No GPS tracks are available. This is an approximate hand-drawn route only.
Trip Report
Tangle Ridge may be best known for its popular ice climbs, but it’s worthy of a summer visit too as a hiking objective. The peak offers spectacular views of the Columbia Icefield and several 11’000ers along the Icefields Parkway. The terrain and views are somewhat similar to neighbouring Sunwapta Peak making the two objectives best suited for tackling on separate weekends.
The day starts out at Tangle Falls. This roadside waterfall attracts a lot of tourists – watch out for distracted pedestrians while parking! The trail to Tangle Ridge initially heads to the right (southeast) and is shared with Wilcox Pass Trail.Beyond the busy waterfall the trail becomes a quiet stroll through meadows of wildflowers. This had been an unusually late spring and water levels were still on the higher side at Tangle Creek. The high water makes for better waterfall photos, but creates a bit of extra work for the crossing. The creek crossing was doable with waterproof hiking boots and gators on this day. I expect that by late summer it would be done with only waterproof hiking boots.Beyond the creek crossing, cairns and a trail indicated the way up to the peak. Mount Kitchener can be seen in the background here.Continuing up, views open up behind the trail. The prominent spine at center is Mount Wilcox. A still-snowy Nigel Peak is at the left. To the right, and behind Wilcox, are Mount Athabasca and Mount Andromeda.Savouring every July wildflower.Pausing for a break along the gentle ascent slope. We encountered a few snow patches near the top, but they weren’t very steep and most could be avoided.The views from the top of Tangle Ridge are nothing short of spectacular. Notable neighbouring peaks include Stutfield, Woolley, and Diadem.Sunwapta Peak (center) stands to the north, still very snowy this early in the season. Tangle Ridge’s glaciated north face lies in the foreground.Summit panorama.The peak is shared with some radio equipment – sorry, no cellular equipment! The closest cell coverage is at the Icefield Information Center.We returned the way we came. This view is looking south over Nigel Peak (left), Mount Wilcox (center, closer), Mount Athabasca (center, behind), and Mount Andromeda (center-right). Snow Dome and Kitchener would be at the right (not easy to distinguish from here). The Athabasca Glacier is out of view between Andromeda and Snow Dome.
Our return hike was a bit of a strange experience. We started hearing sirens on our way down, a lot of them. Next, helicopters started flying by – never a good sign. We made it back to the highway in 5 1/2 hours to find that the highway was closed southbound and masses of tourists were now out of their vehicles, taking in the views from the road shoulder. Later that evening we learned of the tragic tour bus roll-over near the Athabasca Glacier.
This turned out to be a very somber day. Typically Tangle Ridge is a fun, easy day out with excellent views as a reward for the modest effort. I have recommended this peak to several friends looking for “entry level” mountain objectives.
Peak Bliss 