Cirque Peak Circuit

Banff National Park

Quick Circuit that often has great snow

Ski Touring Difficult

Distance: 8 km
Ascent: 809 m
Descent: 809 m
Duration: 4-5 hrs

Low Point: 2 km
High Point: 2.8 km
Gradient: 33˚

Cirque Peak is a great objective that is normally skied in the spring. There are plenty of avalanche risk to this ascent, so it requires very good conditions. The north facing descent is somewhat sheltered from the wind, and often gets dumped with windblown snow. The ascent however is often bare, and can require almost as much bootpacking as skiing.

Photo from Cirque Peak Circuit — Photo: Tam McTavish

Description

Find a path through the trees aiming for the ridge. Keep to the ridge. As the slope steepens it's often worth switching to a bootpack to stick to the exposed scree slopes, rather than wander into the windblown pockets that frequently release. Continue along the ridge to the false summit, and then down climb, or ski to the col. From here you can leave your skis and summit Cirque peak, or descend the standard route.

The slope is less steep than it looks. A short sections quickly mellows out and the safest lines are in the middle of slope. Be mindful of remote triggering here.

While it's tempting to stick to the gulley, keep your speed and stay on the south aspect to the trees where you can awkwardly ski through tight trees back to the car.