Gap Peak to Mount Fable Traverse Route Map (see link in desciption - or click here - for interactive version).

That's one way to start a ridgewalk! Immediately after Gap's summit, the ridge narrows almost to a point! While the route line in Kane's book is down on the slope to the left, I didn't feel like traversing downsloping scree...So the exposed ridge it is!

My dad reluctantly follows me down the ridge.

Walking the mountain tightrope ;). Photo credit: Dad

Another view up to my dad, as we continue down the ridge. While the narrowest bit is right after the summit, the ridge doesn't really widen out until the low point about 400m (horizontal) later.

Looking back up the ridge, after reaching said low point.

Some super neat rock formations!

Another look back to Gap. Note the prolonged distance of "narrowness"...

More peculiar rock art!

Gap Peak started to fall into the distance, as we made quick work of the (now) broad ridge.

Continuing down the ridge.

After a lengthy, uneventful stretch, we were faced with our first obstacle since the start of the traverse. A cliff band impedes progress along the ridge, and the only option is to traverse below it, on scree slopes to the right. Lingering snow may put an end to early season attempts, as a slip here would not be pleasant...

Looking back across the traverse. If dry, it doesn't present any problems.

Neat photo captured by my dad! Photo credit: Dad

The ridge starts to become more interesting, with more obstacles in quick succession!

Steep, smooth slabs prompted us to once again drop below the crest, this time on climber's left.

Unfortunately, this meant losing some elevation, and then regaining it all (plus extra), on steep, loose scree.

Once up the scree, we regained the ridge on more grippy, and much less exposed, slabs.

Back on the ridge crest. Note the gnarly section we avoided in the background (left).

Here, we traversed around the pinnacle (to climber's right), then turned left, and ascended a couple short rock steps to regain the ridge above.

Such a beautiful mountain!

Another stretch of tame ridge awaits us.

Well, tame as long as you don't get too close to the edge! (like I did to take this picture...lol)

Aw shoot! Shoulda brought my skis ;)!

Honestly quite surprised to find this much snow on the front range at the end of June!

What an impressive angle of Cougar Peak! Charles Stewart South and Mount Charles Stewart rise in the distance.

A neat valley opens up a view to the distant Mount Alymer!

Not much ridge left between us and Fable!

Cornices at the end of June?!!

Looking down to the col, from the final highpoint in the ridge. I honestly expected an obvious ascent route to appear when we came around to Fable's backside. But it doesn't look much different...

Close-up of the slabby summit block. I know the route goes up the left-hand ridge, but even that looks pretty crazy from here!

Descending to the col.

Neat view of Mount Townsend, Epic Tower, Mythic Tower, and Little Mythic. There's another lengthy traverse I've been eyeing!

There are a couple big "steps" along the way, but all can be easily bypassed on skier's right.

We've come a long way!

Close-up of the incredible rock face.

On to the final challenge!

After ascending a short scree slope, we soon arrived at the slabs.

Scrambling up! As is often the case, this section was significantly simpler than it looked from afar. Photo credit: Dad

Looking back.

After the stretch of slabs and scree, we followed an easy ledge that traversed below steep slabs on the crest for a short distance.

We soon made our way back up to the ridge, and encountered this narrow section guarding the summit. I would consider this the crux of the ascent. While I chose to scramble up the rock step directly ahead, my dad decided to traverse the narrow, brown ledge on the right (which we would both take on descent).

My dad, traversing the exposed ledge.

Once past the crux, there was another narrow section, before the ridge eased off just before the summit.

Summit selfie!

Looking northwest, towards Cougar (foreground), Charles Stewart South, Charles Stewart, Peechee, Girouard, Alymer, and Stenton.

Even Mount Assiniboine is visible, far in the distance!

Neat cloud shadows across the front range. Visible from left to right are, Orient Point, South Ghost Peak, and Cross Peak.

Morrowmount looks like it could be an easy scramble...but I have a feeling that the same can't be said about its approach...

Allan, Bogart, Wind Mountain, Lougheed, Birdwood (distant), Smuts (distant), Shark (distant), Nestor, and Old Goat.

