Door Jamb and Loder Peak

For almost nine years I've felt a nagging guilt when driving to the mountains through the Bow Valley. It's the guilt of neglect, and perhaps acknowledged laziness. On either side, for many miles, are spectacular mountains on which for the most part, I have never set foot.

Mike Hall enjoying slabs on Door Jamb

This season I'm determined to change that. Here's my scorecard for the highway as far as Canmore:

Eight years Pre-2016

Yates Mtn, Yamnuska (up the front and round the circuit), Heart Mtn, Wind Ridge, EEOR, Miners' Peak.

Eight weeks of 2016

Door Jamb Mtn, Loder Peak, Exshaw Mtn, Grotto Mtn.

There are plenty left to do, but things are shaping up well...

Anyway, back to DJ and Loder, who make a solid pair of doormen guarding the entrance to the Bow Valley. They provide some lovely slabby scrambling. It was pretty windy on the day that we headed up them, and that seemed to put most people off from continuing beyond the first summit, but conditions improved somewhat higher up.