Gear Review: Scarpa Charmoz

The Charmoz are an entry level boot in Scarpa's Technical Mountain boot category. As a mid-range manufacturer that makes this the Charmoz a entry level to mid-range mountaineering boot. Within their technical mountaineering category there are a few other options offering lighter weight materials and some with a more technical toe welt in addition to the heel welt found on all their mountaineering boots. Scarpa also has a standard Mountaineering category which offers a couple selections that sit between their Technical Mountain category and heavy backpacking boots.

I bought my Scarpa Charmoz from MEC in Calgary. I tried on every pair of mountaineering boots they offer short of plastic. Probably around a dozen different pairs ranging from entry level boots like Scarpa Escape up to the super technical and rigid La Sportiva Nepal Evo. None of them felt great. It took more than one visit for me to settle on the Charmoz but they definitely felt the best on my feet.

The Charmoz left my feet sore and blistered after the first two trips. First a hike and then a 11,000 mountaineering object paired with crampons. I was about to give up on them and return them but elected to give them one more shot on a scramble. My feet emerged from the third trip unscathed and have since become my go to footwear for any trips with technical fourth class scrambling and simple fifth class climbing.

These boots really shine in situations that involve scrambling. Foot placement is extremely precise for a boot of this bulk and the soles are very grippy. I've used them to climb a 5.9 crack in quartzite and plenty of granite slabs. The soles smear and stick to tiny lips nearly as well as a rock shoe.

Even with little to compare to, I'd recommend these boots to anyone that likes the way they feel in the store.

Mount Arethusa

The approach

Mount Arethusa is a deceptively difficult summit over the Highwood Pass. If you know what you're doing and can maintain a good pace, it can be a quick summit though. 

It was getting pretty late in the season so we were looking for a summit that wasn't supposed to take very long. Jenn added the requirement that our trip be exhilarating and scare her a little so Mount Arethusa seemed like a great option. 

We had a few road bumps getting on the highway so we didn't get to Highwood Pass until almost 9:30. The drive out on Highway 40 was fairly eventful with the usual amount of wildlife making an appearance on the shoulder. The trailhead for Arethusa is an obvious pull off 1.3 kilometers past the Highwood Pass parking lot and trailhead. 

Mount Arethusa

We started up the trail at a good pace. So quick that we actually passed the first geocache we were aiming for without realizing it and decided to pick it up on the way out rather than doubling back. 

The trail quickly took us to a small meadow offering us our first really good views of the mountain. Storm creek passes through this meadow and there's a small pond that was covered in a thin layer of ice that morning. We surveyed the route carefully as the beta we had indicated that if there was any snow along our intended descent route that it would be impassible and we would have to turn back. Fortunately it all looked clear so we continued on. 

Our lunch ledge

Our line took us to the right of a direct line to the base of the mountain. There was an obvious trail but we discovered an easier route through a thin patch of forest on our return. From the lower meadow the route up to the ridge was plainly visible but not obvious. We were uncertain whether to go up the slopes on the right or straight up through the cliff bands at the end of the ridge. Fortunately it became clear that straight up through the cliff bands would be the better option as we approached the toe of the talus field.

Our ascent passed through the awful scree and had us sliding back nearly as much as we could move forward. As we progressed we found bits of solid rock protruding from the scree and took full advantage of the more stable footing for an easier climb.

Farzad after gaining the ridge

The wind was howling and the temperature was brisk. We stopped for lunch about three quarters of the way up on a well protected shelf with a large overhanging wall that made a nice pocket for us to take shelter in.

The last push to the summit was pretty easy as there was more and more solid rock among the scree. Here the scramble became much more enjoyable and more of a climb at times. The ridge revealed itself in no time and the slope became much more manageable.

Portions of the ridge were very thin and with a howling wind it was easy to feel a slight sense of vertigo but crossing the ridge was little more than walking until we reached the crux. The photos we had seen of the crux did a poor job of illustrating just what it was going to be like. It was intimidating but not overly difficult.

