Description

When a day takes in multiple epic descents, an airy ridge and a beautiful summit, you know it's a good one! The circumnavigation of Wildhorse Peak is one such day and is one of the best loop routes from the Ymir Lodge. The day starts with a trip into the ever-enjoyable Morning Glory Bowl.

The line we've drawn here will take you to the highest accessible point of the bowl (the higher sections are blocked by huge cornices) and sends you down the huge broad gully on skier's left of the face. From the foot of Morning Glory Bowl, make the steep tree-d ascent to Clearwater Col, due west of Wildhorse Peak.

Skin up the ridge which leads to the summit of the peak and then take a lap down through perfectly spaced trees on Wildhorse Peak's beautiful south-west face.

This lap down the face is optional but highly recommended! When the trees thicken and the terrain mellows, transition back to skins and reascend to Clearwater Col and Wildhorse Peak.

Follow the spectacular summit ridge on Wildhorse Peak which swings around to access the next descent.

The ridge is heavily corniced, so stay to the right and keep at least a couple of trees between you and the edge at all times! As the ridge widens you can rip skins and begin a wonderful descent down the tree-d blunt shoulder.

There's some really steep terrain dropping off the shoulder so pick your line carefully.

The mellowest option is to stick right on the crest of the shoulder and rip down through the perfect trees, patches of which were burned in a fire and are now black and somewhat eerie... Once off the shoulder put skins on again and climb up to a ridge overlooking Morning Glory Bowl.

Head skier's left and descend some steep bowls just to the left of a large clearing known as "the aviary".

There's a thicker (but still skiable) section of trees below the aviary, and then it's time for the long but pleasant skin back to the lodge.