Hiking East End of Rundle in Winter. EEOR
Distance: 5.8km return.
Elevation gain: 870 meters
Time: 4 hours depending on fitness.
We did the East End of Rundle hike in winter. It was cold and the snow was a little deep at times but it was completely worth it!
East End Of Rundle is a challenging yet very doable hike that rewards you with incredible views of Ha Ling Peak, Canmore and the surrounding Rocky mountains.
In other months the EEOR hike is considered a scramble however in winter this was not the case and may have even been a little easier than normal, you will need ice axe and crampons though and warm clothes! The first time we attempted the EEOR hike we got stuck in white out conditions and it was minus 40 after the wind chill factor and we made the decision to turn around.
We had a lot more luck the second time though on a perfectly clear Canmore winter day only 3 days later.
If you’re looking into hiking Ha Ling Peak as well you can check out our post about it in the link.
Getting there.
Getting to the start of the East End of Rundle trailhead is super easy. You take the Spray Lakes road about 6 kilometers out of Canmore past the Nordic center and park at the Goat Creek parking lot. From there you follow the road on foot back the way you came about 300-400 meters and then on your left there will be the start of the trail. It starts quite steep and we walked past it the first time but only a few meters before we saw a lonely set of footprints leading up the hill. There is also a power pole and sign very close to the start of the trail that is a good indication of where to turn in.
Hiking East End Of Rundle.
The EEOR hike is pretty steep and the elevation gain over the 2 and a half kilometers makes it quite a solid effort however there is only a handful of really steep sections and they are mostly fairly short sections. It does not take long to break the tree line and once you do there is almost no cover from the wind or snow. We did find a few little snow holes and small shrubs to sit behind to eat a little and get out of the wind for a minute or two. In winter unless someone has been before you there is really no defined track and you will have to try your best to follow the markers placed on the trees. They were mostly pink when I was there but I saw a few other colors hanging also. My best suggestion for this would be to make sure your phone is fully charged and load the trail on a mapping app, something like AllTrails or Maps.Me both had the trail for East End Of Rundle in their apps and as long as there is nothing wrong with your GPS they should keep you on track fairly well. It is, of course, more fun to hike without these but in Winter I don’t think getting lost is the best option. We got temperatures below minus 30 and one day with winds of almost 100kms an hour so I think playing it safe is the best option in this case.
The hike itself was incredibly enjoyable though and the views were mind-blowing!
You get vistas over the whole of Canmore, Ha Ling Peak and the rest of the Rockies for as far as you can see providing the weather permits it.
Our original plan was to get up there for sunrise but when we got up early it was fairly cloudy and about minus 25 so we decided to get back into bed for a little while. We did still leave fairly early though around 7:30 or 8am which fortunately gave us an amazing weather window as it did cloud over and storm later in the day. I loved the hike and it was one of the more challenging ones we did around Canmore. Although it was really not that difficult overall it was still incredibly fun with mind-blowing and extremely rewarding views the entire way up.
Where To Stay
Canmore is an amazing place but it can be a little quiet this time of year so if you were looking for somewhere to stay that has a little more nighttime activity or things outside of hiking you might want to think about staying in Banff which is only a 25 minute drive north from Canmore and has considerably more going on.
A few options for accommodation in Banff are the Hi Banff Alpine Center, while essentially a hostel with amazing facilities and live music, we actually booked a private cabin here. A log cabin complete with a fireplace to be precise and coming home to this little place covered in snow each night was about as perfect as the Canadian winter experience could have been.
If you are looking to stay in Canmore to avoid the drive then there are these options.
Budget: Canmore Inn and Suites
Midrange: Coast Canmore Hotel
Luxury: Malcolm Hotel
