The Pumpkin Traverse - Lipalian Mountain, Purple Mound, and Unity Peak Route Map (see link in desciption - or click here - for interactive version).

Heading down the snowy ridge from Purple Mound.

Looking back to lots of fresh snow. I see why people ski here in winter!

About halfway along the ridge to Unity, this rock outcropping blocks the way. Fortunately, it can be easily by-passed, by traversing under it on the scree slopes to the right...Un-fortunately, this means more elevation loss, that must then be regained again later.

Traversing below.

Looking back to Purple Mound. It's likely that you can traverse higher up, just below the cliffs (to minimise elevation losses), but we found a solid goat trail leading down from the ridge, and just stuck to it until around the cliffs.

Once around the rock outcropping, we ascended easy scree slopes back up to the ridge.

The approximate route we would end up taking up Unity Peak!

Nearing the base of the cliffs guarding Unity Peak!

We traversed below the cliffs (to climber's right), looking for a weakness to ascend. Photo credit: Dad

We soon found one, angling up to the right...

Which quickly led us to this gully with step-like terrain.

Looking down our chosen weakness! Photo credit: Dad

Once above the "steps", we easily hiked up this steep, grassy slope above (and to the left of) the gully.

Bird!

After the grass/dirt/scree slope, we were granted with a bit more solid rock scrambling before the summit!

Climbing up some big blocks. Photo credit: Dad

Scrambling up to the ridge.

On the summit ridge! The tower of blocks ahead is the summit!

Solid amount of snow up here already! Photo credit: Dad

Now that's one unique summit selfie! The top of Unity Peak is just a bunch of quartzite boulders, and the highest point is a small tower of precariously stacked blocks!

My dad, on Unity Peak's one man summit! Probably shouldn't stand here for too long...

Lower down, in the center of all the boulders atop Unity Peak, lies this plaque explaining the naming! Couldn't find a register though.

Making our way to the second highest point of Unity Peak (a larger pile of boulders!). Navigating through the boulders, with all the fresh snow covering the gaps, was actually quite tedious. Every step was unpredictable, as we never knew what lay beneath the snow! Not to mention snowy boots + lichen covered boulders = bye bye traction!

Incredible view of Redoubt Mountain, with Redoubt Lake below!

Mount Hector! (the only mountain my mom knows the name of!)

Looking over the back side of Lake Louise ski resort on Whitehorn Mountain! Mount Daly rises center, with Niles' rounded peak peeking out down Daly's ridge to the left. Glaciated Mount Balfour is to the right.

Lake Louise group! Lefroy towers to the left, above Aberdeen, Haddo, Sheol, and Saddle! Mount Victoria dominates in the center above Fairview, and Whyte sits right, above Lake Louise!

Mount Douglas (left) and Mount St. Bride (right)!

Pulsatilla Mountain! (Is it a scramble?!)

A view east towards often unseen peaks! Anthozoan Mountain and Lychnis Mountain stack up far left...the rest appear to be unnamed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Super cool lookin' ridge, compiled of Bulwark Peak (left) and Armor Peak (right)! Protection Mountain is far right, along the ridge.

:)

Me, on Unity Peak, with the "super cool lookin' ridge" behind! Photo credit: Dad

My dad with Redoubt! (Told ya we'd make it! ;) )

I went back to the highest point, to get some pictures with my camera...which resulted in my dad getting this sick pic of me! Photo credit: Dad

Looking back to the other two summits completed today! Purple Mound (center-left) and Lipalian Mountain (center-right)!

Snowy Storm, Ball and Stanley (from left to right), distant center!

Temple rises up to the clouds behind Lipalian Mountain!

Looking back to my dad, on the larger pile of boulders on Unity's north end.

Hey Asolo, can you sponsor me please?? Long ways down off the west side of the tower of boulders!

Beautiful pano of the valley to the north-east!

Looking down towards Wolverine Valley.

Heading down the north ridge, from the blocky summit. Photo credit: Dad

A little ways down the ridge, we angled left, to the plateau below the crest. We then followed the plateau to where everything seemed to funnel down to, hoping there would be a gully we could descend to the valley below...

Ah yes...this looks fun! A frozen waterfall covered the length of the narrow gully, taking down climbing it out of the question!

But this could work...Just to skier's right of the ice gully, we found a dry, narrow "gully" (more like a weakness in the cliff band), and decided it was worth a try!

Downclimbing our chosen route.

Just a few vertical meters away from the gentler scree slope below, we got cliffed out! Luckily there was a narrow ledge we could traverse across, and we were then able to loop down! The crux however, was getting onto the ledge...This involved carefully stepping on a downsloping, scree covered ledge (right on the edge of the short cliff), in order to reach the (more solid) traversing ledge. Photo credit: Dad

Once past all that excitement, we enjoyed a speedy descent to Wolverine Valley on soft scree! Wolverine Ridge rises from the opposite side of the valley.

Our approximate route down the weakness beside the ice gully!

Wolverine Valley offers a comprehensive view of all three peaks we summited! Unity Peak, Purple Mound, and Lipalian Mountain (left to right)!

Pretty, grassy meadow!

Looking back up to the north ridge. There appear to be easier descent options by traversing further north from our gully. (I have confirmed this by reading others trip reports after the fact)

Hiking down the peaceful meadow, along the creek.

Parts of the creek are already starting to freeze!...Winter is coming!

Looking back to Unity Peak! Beautiful colours in this valley at this time of year! We stayed on skier's right side of the creek for a while, as the terrain was open and easy to follow.

Eventually, we began encountering deadfall, and after being given quite the scare by a porcupine, we decided it might be in our best interest to head to the other side of the creek where a trail apparently existed. At this point, the bush guarded the creek like a fence, and we had to fight our way through. After a war with tree branches, we emerged at the creek, and easily crossed it on some rocks. Once across, we started up the other side, and a bit more bushwhacking took us to the trail almost instantly!

We followed the narrow trail down the rest of the valley, and soon found ourselves on the well travelled trail to Skoki backcountry camping. We turned left on this trail, and followed it back to the ski out. Now just a painful 4km trek down the access road after an extremely enjoyable day, traversing from Lipalian, to Purple Mound, and finally Unity Peak!