East Wiwaxy Peak (2705m) and Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit

October 12, 2024

This expedition and location and time of year are just my absolute favourite ever. When Greg and I realized that we could walk up the 11km road to Lake O’Hara relatively easy, we searched the map for a nearby peak. The East towers of Wiwaxy Peak are reached via scramble and can be climbed as a detour when reversing the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit. Fun fact: the other West tower of the mountain is not the highest summit, but boasts a beautiful alpine climb that is known for the same views we had while climbing the East towers. We will definitely send the route on the West tower eventually.

The hike up to the lake was super chill, with epic views of various mountain peaks rising behind the trees that lined the road. Arriving at Lake O’Hara was like crossing into another world. The beauty of the lake and mountains towering above was surreal. I’m pretty sure we hopped through a portal into Middle Earth; Beleriand in the North maybe…

We gained a lot of elevation pretty quick. Soon we were at the Wiwaxy Gap (the col between Mount Huber and the Wiwaxy Peaks), and looking up at the summit that loomed only a couple hundred metres above. Crampons on and I soon found myself shimmying along an exposed ledge on a vertical section of wall with my face nearly pressed up against some bolts in the rock (this was a case where I understood how protection might be nice). We climbed up some snow-covered rubbly slopes and continued our traverse West, eventually scrambling up to the dip between the 1st & 2nd East pinnacles. We were now doing some serious scrambling on slushy and snowy rock. Luckily there were lots of little dry sections of rock protruding out of the snow, creating some good holds. After a couple quick and pretty exposed sections, we came to the final notch which required traversing a steep gully. We got some epic photos here. Right after came the summit and with not a lick of wind, we were able to set up for a nice break and really chill (a rare opportunity on a summit - especially in October). As we were taking photos, I suddenly heard the sound of thunder and realized there was an avalanche shredding through a gulley on nearby Mount Huber. This happened several times on different aspects of the mountain and was awesome to witness.

After some lollies and food we headed back to the Wiwaxy Gap. The descent presented a breathtaking perspective of the legendary views of the Alpine Circuit: a high mountain trek that loops around Lake O’Hara through the surrounding mountain ledges, lakes and high terraces. There are several alpine passes connected to the loop that turn away to climb over to the other side of the mountainous wall surrounding Lake O’Hara. Mount Huber, Glacier and Ringrose Peaks, Mounts Hungabee and Biddle, Odaray Mountain and Cathedral Mountain are some of my favourite. Yukness Mountain juts inwards from the wall and its summit is reached via a moderate scramble (on the list for next summer). We enjoyed views of Lake Oesa, Hungabee Lake and many more small lakes and ponds. An unnamed viewpoint on the map was our destination for golden hour and sunset. We both agreed that these were now the best views either of us had ever seen.

The hike back down to Lake O’Hara in the dark was a vibe. We took a Heineken break on the dock and then got to work on the return hike. The moon and stars were mesmerizing. We eventually reached the car after racking up 36km and over 1400m gain. I will never forget this legendary day. Lake O’Hara - I’ll be back soon 🏔️🐉❄️