Saturday October 4th 2014 saw Dean and I making a early morning attempt at one of the most visited peak in Strathcona Park. No, an extra early start. I was in the Subaru and on the road by 5 am. Dean and I were heading up to Raven Lodge, embarking on a Paradise Meadows to Mt. Albert Edward hike. The round trip would be taxing, mentally and physically.
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| GPS Route with photographic annotation |
Total Horizontal Distance: 34 km
Total Elevation Gain: 1923 m
Starting Elevation: 1097 m
Maximum Elevation: 2093 m
Vancouver Island’s geopgraphy is such that there is no mountain significantly higher than 6000 ft (1828 m). Mt. Albert Edward is one of the mountains that exceeds this altitude. It’s also considered by many to be one of the easiest 6000 footers to summit, it’s a walk up. Following the established route means there is no exposure, minimal scrambling and very little route-finding. The barrier to most hikers is the horizontal distance required to make the summit.