Mount Rundle

Mount Rundle is an iconic mountain in Banff National Park. The scramble itself is easy, however the hike up this mountain is steep. Head to the Banff Springs golf course. Park your car and cross over the bridge. Just past the first fairway there is a road to the right. Follow it about 300m to the junction for Mount Rundle. The trail goes up through the trees, then starts to head right for the long approach. After about 45 minutes of hiking, you head up a dozen switchbacks. After heading right for a little longer, you come to a gully. Follow the trail down and cross for the gully. Look for the signs marking the trail on the other side. From here it gets steep, as you head straight up through the thinning trees. As you leave the trees, look for markers. Take note of where you left the trees and remember it for the way back. As you continue on, you encounter the Dragons Back. It is a narrow ridge and is very exposed. After you cross over the dragons back, follow the trail to the summit. The best trail is to stay to the left. I have taken another trail more central, and it did not go well. Stick to the left and the scree is not as bad. The route to the summit is straight forward and you get beautiful views of Cascade, Assiniboine, and Banff from the top. Follow the same route down. Roundtrip 7 hours.