. Most typically done in two or three separate trips, I decided to take on all the attractions on the north side of Lake Louise within a day. While it may be impossible for many to do it all, I would highly recommend doing Mount Saint Piran and Devil's Thumb together. Although Saint Piran is typically the more popular of the two, Devil's Thumb is a great viewpoint to see both Lake Louise and Lake Agnes in parallel. The view up there is definitely more open compared to the Big Beehive.
We were definitely a fast group, getting to the summit of Mount Saint Piran in an hour and 45 minutes from the parking lot, with photo stops. Of course, with the speed, we were able to take our time at the summits (at least 45 minutes on each spot). With the early start, we were able to climb up the trail to Lake Agnes in relative peace and enjoy mostly clear skies at each of the summits. However, it began raining when we were hiking towards Plain of Six Glaciers. Overall, we took a little more than 9 hours to travel over 25km with 1650m elevation gain.
One final note: Never put your cell phone in your pant's pocket while scrambling. A slight slip resulted in my phone's screen being crushed! Now that the iPhone 4 is coming, I can hardly wait for it to be released in Canada.
Thanks Anatoly and Zofia for the energy you both provided on this trip!
Derek