Farzad descending the crux

The crux is little more than a chimney you have to down-climb. The only tricky part is in how steep it is and how exposed the base is. A fall down the chimney would likely lead to a fall over another large cliff below the it. Fortunately the holds are huge and the route has been cleaned well. A distinct contrast to the rest of the mountain that is largely just loose rocks wedged between other loose rocks. The holds in the chimney were solid and I tested each carefully.

Sitting on the ridge

After the crux the route drops a few meters below the ridge proper. Here the ridge is narrow and exposed. Traversing the top would be dangerous. Instead the route picks its way through some narrow ledges with moderate exposure. Falls here would be painful but probably not fatal.

Before long the ridge widens and becomes a very easy walk while teasing you with a false summit. While it was disappointing to have further to go it was a relief that the true summit was only minutes away. Here though the route crosses some narrow sloping ledges covered in loose rock with severe exposure. If a fall here wasn't fatal you would certainly be wishing it had been.

On the summit

The summit was tiny with little more than enough room for us to crowd around the summit cairn and take a group photo. We had taken longer than we had planned to reach the summit and were in a hurry to get down. Our ascent time had nearly reached the planned time allotted for the entire hike.

The descent gully

From the summit we doubled back a couple meters and began working our way straight down through some ledges until we found a good route to the planned descent gully. The gully is on a ridge that separates Ptarmagin Cirque from Arethusa Cirque. From below it appears as though there are many gullies but from above it's clear that only the first is an option as the notch it creates would be impassible without climbing.

The last drop into the gully is down a steep slab. The best way down is the less than graceful butt-scoot or a crab-walk. It's not pretty but it's the best option. The top of the gully is full of loose large rocks. In hindsight I think we should have stayed together a very tight group never more than an arm's length from one another but we opted to descent independently which required us to do our descent in stages, one at a time.

A rock ptarmigan

Rock fall is a severe hazard in the gully. We were constantly dislodging large football and basketball sized rocks along with innumerable baseball sized stones. Each would tumble the entire length of the gully bouncing unpredictably off the walls.

As we progressed we found corners and ledges we could take refuge on while allowing us to regroup. We dubbed the last long and smooth section the death trap and I opted to head down first. Despite the smooth walls and the strain of pressing against the walls for traction it was relatively smooth going. That is until I reached a huge boulder lodged in the middle.

Storm Creek

I knew immediately that this was the crux of the descent. I searched for a way over the boulder and found that I could use the crack it had formed as an undercling hold. I carefully climbed down the 15 or 20 feet down and resumed my descent but now full of worry as to how my companions were going fare.

Fortunately they both managed to make it down with only a small slip each. Farzad banged up his knee but was still able to walk out with a slight limp. Once out of the gully we made our way over the talus and made our way back to the car.

It wasn't an epic day but it took us longer than it should have. The summit of Mount Arethusa isn't anything spectacular and is lower than a lot of the surrounding peaks but the climb is a lot of fun and makes the trip worth the effort.

The story of my knees

I suffered through a knee injury for a long time so I thought it might be helpful if I shared my experiences with others. My knee problems made certain hikes extremely painful but I got over it. 

I first hurt my knees on a hike almost 15 years ago. I was on a multi-day backpacking trip with my father. Two days into the trip a major weather system moved in and proceeded to soak us. Our equipment back then wasn't what it was today and the elevation we were at kept us inside clouds for the entirety of the second day. Visibility was zero, it was cold and wet and we were feeling defeated. It wasn't until we stopped to make camp that we fully realized how wet we were. My pack had literally soaked through. Everything in side it was soaked. My down bag was soaked and useless. With temperatures hovering around freezing I think that was the worst night's sleep I'd ever had.

The next morning we woke to pouring rain so we elected to cut our trip short by a couple days and get out. The weight of our packs had increased with the water saturation and the hike out was long. When we reached the low lands we found several bridges washed out and sections of the trail under water for kilometers at a time. I felt like I was in some Vietnam war movie, walking through water knee deep for hours on end.

