People weren’t exaggerating when they said Sarrail Ridge is one of the post popular and busiest trails in Kananaskis.
I don’t think I have ever seen so many people gathered on the trail in one spot at the same time. Just looking at it from below gave me a wave of anxiety.
I recently hiked up to the ridge with some running pals. This was my first big effort after tearing my glute muscle so I was a bit nervous. My fitness and confidence has taken a nosedive since injuring myself, and I was worried I couldn’t keep up. I was concerned that elevation would be too much for my healing glute.
Whew! I was able to keep up and I wasn’t in any major pain. I was stiff but nothing too concerning.
The hike was roughly 12 kilometres with about 750 metre gain. The approach to Rawson Lake was lovely and offered stunning early morning views.
It was when we reached the base of the ridge we could see the rocky and steep climb. Normally it wouldn’t have been a big deal but we were shocked by the number of people clawing their way to the top. From below, they looked like ants taking breaks along the narrow path.
There was a short rope section that aided hikers up over the loose dirt. That caused a bottleneck because people were going up and down at the same time.
Thankfully, as trail runners, we know how to move fast and respectfully past hikers. Our foursome moved swiftly past the congestion and pushed to the ridge.
The views? Absolutely amazing. You could see Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes. This was just what I needed after being grounded for the last six weeks. I wish we could have spent more time on the ridge but there were just so many darn people.
We wanted to get down before the masses decided to ascend with us.
I feel like this hike was a turning point in my recovery. My physiotherapist says I needed to put some stress on my injury so it will recover quickly. I didn’t feel wrecked the next day so that is a positive sign.
Have you hiked Sarrail Ridge? How do you feel about busy trails? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.