Jasper
"What did you do today Chloe?" "I went up a Candian mountain!" "Oh cool! Don't you have a bit of a fear of heights?" "Yup" ..."How'd that go?" "...erm...."
So we pulled in at 8.30 this morning. A good time to drop my bag and start with coffee. The place next door actually does flat whites, and they're pretty decent. Though they're also the most expensive thing on the menu.
After a coffee and a bit of a wander around the town and information centre I got a ticket for the shuttle and sky tram.
A quick change of shoes into running shoes (which I would be glad of later) and I was on the shuttle. According to wikipedia it's the longest aerial tramway in Canada. According to the operator it's 57 years old. About the guides on this thing, there were SO MANY KIWIS. Seriously, when I came down at the end I think I heard 5 of them. Back to the tram. It goes up the Whistler mountain starting from 1258 metres (6 degrees according to the sign) and goes to 2263 metres (0 degree Celsius according to the sign). The latter half of the trip made my stomach churn. So a key plot point to today is that I have a mild fear of heights. I can handle looking out from a mountain top, as long as there is a bunch of earth around me. Any kind of drop and I get shaky which just makes things harder.
The views at the top, wow. The photos of course don't do it justice. They said on the way up you could walk to the summit about a 1.2km walk. I was a little unsure about doing the walk alone but when we got to the top you could see a trail of people going up the side of the mountain so I figured I wouldn't really be alone. I saw a sign saying moderate track and thought "cool I can handle that". Turns out that was referring to some of the tracks...not all of which are entirely visible as some are still buried under snow. I followed the trail of people though. The climb started fine. Then got quite steep. Turns out all the walking I've done on this trip didn't entirely prepare me for this climb. Then it got sludgy under foot where the snow had freshly melted, and the track dropped off to the side. I started to get quite nervous and thought about turning back, but decided I had to try to push on. So slow careful steps up, another turning point where my stomach did a few flips and I thought again whether I could handle going on as it meant coming back down that same sludgy steep footing. I got a bit further on and found a sign which showed that actually the moderate tracks looped or zig zagged up, but couldn't be seen clearly, so I'd been on the difficult tracks. It explained a lot. I could see that the next section was pretty snowy so I decided that was as far as I'd go. I'd scared myself enough today. I'd said to a British dude on the way up that it was a curious thing for a person with a fear of heights to do. He passed me on his way back down and I asked if he'd made it to the summit and he said yep and I confessed I'd turned before the snow. He made me feel better by saying "that's great, just push yourself past that first bit of fear and that's an achievement" (or something along those lines, I don't remember the exact words).
I came back down slowly, stopping to eat my sandwich and take photos and thought I'd kill time up the top before the next shuttle. After wandering around a bit the sun came out and I decided I had so much time and nothing else planned for the day so I should give it another go.
I went up much quicker this time, having done it before. The snowy part I'd seen was pretty slippery, but there was a pathway that was almost down to the dirt so it was ok. After a bit more easyish track I saw the last 250 metres or so. Across snow. Deep snow. There were a trail of footprints across the top showing it could be done, though a few where you saw the danger of stepping off the compacted snow. Parent's you may want to look away at this point.
I asked a couple I passed if it was walkable and they said yes, a bit slippery, but they'd done it. So I decided I had to give it a go. I was glad I had running shoes at least, but really wished they were still hiring our snow shoes (the guide on the way up had said they weren't needed. He lied). Another couple I passed had said it wasn't much further and pointed to some sticks but also said (when I asked) that no one else was up there. I pushed on to the first lot of sticks, bringing me to about two thirds of the way across the snow and realised there was still more to go. At this point I looked around and could see some grey clouds gathering in the previously sunny skies and the couple I had passed well on their way back. This was where I decided to quit again. The 360 views may have been amazing, but they didn't seem worth being that stupid tourist that got stuck up the mountain, and without a rain coat as I'd stupidly left that in my other bag. So I took off back across the snow as quickly as possible. Writing this out now it seems pretty mundane, but I was pretty freaked and hyped at the time. I'm pleased I tried, and that I got as far as I did. But I'm ok with not making it to the summit this time.
Now I'm checked in to my hostel and thinking of dinner. I've got my Columbia icefields tour tomorrow, and I've just booked a tour up to Maligne lake for my final day. The walks on those will be far less stressful I'm sure.
So we pulled in at 8.30 this morning. A good time to drop my bag and start with coffee. The place next door actually does flat whites, and they're pretty decent. Though they're also the most expensive thing on the menu.