When I got back my knees were done. It was months before I could walk down a set of stairs without wincing at the pain. I was in university at the time and sitting in those tiny chairs was torture as I had to keep my legs as straight as possible to avoid the pain.

Years passed and hiking got a little better but the pain was always there in my knees. Descents were the worst. I could hike uphill and across flats all day with no issues but as soon as we started to descend all hell would break loose. Since we tend to do a lot of summits this poses a significant problem. I start out fine, we reach the summit and as soon as we start out descent I slow to a crawl.

It all came to head on a hike with Jenn on our way back down from Mount Indefatigable. We were coming down, trying to beat what appeared to be a nasty weather front, back to the car. I was in pain like usual on the descent but then suddenly this time it got worse. The pain was unbearable. I couldn't force myself to move. I was prepared to lay down and stay on the mountain forever. I was popping Motrin like candy. I wanted to cry. I was seriously wondering if I was going to have to crawl off the mountain on my hands and knees. We took a long rest and eventually made it down very slowly and returned to the car far later than I'd have liked. We got lucky and the storm missed us on the other side of the ridge.

After that, our hikes all followed a similar pattern. I was fine on the way up and then in agony on the way down. I hated descents. But no matter how much pain a descent caused, as soon as we got back on flat ground the pain would disappear and I could hike again at full speed across flat terrain.

I eventually caved and went to see a physiotherapist. He had me perform a few motions and deduced that my problem was likely that my quads and glutes were out of balance and that on a descent the quads were pulling the knee cap out of position and causing the pain. He assured me that simple exercise could resolve the issue which was a huge relief as I was dreading that surgery would be my only hope. He gave me a few exercises to work on and sent me on my way.

I went home with great resolve, performed my exercises but nothing changed. The hikes followed the same pattern. I stuck with the exercises and added some low impact jogging to my exercises. Still nothing seemed to change. Running downhill even made the problem worse. After one run down a long hill I found myself barely able to walk for nearly three weeks.

But I stuck to it. I was determined to give exercise a chance. The alternatives meant either giving up hiking or looking into surgery. Neither of which were viable options in my mind. I had learned ways of descending that took the pressure off the knee. It was awkward and slow but got me down without the pain.

Then something magical happened. We were on our way down from a summit. We were rushing and moving more quickly that I thought my knee could handle. I was waiting for it to start complaining but it didn't. I wasn't sure if it was a fluke. Maybe the descent wasn't as difficult as I thought?

Then another descent passed without pain and another. I started walking with a normal stride on my descents and still no pain. Suddenly my knee appeared good again.

It's only been a few months but I've gone through a half-dozen summits with none of the pain I experienced before. I can jog down hills without pain. I don't want to say my knees are perfect again but I'm amazed at the impact a few months of exercise has had. It didn't happen over night either. It might not be the answer for everyone's knee problems but it worked for mine. It's amazing what the body can do when you ask it to.

I'm looking forward to pushing myself more now and seeing how strong I can get my knees. Some simple leg exercises can go a long way but jogging is probably what really got me over the hump. Anyone that says jogging ruins your knees, probably hasn't spent enough time running. I credit jogging as the activity that saved my knees.

Squaw's Tit

This summit received it's politically incorrect name from its resemblance to a breast with a large summit "nipple" when viewed from the Trans-Canada Highway.

If you dislike this bushwhacking you will hate this summit. It may be tempting to park in Harvey Heights and save yourself a half kilometer at the start, the residents of the area have a reputation for not taking kindly to people parking on their streets. With that in mind we decided to park in a gravel parking lot off the highway which appeared to be a trailhead for some hike. Study the summit from the parking lot because once you won't see it again for a while and without a trail you're relying on your memory of the features to get you to where you want to be.

The trail starts on a generally agreeable heading but quickly veered off in a direction we didn't want to go. All the route descriptions we had read warned against following the trails as none of them would take us to where we wanted to go and would just waste our time.

