Ascending Grotto Mountain presents a captivating bird's-eye perspective of Canmore and the Bow Valley. While commonly regarded as a swift scramble, the trail unveils a level of technicality beyond initial impressions, rendering the ascent an immensely enjoyable experience!

The ascent to the ridge was a demanding and steep endeavor, especially once we got out of the trees and into the snowier sections that continue to hold on even thought this was the end of April. After gaining 990 meters of elevation from the parking lot, the summit was visible at a distance of approximately 1.8 kilometers with only a slight increase in elevation. Though certain sections were mildly narrow, the overall experience was akin to a straightforward hike, with only a brief segment necessitating some scrambling. Whenever the path appeared impassable from afar, we persisted, and a feasible route would invariably present itself.

After a brief, very brief stop at the summit, we made a hasty retreat as the wind was horrendous and must have been blowing at least 50 km/h and was whipping the snow into tiny projectiles that stung the face. We retreated the same way we came and made it back to the parking lot after 9 hours, gaining 1366 metres of elevation.

Chapters:
00:00 Interactive Map
00:38 Trail To Grotto Mountain
01:02 It Gets Steep
01:16 Into The Snow
01:29 Unreal Views
01:45 Trail To The Ridge
02:36 On The Ridge
03:03 Small Scramble Section
03:35 High Above Canmore
04:08 The Final Push
04:56 The Summit
05:50 Heading Down
06:10 Nature's Fury
06:32 Ridge Return

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