Pocaterra Ridge

Dist: 9.8km    Elev: 790m    Summit: 8760'    Time: 5h    Difficulty: 3/5

The "Counsellor Bros" decided it had been too long since our last outing, so Elliot and Gavin and I planned a weekday trip to Sarrail Ridge to finally conquer the objective that has thwarted us last November due to a high avalanche risk. Despite a forecast of rain and overcast skies, we figured today would be the day we finally completed our goal. After parking in the wet Upper Kananaskis Lake parking lot and making our way around the shore, were surprised to find the Rawson Lake trail closed due to bear activity in the area a few days prior. It was at this moment I realized I had checked the weather forecast many times, yet completely neglected to consult trail reports before leaving the house. Rookie mistake. Fortunately, after only a mild debate regarding the safety of possible alternatives, the three of us agreed on another highly reviewed ridge walk in the area - Pocaterra Ridge. We returned to Highway 40 and swiftly made our way south to the Ptarmigan Cirque parking lot.

The trail began by climbing gradually through a forested labyrinth of marshy trails, which we all agreed would have been rather confusing without GPS assistance. Thankfully, we navigated out of the woods and into Pocaterra Cirque without any significant issues and from here the views were continually stunning as the trail meandered through various meadows and rock gardens and crossed a number of small streams and tarns. Even in the rain, this was a beautiful place to explore. After about an hour we arrived at the base of a grassy hill and began a steep and unyielding climb toward the ridge and summit. Multiple false summits provided both motivation and opportunities to refine our patience, and at last we arrived at the true summit and were treated to spectacular views of the Kananaskis Valley and the grassy/rocky Pocaterra Ridge before us. We stopped here for lunch and to rest our legs.

With the rain clearing and the sun threatening to break through the clouds, we decided to drop our packs and continue exploring the ridge. The trail was rocky and often barely discernible as we rapidly lost elevation and made our way towards the next "bump" of the ridge. It was here we discovered we were not alone, sighting dozens of bighorn sheep grazing on the steep eastern slopes. Once atop the grassy bump we were treated to sunshine and hints of blue sky as we admired the views in all directions before deciding to begin our return journey. At this point the sky decided to treat us to another round of showers and hail, which lasted for the remainder of the day. Despite less-than-ideal weather, the Pocaterra Ridge trail was a highly rewarding outing and many memories were made with two close friends.

Emerging into Pocaterra Cirque.

Small tarn along the way.

Pocaterra Ridge false summit.

Interesting rock formations along the trail.

Starting to climb.

Still in good spirits.

More climbing. The rocky trail becomes loose as we gain altitude.

Summit at last! Pocaterra Mountain (left) and Ridge (right).

Group shot.

Descending the ridge towards the nearest grassy bump.

There were dozens of sheep grazing below us.

Looking north. Highway 40 below. We were in the valley to the right just a few days prior for Rae Lake.

Heading back towards the summit.

We lost more elevation than expected.

One final summit panorama looking north.

Final descent.

Mt. Tyrwhtt towers above as we return to the meadows.