Mount Edith Cavell welcomes walkers and climbers of all types and abilities. Whether you want to take a brisk walk, embark on a life-affirming ascent or something in between, it’s all possible here.
Here is a mountain of many names. The Native Indians used to call it ‘White Ghost’. A French explorer later gave it the moniker ‘La montagne de la grande traversée’ (the Mountain of the Great Crossing). Since 1916, the mountain has been named after the British Red Cross nurse Edith Cavell, who was executed by German soldiers on 5 August 1915 – the same day the mountain's summit was first conquered.
Take one of the trails recommended by Parks Canada. The Cavell Meadows hike (approximately 4 kilometres each way) leads you through alpine bloom-filled open spaces, swathes of dense forest and the odd glacial deposit. For a more ambitious walk, take the Path of the Glacier Trail. Your reward is a glimpse of the famous Angel Glacier, which lies in the cirque between Mount Edith Cavell and Mount Sorrow. The glacier is so named because it once bore the outline of a heavenly being. Due to melting, this comparison is less obvious today. Nonetheless, it remains a magnificent sight. If time is short, make the 1.6 kilometre walk to Cavell Pond, where you will still be able to see the glacier.
Well-equipped mountaineers will be in their element on Mount Edith Cavell. The East Ridge poses the steepest, most rugged climb. Many opt for the North Face, East Summit route – cited by Steck and Roper as one of the ‘Fifty Classic Climbs of North America’. Needless to say, you should only attempt such ascents if you know what you're doing.
Mount Edith Cavell is located in Jasper National Park. Head south along Icefields Parkway for 7.5 kilometres, then branch onto the 93A for 11.7 kilometres. From here, Cavell Road leads to designated parking. In all, the journey takes around 45 minutes. Cavell Road remains open from around early June to mid-October every year.