I absolutely love this view of Mount Townsend!

Looking over Exshaw Creek to the final chain of peaks, walling off the prairies.

Mount Rundle towers high above Lady Mac in the midground.

The remote end (or beginning, depending on how you look at it ;)) of Exshaw Creek, with Saddle Peak rising beyond.

If you're looking at the end of the ridge and thinking it looks higher, you're not the only one! Standing at the summit cairn, the continuation of the ridge to the south looked like it increased in height, so we decided to go check it out.

There were a couple exposed sections along the way.

This wouldn't be a fun place to slip...

Wolverine was here.

Looking down to the descent drainage from the end of the ridge. It's a long way to Exshaw...

Cool angle back across to the long ridge we traversed to get here! Gap Peak juts out at its far left end.

Hazy b&w of the beautiful Mount Lougheed.

Old Fort Peak and Goat Mountain stand out, with nothing but flatness beyond.

Hazy view of the front range on the opposite side of Highway 1. The peaks all kind of blend together, but I'll name a few for fun anyways :). From left to right, we have, Baldy's three summits, Midnight, Boundary, Tiara, followed by a chain of peaks from Bryant Ridge. Heart Mountain, and Twin Towers sit below (center), with the Exshaw Plant looking like a tiny "monopoly piece" at the bottom of the frame.

Fable is made up of some crazy rock!

Hard to believe we stood way over there this morning!

The short, exposed section, as we make our way back to the summit.

Bright snow and dramatic cliffs.

Approaching the summit cairn. It turns out that whoever made it knew what they were doing, and it was just an optical illusion.

I was really surprised not to find a register on such an impressive peak. Luckily I brought one along, and left it at the cairn after confirming that it really was the highest point ;)!

Starting down the ridge.

Downclimbing the exposed crux.

Descending the slab/scree slope back to the col.

Don't worry, it's definitely not as daunting as it looks! Just make sure you stick to climber's left, where broken slabs with plenty of holds break through the otherwise smooth face!

Final view of some other peaks that I'm itching to climb even more now!

Once we arrived back at the col, we turned left, and started down scree slopes to the drainage below. Now you could, of course, retrace your steps all the way back to Gap Peak, but I doubt you'll be in the mood at this point in the day ;).

I love the contrast that lingering snow provides for black and whites :)!

Just a few minutes passed before we were looking back up to the col. That brown scree is a hoot for scree skiing!!

Lower down travel becomes more cumbersome, on scree-covered, slabby ledges.

I'm convinced that this mountain doesn't have a bad side ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Pretty lighting down the drainage, with Gap Peak rising above us once again.

There aren't really any places to fill up on water during a long ridgewalk, so this was exciting!

The view back up, after reaching the drainage.

We were up there :)!

Long, bouldery drainage, here we come!

Looking back up the drainage a little while later.

About 2.6km after reaching the base of the drainage, we joined up with the much "wetter" Exshaw Creek.

Lots of water meant lots of creek crossings! Also, check out this action shot ;)!

I looked back at one point and was like, "woah, Fable looks sooo big!", so I took a picture :).

A multitude of pre-made "bridges" made our job significantly easier. Photo credit: Dad

Woah!! Check out this awesome set up! The "Sweat Lodge" is open for business! (you might want to check with the owners first, actually...¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Although the drainage itself is super wide, the creek has a way of winding back and forth, and seemed to enjoy cutting us off, forcing us to struggle along the bushy, downsloping banks...😑

This drainage is not at all canyon-like, so this random, smooth wall really stood out!

We made this bridge :)!

I was expecting some route finding based on Kane's description of an 8m-high dam near the end of the drainage...Turns out that someone dumped a ton of boulders in here since the writing of his book, and we had no trouble simply boulder hopping down to the road below. The road then easily led us down to Exshaw, where my mom was waiting for us with our car :). I was so happy to finally bag this traverse! It's just one of those things that I've been wanting to do for so long, and it totally lived up to my expectations! If you're looking at bagging both Gap and Fable, I'd definitely recommend joining them up like we did. It might make for a long day, but it sure is a rewarding one!