 One of the most rewarding trails in Jasper National Park;
When you reach the cozy Sydney Valance Hut (property
of the Alpine Club of Canada) you have made a gain of 825 meters
on a 22 km (one way) hike. To get there plan a full day.
 We reccommend you ride a mountain bike to the Lower Fryatt Campground,
11.6 km from the trail head. Some hikers prefer to portage the Athabasca
River by canoe from the small pullout at Km. 38 on the Icefields Parkway.
From the Lower Campground ascend the Two Mile Hill and cool your heels
in the frigid water of Fryatt Creek. The trail winds through a major
rockslide and along the shores of emerald green Fryatt Lake before arriving
at the next campground at the base of the Headwall. Allow a good
hour to hike this 200m vertical wall to reach the hut. After a night
of rest, you can explore the spectacular Upper Fryatt Valley with a light
pack.
  Lakes
abound and you can scramble up steep ridges close to the hut to view natural
features including an old avalanche which wiped out the trail at the bottom
of the Headwall many years ago. If you want to stay at the hut,
contact the Alpine Club of Canada, P.O. Box 2040,
Canmore, Alberta, phone 403-678-3200, fax 403-678-3224. To reserve
a campsite in the Lower Valley, contact the Park Information Centre.
To get to the trailhead, take the Icefields Parkway to the 93A Junction
at the turnoff of Athabasca Falls. About 100m past the Falls, turn
left on the Geraldine Lakes fire road. The trailhead is 1.9km up
the fire road to your left.
Story
and Photos by: Christian Galimard |
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