Bluerock Mountain has been on my “to do” list since a friend posted her run on Strava earlier this spring. I had never heard of the mountain before but I immediately impressed by the views from the summit and the cool rock features.
We walked about a kilometre from a dayuse area to the start of the Bluerock Creek Trail, part of the Sheep River Valley Hiking and Equestrian Trails, in Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park.
I knew it would be a bit of a mud fest because it had rained in recent days. We followed the trail for about seven kilometres in nice forests and lovely clearings. It was a shame that it was so smoky because we couldn’t really see much in the distance.
At 7k, we reached a bench in a lush green meadow with views of Mount Burns (on a clear day). I imagine many people just hang out here for a while before turning back. The first photo (above) shows where we were headed.
I heard all sorts of reports that this was everything from an easy-moderate to a difficult scramble. Everyone’s definition is subjective and I don’t pretend to be an expert on difficulty levels. I just stay within my own comfort level and avoid anything really sketchy.
The climb felt like a grind right away. Isn’t the first climb is always the most challenging? I swear it always takes me a good half hour or longer to find my stride. We climbed over some loose scree, shale and some rocky bits. There were signs of trails everywhere so we tried to follow the most logical and obvious ones.
Most of the time we got it right while other times we were at the top of climb looking down only to see the better path.
Before the real scrambling sections, we reached the crux (gully) with a frayed rope attached to the cliff. I remember looking at a YouTube video while researching the area. I like to know what I am getting myself into. Because I didn’t know many people who have summitted Bluerock, I wanted to do as much recon in advance.
I was comfortable scrambling without the rope. There were some good holds, and I have been working out so I can pull my but up and over rocks. But if you’re not comfortable or confident, I would use the rope. The section isn’t long but if you fell, you could easily bang yourself up pretty good.
Scrambling over boulders, and cool rock formations, we were greeted with at least three false summits throughout the day. There was even a small cave that I was tempted to take shelter when it started to rain. (It only rained for a few minutes on our way down. We kept a close eye on the skies all day for safety.)
Bluerock Mountain turned out to be a longer than expected day. I kept thinking where the hell is the summit? My Garmin clocked 25 kilometres and 1,500 metre gain. I’m sure if it was a clear day I would not have minded all my dashed hopes. Thankfully the smoke wasn’t too thick and it made for some interesting photos.
Still it was such an awesome mountain. While the ridges offered smoky views and deadly drops, I can only imagine what the views were without the smoke. We didn’t see a single person the entire day.
The smoke cleared a little on our way back just enough to show us what we were missing. I can’t wait to go back and explore the area even more.
Note: The trail is easily runnable for the first 7 kilometres then it all hands on deck. Be comfortable with scrambling and route-finding if you add this to your “to do” list.
Another new peak to add to Project 23 & Me. Next up: Mount Smutwood