Louis-Gmoser Route

We parked at the end of the Vermillion Lakes park road and traverse the highway traffic due east and after we crossed the 2nd fence; continued due east until we hooked into the Edith Pass trail. Have no idea why we did this when we could have just used the Edith Pass Trail from the Fireside Picnic area. After about 2000', passing all Edith peaks on your left, you end up at the base of the Gmoser Route. This is about 15 pitches, several are fast, and several are slow. The Gmoser Route is an Alpine III- 5.8 and a lot slower than the Kain Route. We had to set our own stations early on this route, including pitons once. There is a fun chimney-crack early, about the 4th pitch. I got totally pumped on this one. Then we faced some careful route finding. We ended off route in a gully and had some serious rock fall whiz (you know the noise) by my head and legs. Keep moving left and stay out of the gullies. It eventually joins back into the Kain route. Once you are up to the headwall, there is another great pitch into the 5.9 area. It was a super day, no other climbers on the mountain (even though it was a Saturday). Great views of Edith and Cory all the way up and then Fifi, Assiniboine, Temple and the Vermillion range. We down climbed versus counting on some rough belay stations for several pitches down and faced one 60 meter lower section. This route is slightly west of the Gmoser. Once on the col, scramble 1000' down back to the trail.