The Glacier Crest Trail is a steep hike up a forested slope to an open ridgetop that lies between the Sir Donald – Perley Rock Cirque and the Asulkan Valley.     For much of the route, we usually wonder why we have chosen this trail, but once we get to the top, we remember.   For this reason, only do this hike in good weather.

Follow the Asulkan Valley Trail and watch for the (left turn) to the Glacier Crest Trail.   After crossing Asulkan Brook, the trail re-enters the forest and starts a switchbacking climb to the end of the trail, 5km to the top.   It is a climb of 800 vertical metres.  The ridge is really an arête, carved by glaciers on two sides into a narrow ridge.   From this airy spot, views are superb.   A rewarding side trip is to continue to scramble up the ridge to the crest (200m vertical metres).

On another day, we scrambled down steep slopes on the north side to the edge of the Illecillewaet Glacier and then we worked our way down the exposed bedrock to the end of the Great Glacier Trail to form a loop route.   This route is only for those with a sense of adventure and strong ankles.

The Glacier Crest Trail is another steep trail in a park of steep trails, but on a fine day, all of these trails bring us up to a world of ice and quartzite spires among the glaciated features of an ice age- arêtes, cirques, cols, horns, and moraines.   We always feel dwarfed by the forces at work.

Glacier Crest on the right

A photo from a few decades back: