Myles Dawson

I've heard legends of Sky Pilot. Groups of 24 waiting on the Pink Slab, SAR rescues from the Gondola and deadly mosquitos. Even with its fearsome reputation I decided to tackle this challenge head on.

Starting at the crack of 9am I took the luxurious Gondola rather than the direct approach called "The Climb". Conditions were perfect, gondola tickets were expensive and spirits were high as I approached the lodge.

From the lodge the AllTrails route was quite straightforward to follow with several marked signs showing the direction to head in. I was passed by several trail runners, I can see this being a good fast and light ascent as the starting is fairly flat and monotonous. It almost begs to be ran rather than walked...or even e-biked.

After some time the gravel road ends in a sort of cul-de-sac. Its at this point at which the real trail begins. It began with a pleasant upward traversal through a slightly muddy and rocky patch with a gentle stream rolling down.

Onwards its simple upwards hiking with a fairly well-marked trail. As you increase in elevation the views become more tantalizing. There was one simple stream crossing which caused no issues and then it opens up into a large scree slope where the real scrambling begins.

At this point it became a mix of moderately steep snow and scree scrambling. I opted not to put on microspikes as the snow was soft and supple to the touch. At parts the snow becomes quite steep so I could see why people would prefer to bring an ice axe. I found hiking poles to be sufficient. If you have some experience boot-skiing or regular-skiing a slip here shouldn't cause too much worry. Eventually it opens up into another bowl, I choose the least-steep route. Onwards to the infamous Pink Slab.

There were a few parties on the Pink Slab already so I hung out and enjoyed the views and amazing air quality. After some time I put on my helmet and began the scramble. With some climbing experience I found it to be quite easy, although there were some loose rocks here and there to be aware of. Trad techniques like foot jamming might help some here but I found regular foot placement worked just as well.

Both chimneys were fairly straightforward although I found the exposure on the second one to be quite hair-raising! It slopes downward straight off of a cliff and into thin air, would not want to make a mistake there. This part is fairly demanding and I found it worthwhile to slow down and be mindful of each foot placement.

After the second chimney you arrive directly at the peak, with abundant gorgeous views at all viewing angles.

The scramble down was a tad more difficult but no issues there. As some parties are slower it was a good self-reminder to give space to people below to avoid knocking any loose rocks onto them!

The sound of a helicopter brought a sense of foreboding but also wonder and excitement. It turns out someone had slipped on the snow just before Copilot and had slid off a cliff into a crevasse below and broken one or multiple legs. SAR volunteers are thankless heroes, they got the wounded hiker out of there with haste and professionalism.

After witnessing this event I have decided to buy an ice axe and practice self-arrests

Boot-skiing the rest of the snow was enjoyable although too short-lived. The rest of the hike is easy and enjoyable with hiking poles. Ending with an endless stretch of gravel road is not the most appetizing but at least there are juicy burgers to eat at the lodge...

Eating at the lodge was a crucial mistake. Swarms of loud tourists shattered any chance of pensive reflection