After a coffee and a bit of a wander around the town and information centre I got a ticket for the shuttle and sky tram.
A quick change of shoes into running shoes (which I would be glad of later) and I was on the shuttle. According to wikipedia it's the longest aerial tramway in Canada. According to the operator it's 57 years old. About the guides on this thing, there were SO MANY KIWIS. Seriously, when I came down at the end I think I heard 5 of them. Back to the tram. It goes up the Whistler mountain starting from 1258 metres (6 degrees according to the sign) and goes to 2263 metres (0 degree Celsius according to the sign). The latter half of the trip made my stomach churn. So a key plot point to today is that I have a mild fear of heights. I can handle looking out from a mountain top, as long as there is a bunch of earth around me. Any kind of drop and I get shaky which just makes things harder.
Going up
The views at the top, wow. The photos of course don't do it justice. They said on the way up you could walk to the summit about a 1.2km walk. I was a little unsure about doing the walk alone but when we got to the top you could see a trail of people going up the side of the mountain so I figured I wouldn't really be alone. I saw a sign saying moderate track and thought "cool I can handle that". Turns out that was referring to some of the tracks...not all of which are entirely visible as some are still buried under snow. I followed the trail of people though. The climb started fine. Then got quite steep. Turns out all the walking I've done on this trip didn't entirely prepare me for this climb. Then it got sludgy under foot where the snow had freshly melted, and the track dropped off to the side. I started to get quite nervous and thought about turning back, but decided I had to try to push on. So slow careful steps up, another turning point where my stomach did a few flips and I thought again whether I could handle going on as it meant coming back down that same sludgy steep footing. I got a bit further on and found a sign which showed that actually the moderate tracks looped or zig zagged up, but couldn't be seen clearly, so I'd been on the difficult tracks. It explained a lot. I could see that the next section was pretty snowy so I decided that was as far as I'd go. I'd scared myself enough today. I'd said to a British dude on the way up that it was a curious thing for a person with a fear of heights to do. He passed me on his way back down and I asked if he'd made it to the summit and he said yep and I confessed I'd turned before the snow. He made me feel better by saying "that's great, just push yourself past that first bit of fear and that's an achievement" (or something along those lines, I don't remember the exact words).
Reassuring signs.
Climbing.
I keep trying with this selfie thing. Now there's just tons of views ruined by my face appearing in the corner.
The tram station
Jasper township
Where I stopped. The first time.
Little mate.
Little mate surveying his territory.
I came back down slowly, stopping to eat my sandwich and take photos and thought I'd kill time up the top before the next shuttle. After wandering around a bit the sun came out and I decided I had so much time and nothing else planned for the day so I should give it another go.
I went up much quicker this time, having done it before. The snowy part I'd seen was pretty slippery, but there was a pathway that was almost down to the dirt so it was ok. After a bit more easyish track I saw the last 250 metres or so. Across snow. Deep snow. There were a trail of footprints across the top showing it could be done, though a few where you saw the danger of stepping off the compacted snow. Parent's you may want to look away at this point.
I asked a couple I passed if it was walkable and they said yes, a bit slippery, but they'd done it. So I decided I had to give it a go. I was glad I had running shoes at least, but really wished they were still hiring our snow shoes (the guide on the way up had said they weren't needed. He lied). Another couple I passed had said it wasn't much further and pointed to some sticks but also said (when I asked) that no one else was up there. I pushed on to the first lot of sticks, bringing me to about two thirds of the way across the snow and realised there was still more to go. At this point I looked around and could see some grey clouds gathering in the previously sunny skies and the couple I had passed well on their way back. This was where I decided to quit again. The 360 views may have been amazing, but they didn't seem worth being that stupid tourist that got stuck up the mountain, and without a rain coat as I'd stupidly left that in my other bag. So I took off back across the snow as quickly as possible. Writing this out now it seems pretty mundane, but I was pretty freaked and hyped at the time. I'm pleased I tried, and that I got as far as I did. But I'm ok with not making it to the summit this time.
Don't step off to the side, you might sink to your waist in snow.
The forward view. Summit at 2463 metres.
What I'd come across.
Mildly manic Chloe declaring this was enough victory for the day.
Now I'm checked in to my hostel and thinking of dinner. I've got my Columbia icefields tour tomorrow, and I've just booked a tour up to Maligne lake for my final day. The walks on those will be far less stressful I'm sure.
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