Quick Stats
Difficulty: Strenuous (17% average grade).
Elevation Gain: 1,200m+
Distance: 14km (round trip).
Best For: Fit hikers, technical scramblers, and alpine photographers.
Pro Tip: This is a “joint-killer” descent. If you value your knees, don’t do this without trekking poles.
There are some places that really stand out for its majesty, and I don’t use the word “majesty” often. But the view that surrounds you when you first lay eyes on Wedgemount Lake is up there in my lifetime of best mountain views; and I’ve seen many mountain views in my lifetime.
Part of what makes the view so special is that you’re at the bottom of an immense ampitheatre of alpine peaks: Parkhurst, Rethel, Weart… The actual Wedgemount that the lake is named after is behind, and higher even still… meaning that you’re not looking at several major mountains in the Coast Range, you’re in it.
Another part of what makes it so special is that it’s a total bitch to get here. It’s nearly straight up for 1200 vertical meters over roughly 7km, with easy math averaging that out to be a 17 percent grade the whole way… which can sure get tiring if you have a heavy pack.
People just doing it in a day might have a lighter load but those doing it in a day are missing out on the grandeur of the spectacle. Not that many people make it to the lake in general, but far fewer than even that relatively small cohort of hikers ever go higher. Which is either a tragedy or a gift from the heavens, depending on how selfish you are.
The Alpine Wonderland Around Wedgemount Lake
Photos truly can’t do it justice because a photo can’t capture the sheer perspective from being so close to so many large mountains at once. The relief coming off of Parkhurst and Rethel coming down to the lake, and then shooting up once again on the north side is a feeling of awe I haven’t felt in many other places. Moraine Lake in Banff near Lake Louise is up there but that view only takes up a small portion of the field of view. The view of the mountains from Wedgemount Lake is all-encompassing.
You could explore the alpine around here for weeks and still not get enough, for spending time up high only reveals more mountains. It’s the “Wonderful Problem” that pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones speaks of; that the higher you go, the more you see.
Climate Changing: The Recession of Wedgemount Glacier
I remember the first time I heard someone tell me about hiking to Tupper Lake. They described it in such amazing detail that had me jealous of its beauty. The more he told me about it, the more I felt I had been there before. Sure enough, after a bit more description, he told me it’s above Wedgemount Lake. “There’s no lake up there, only a glacier,” I thought. And then it hit me. The lake now rests in the glacier’s old footprint, revealed only a few years ago.
Sadly, the Wedgemount glacier has receded significantly this decade. Researchers have found that it’s been losing up to 2.5 meters of thickness per year. This perhaps gives more urgency to see it while you can. Glacier travel is something not to be taken lightly; especially when it’s melting so fast, but is definitely something worth trying out and we are here to help that if you’d like – just get in touch.
When To Go
Because the area is high up in the alpine, the best time for hiking is when the snow melts, which some years won’t be until mid-July. This means the season for hiking is really only a few months where you have enough light to enjoy it, mostly until mid-September before it starts snowing again.
Backcountry touring in the winter is a whole other experience, and well worth it if you have the skills to do so. That season is much longer, and gives you a wide array of classic lines to choose from, not to mention a hut to sleep in. Stay tuned for more information on winter hiking!
Helpful Links
BC Parks official link to Wedgemount Lake