A steep scramble to the top of a rock tower, overlooking Lake Agnes and Lake Louise in a picture-perfect panorama.

Mount Temple is one of Banff’s famous peaks that exceed 11,000 feet. Viewed from the Trans-Canada Highway near Lake Louise, its profile dominates the skyline. From all angles, the mountain looks quite formidable, but there is a relatively moderate route hiding on one side, tucked out of sight from the highway and most trails in the area.

Cirque Peak is the often-photographed mountain above Helen Lake. The lake is a popular destination, and the peak beckoning beyond gets a fair amount of traffic as well. It makes an excellent introductory scramble, or a quick check off the list for the seasoned peak bagger.

Mount Rundle is the iconic, tilted mountain just south of Banff townsite. The west face is less steep than the rest, and it’s the side that the “Normal Route” takes to the summit. A worn path exists all the way to the top, so the difficulty borders on extreme hiking and easy scrambling.

Cascade Mountain is the huge pyramid rising north of Banff townsite. The Cascade Amphitheatre, forming the backside of the mountain in relation to Banff, is a popular summer hike from Mount Norquay Ski Area. Huge cliffs of an arcing ridgeline form the amphitheatre, and the route to Cascade’s summit follows this same ridge.

Mount Edith in Banff National Park (different from Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park) is a craggy mountain with three distinct peaks. The route described here is to North Peak, which is the true summit. It is also the first portion of the longer and more difficult Three Peaks scramble.