Pharaoh Peak has been on my list for a few years. The views from the summit are some of the best near Banff. I wasn’t feeling 100% when I woke up this Saturday so I was on the fence about submitting. It’s a long one with roughly 1,800 metre gain and 34 kilometres when you start at the Sunshine parking lot.
I had options including stopping at Healy Pass or Egypt Lake and still have a beautiful day in the mountains. I started late – around 8:30 a.m. – so I wasn’t surprised to see no one on the trail until I reached Healy Pass (about 8.5 kilometres). I’ve been to Healy Pass a few times and it is stunning especially during Larch season.
At this point, I was still undecided. I was moving slow and soaking in the day. It wasn’t until I met a hiker who started at 12:30 a.m. to catch Pharaoh Peak at sunrise. His dedication inspired me to continue onto the summit. I was moving relatively slow so I picked up my pace because I didn’t want to be exposed to be climbing at the hottest part of the day or coming down in the dark.
I followed the straightforward trail to the base of Pharaoh Peak I followed the straightforward trail to the base of the mountain, skipping the lakes since I’d seen them before and was focused on reaching the summit.
I started to see more backpackers near Egypt Lake. It was uplifting to see others because it was a relatively quiet morning. Often it’s the energy of others that keeps me going.
A handful of people were lounging and having a picnic. I took a minute to retie my shoes and headed up to the final push. This was the hardest part of the hike – the kilometre to the ridge. Nothing super technical – just steep, loose and dry dirt, which makes it that much easier to slide down if you are not surefooted. I stayed to the left mostly to find solid grounding.
I was rewarded with breath taking views of neighbouring peaks at the ridge.
Then last than a kilometre to the summit where I enjoyed the panoramic views of Egypt Lake, Scarab Lake, Mummy Lake and Scarab Mountain.
What a glorious day! The only downfall was running out water. I was so thirsty by the time I reached my car. The next day, I realized I had heat stroke, which was no fun at all. I felt awful. It was not a great feeling and it took me two days to rehydrate and start feeling like myself again.