So as the trail began to head in the wrong direction, we looked for an opportune place where the brush was less dense and set off on our own trail. As we made our way through the brush we stumbled across dozens of old campfire rings. I'm guessing it's a popular spot for the Canmore youth to go hang out and drink.

As we made our way through the brush we encountered many game trails that we attempted to follow for as long as they seemed to head in a desirable direction and even on trail that appeared to be somewhat maintained.

The described route we were trying for went up the left ridge that runs east-west on the map. Once above the tree line it is easy to spot as you can't go past it as there is a large vertical drop on the other side.

We encountered horrible loose scree on slabs above the tree line but traversed it to the ridge and found good rock for scrambling. There are a couple narrow sections but the climbing is fun. There was really only one tricky move but seasoned scramblers won't slowed at all. It would be possible to bypass certain parts of the ridge by traversing to climber's right but the scree and slabs would probably make that option at least as sketchy as sticking to the ridge so I'd avoid it. If it were wet or there was still snow it would probably be much easier and safer to stay on the ridge proper.

For the most part the ridge will continue to climb with a couple small notches that require some down-climbing. The down-climbing is easy with as the rock is almost ladder like.

We stopped for lunch on a slightly grassy saddle immediately below the summit "nipple". While the summit block looks fairly intimidating from this angle the route up is comparatively simple. We ascended the slabs on the left of the summit block. The rock is "grippy" with plenty of good holds but there is exposure that would be magnified if the route were wet or snow covered.

Once up the slabs there are some easy climbing routes up chimneys to the summit or continue on a little further around the back for a simple trail that will switch back and up to the summit. The summit is deceptively tiny. We barely had enough room for the two of to stand on top and take the obligatory summit photo.

On the descent my climbing partner realized that he was about to run out of water. While it wasn't a hot day, we were in the sun for most of the ascent and he'd consumed almost all of his 2L. I always bring 3L and I was down to barely over a litre left. So we made the decision to descend as quickly as possible via the scree slopes as opposed to retracing our steps. While we were able to lose a lot of elevation quickly at the start the scree quickly began to lessen and we soon found ourselves on less than ideal terrain. We debated descending into the slot canyon at the bottom of the slope but without know what was down there we decided that despite the lack of water it would be worth it for the added safety to traverse back to the ledge and restart our descent from there.

We made it back to the ridge without any difficulty and managed to avoid the sections that would have made for the trickiest down-climbing so our scree attempt wasn't a complete loss. We followed the ridge down to the last of the major ribs in the mountain that led into the canyon on skier's left. At this point my climbing partner had completely exhausted his water and we were trying to ration the last of mine. We had the option of continuing along the ridge and down the scree slopes or beginning our descent from where we were into high forest on steep slopes.


We knew the ridge and scree would likely be quicker overall but it was a southwest facing aspect and we would be in the sun the entire time so we opted for the treed route to take advantage of the shade. The descent felt like it took forever but eventually the slope began to ease although with that came a thicker forest and increasingly difficult bushwhacking.

We basically followed the contours of the mountain while trying to maintain a heading that was in the general direction of the car. As you can see on the GPS track data we even crossed our path up at one point but didn't realize it as we tried to make our way through the brush.

As the terrain leveled out we finished the last of our water but were fortunate enough to find a small creek running fast and clear enough for us to feel it good enough to drink from. Feeling refreshed and knowing we were only a kilometer from the car, we set out at a quicker pace.

The brush grew increasingly thicker and more difficult to navigate as we got closer to the car. We stumbled across an array of deer bones strewn about a small clearing at one point. All polished clean. Kind of creepy actually.

We emerged from the brush onto a bike path 100m north of the car. It would be tough to think of another hike where I felt happier to return to the car. We drove to the nearest gas station and loaded up on Gatorade and bottled water.

The scrambling on the route was fun but the bushwhacking offset it enough that I don't think I'd want to do the route again. We're glad we did it, so we can check it off the list and move on to better summits.

Picasa Web Album

GPS Track Log (.gpx)