Heart Mountain Horseshoe

Distance: 10.5km (Out and back)

Elevation Gain: 940 m

Rating: difficult

Remoteness: This is a popular hike, you will definitely see other people

We love this doing this hike in the early season to get our hiking confidence back. This one is a great hike for anyone looking to try scrambling for the first time. The scramble is short and sweet, giving you a nice taste of what it feels like to climb and be exposed, without being too long or terrifying.

Heart Mountain is a horseshoe loop that is 10.5km, with 940m of elevation. It starts with a walk along heart creek, and then heads straight up towards the ridge. It is quite the leg burner, great for getting in to hiking shape quick. The scramble requires a bit of bouldering, which is well marked with lots of places to hold on to. We wouldn’t recommend this to anyone with a fear of heights, but the exposure doesn’t last too long in comparison to other scrambles. The great part about this hike is that you don’t have to climb back down the way you came, as the horseshoe loop offers an easier descent. Perfect for a fist time scramble!

Once on the ridge, this hike fist offers a view of the Exshaw concrete factory and highway 1. This isn’t our favourite view in the world, but the good news is you don’t have to walk for long to stop seeing it. If you look in any other direction, the views of the nearby mountains are stunning. The top can be quite windy, but it is easy to find enough cover to escape it for a celebratory peak beer.

While walking this ridge you end up summiting three different peaks: Heart Mountain, Grant MacEwan, and a third unnamed peak. The summit of Grant MacEwan has a Canadian flag, which can make great pictures (if the wind allows it). It also gives a nice view of Barrier Lake, which makes up for the Exshaw view in our opinion. The descent down can feel quite tiring, especially in the early season. We recommend poles to save your knees! It can also have a bit of snow coverage, so crampons are also a good idea. The final stretch of the hike consists of walking along flat ground next to highway 1. This is not the best end to a hiking day, but the flat walk feels nice for tired legs! Overall, this is a great hike to get a feel for scrambling, and for the early season.