Canada: Larch Valley & Sentinel Pass, Banff National Park
Beware the Grizzlies! Welcome to Larch Valley/Sentinel Pass.
Spectacular – surrounded by mountains in the Valley of the 10 Peaks
Around 45 minutes out of Banff, we discovered a great hike in the Banff National Park, Alberta – Larch Valley/Sentinel Pass.
View from Sentinel Pass
Grizzly Bears
We were all set to go, when we came upon the sign on the National Park’s Notice Board – ‘warning, there have been sightings of a mother Grizzly and her cub in the area. Strongly recommend hiking in groups of four or more people.’
Travel in groups!
Lucky for us, it was the Memorial Day holiday long weekend so teaming up with extra hikers was not a problem. Plus we carried bear spray – all reassuring of course in the event of encountering said Grizzly. Either that, or I would just proffer up a friendly ‘G’day’ and see where that led.
Beautiful colours of the glacial Moraine Lake
The Hike
The hike up from the trail head of Moraine Lake is a steady up.
Signpost at the Moraine Lake trailhead
There’s a nice clearing at the top of the pass, which permits views of the peaks around you (the Valley of the 10 Peaks).
Panoramic view of the Valley of the 10 Peaks
The trail dips back into the larches for a bit then clears the treeline at the base of Sentinel Pass. We did the hike in early September so the larches hadn’t turned yellow as yet, but have been reassured that when they do turn in late September, it’s an awesome sight.
Minestimma Lakes, looking up towards a series of switchbacks to Sentinel Pass
In the flats before Sentinel Pass there are a couple of pretty reflective pools (called Minestimma Lakes). The switchbacks to Sentinel Pass rise around 150m (500 ft) above the lakes, with Mt. Temple rising above.
Top of Sentinel Pass
Onwards and upwards!
Trevor
View looking over the top of Sentinel Pass towards Mt. Temple
Insights
To avoid the crowds in summer/early Autumn, weekends or public holidays, ensure you get to the Moraine Lake car park by 8.30am. After this time, parking can be a ‘lottery’ as all available spots tend to fill up quickly.
The hike up to Sentinel Pass is around 12km return from the car park, 730m (2,400 ft) gain – allow between 4.5 – 6 hours return, depending on your fitness.
From the bottom of the flats or reflective pools (called Minestimma Lakes), it’s another 150m up to the top of Sentinel Pass along a series of switchbacks – allow around 45 minutes for this section. Stunning views of the Valley of the 10 Peaks and Mt. Temple from the top are awesome on a clear day.
Look out for notices on the National Parks board for sightings of Grizzly bears and follow their recommendations for safety.
And don’t forget the bear spray – using it is another whole discussion topic. Read the instructions carefully!
See our other Canadian hiking adventures
