Ha Ling Peak

Length: 4.5 miles (7.2 km)

Elevation Gain: 2,454 ft (747 m)

Date Hiked: January 9, 2021

Ha Ling Peak is a well-trafficked, beautiful hike in Canmore. As you get closer to the summit, it becomes more of a scramble than a hike so you shouldn't attempt unless you're an experienced hiker with the proper gear. That being: hiking poles, a good shell to block the wind, and in the winter, microspikes.

We've done this hike twice, both in the winter, to avoid the summer crowds. You NEED to get to the parking lot no later than 9 am if you want to have any bit of peacefulness on the climb up. Get there even earlier to avoid crowds when you come down.

Given the trail's popularity, you can easily pull up the trailhead coordinates from All Trails to your GPS. Once you've gotten off of Highway 1 and made your way through the outskirts of Canmore, you'll be on the bumpy, tight, windy Highway 742 until you come to the parking lot. This spot is the trailhead to many trails, so to get to Ha Ling, you'll need to cross the street and make your way up to a bridge. From there, the trail continues into the woods and is very well marked.

In the winter, this trail crosses a couple of different avalanche shoots. If you don't have AST 1 training, be sure to check the weather report and visit avalanche.ca for further reports.

Most of this hike is through the trees and is a steady incline the entire way up. You'll weave your way through five switchbacks until you reach the saddle, where you'll begin the real climb. There are two sets of stairs at this point before the final climb to the summit. In the winter, the way the snow packs can make it a bit tricky to climb up and come down.

As your ascent continues, you'll choose how you navigate the path based on your footwear. You're in good shape if you have spikes because you can continue along the snow path, but if you don't, you'll want to stay on the rocks to the side of it to avoid slipping and falling. Again, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND wearing spikes on this hike—especially for the descent. Hikers who don't have spikes will slide down the trail and create basically an ice luge that is super dangerous for others.

As you approach the summit, your hike becomes more of a scramble. It's easy to get confused and create your own path, so be aware of each step you take as you climb and come down as rocks will become loose and others are climbing up below you.

At the summit, on a sunny day, you'll soak in gorgeous views of EEOR, Miner's Peak, the town of Canmore, and miles of mountains. It's pretty unreal. This climb is a great leg burner and not for the faint of heart but well worth it once you've reached the top! It's usually pretty windy up there so plan to have your snack somewhere else on the trail and bring plenty of water.

Winter Tip: if you carry a bladder for your water in your pack, get an insulator or bring water bottles as a backup. I made the mistake of not blowing out the water in my bladder's tube and it froze solid, so I couldn't easily access my water. Not fun and not a climb you want to be dehydrated on.