“Mount Sarcee” (’Ripsaw')(GR373253) – South Ridge Attempt. 5.7+

View to summit of "Mt. Sarcee" from upper South Ridge.

Mt. Sarcee is an unofficial name applied by David Jones in the guidebook "Rockies South. The Climber's Guide to the Rocky Mountains of Canada: Volume 1" (2020) for this significant peak (GR373253, summit height approximately 3000m) immediately east of Mt. Evan-Thomas. I met with David several times and provided a lot of information for the Opal Range when he was writing this guidebook, he had indicated that Mt. Sarcee was the name preferred and used by local climbing legends Glen Boles and Don Forest. 

View to west aspect of "Mt. Sarcee" from Mt. Hood.
The South Ridge is the right side summit ridge. 

Local hiking guidebook author Gillean Daffern has used the name “Ripsaw” for this summit. Gillean has been writing and publishing trail guides to Kananaskis Country for over 30 years and is the author of the renowned five-volume series Gillean Daffern’s Kananaskis Country Trail Guide, first published in 1979.

Gillean’s name was derived from the extremely jagged saw blade like North East Ridge of Mt. Sarcee. This sharp ridge is visible from highway 40. The name Ripsaw was always applied to the highest primary summit of the mountain. Recently, summer of 2025, the GAIA base map (gps website/app mapping platform for mountain activities) now includes the name of Ripsaw and Mt. Sarcee for two highpoints along the summit ridge. Prior to this, the GAIA map only identified the highest summit as Mt. Sarcee. How, or why, two names are now being applied is unknown to me. Where does GAIA get its data? This is one mountain and one summit, there is no need to apply two names to this mountain. 

GAIA base map. There is no need to apply two names to this mountain.
Our camp sites are indicated by red/black triangles. 

Monday July 21 Scott Berry and I started our approach to Mt. Sarcee. The weather forecast wasn’t good. Forecast called for heavy rain and high winds starting Monday night and into Tuesday, but clearing overnight with sunny skies and warm temperatures on Wednesday July 23. Based on this forecast our plan was to approach most of the way on Monday and set up a camp and wait for the clear day on the 23^rd to attempt the South Ridge of Mt. Sarcee. We biked to the Romulus campground, ditched the bikes and hiked west up the West Fork of the Little Elbow River. A good trail exists for a few kilometres, but soon the Little Elbow River washed out the trail and the bushwack begins. Eventually we decided to camp low in the valley and have a campfire and relax, moving camp to the alpine on Tuesday. This section of the valley has many informal campsites, many with fire rings and logs arranged for seating. Near our campsite we found an old, rusted camp stove, very interesting. 

Biking the Little Elbow road.

Old stove near our camp low in the valley.

Pleasant campsite in West Fork of the Little Elbow River.

Light rain overnight Monday, we moved camp to tree line south of Paradise Pass on Tuesday and the rain came went through out the day. We woke up Wednesday, July 23, and the skies were completely clear. Soon we were plodding up a major scree slope to gain the South Ridge proper. On the upper ridge we did climb 5 pitches of steep and loose climbing, up to 5.8, but mostly 5.6, interspersed with sections of 4 class climbing. After 3 pitches of mostly direct ridge crest, we rapped below the ridge to avoid an incredibly loose section of ridge line. First pitch back to the ridge line was fun and fabulous climbing on fossil blob features with prefect cam protection. The last pitch we did was more loose and exposed ridge climbing. Nearing the summit block, we decided to bail since the final section looked to be very difficult climbing and the day was getting late. The upper summit block accessed from the South Ridge looks quite challenging, maybe 5.9+? The rock quality looked more solid, but protection for climbing also looked difficult. 

View south towards Mt. Tombstone, Cat's Ears and other fabulous Opal summits.
Photo by Scott.

Upper South Ridge of Mt. Sarcee.
Photo by Scott.

View to our first pitch.
Photo by Scott.

OSWB leading up pitch 1.
Photo by Scott.

View to Paradise Pass, Mt. Evan-Thomas on left above pass.
Photo by Scott.

Pitch 2 choss. We both attempted to lead this very loose fin, so, so loose.
We both chickened out on it.
Photo by Scott.

Pitch 3, not really a pitch. I led on the right side, east side, of the ridge, below the loose fin.
Just hard 5.8 climbing with no protection. I bailed.
Photo by Scott.

After bailing on pitch 2 & 3, we rappelled below the ridge.
Photo by Scott.

Only fun climbing on the whole trip.
Below the ridge I climbed a 60m pitch on excellent rock, with easy protection back to the ridge crest.
Photo by Scott.

OSWB retreating from our high point.
Last "pitch" on the ridge crest was 4 class and low class 5,
super loose chossfest that we scrambled.
Photo by Scott.

Photo by Scott.

Back to our tree line camp for Wednesday night. Thursday, we broke camp and hiked back to the bikes and enjoyed the quick downhill ride back to the parking lot. Will be back to explore other routes on this obscure mountain. We had an incredible adventure in a remote location, figuring out our own line up the mountain, just what summer alpine climbing is about. 

View to Paradise Pass from camp.

Hiking out.
View to East Face of Mt. Blane.