"I have mixed feelings about Mount Ball, so here is a pros & cons list: PRO: somewhat of a trail exists for the first kilometer CON: many kilometers of deadfall makes the next section slow travelling PRO: after the headwall, some flat karst pavement makes for some fast trail CON: a long scree slog up to Beatrice Peak PRO: pretty awesome views from up top CON: from Beatrice, it takes longer than expected to get to the summit of Ball PRO: kinda nice to check this one off after gazing at it for so many years CON: it's a long way back to the car PRO: the scree descent is pretty quick CON: despite having a GPS track to navigate by, it's still pretty easy to get off route PRO: a big day out exploring a valley with no-one else around There was a lot of getting off route on this track. Strava did not record the whole track. Actual time was 13:40. Actual distance was likely around 27km. Elevation gain around 1900m." — geoffhardy • Sep 8, 2024

"Haffner Creek approach is even worse than most people describe: a pure purgatory in 30C heat. The scramble itself has 2 short upper moderate sections (Class 3 terrain). The optional descent gully off Beatrice is right now choked with snow - ice-axe and a traction device recommended. I planned to ascend Stanley Peak as well but realized that the hanging valley between Beatrice and Stanley has no water. Running short on water, I beat a hasty retreat down to Haffner Creek." — Taras • Jul 31, 2022

"Haffner creek lives up to the hype...and I'm going to suggest it gets even worse each year due to new avalanche debris and new erosion. I now wear it with a badge of honour. Beatrice and Ball look so close from the bivy site once you've walked in in the morning. But Beatrice is higher than it looks and Ball is further than it looks. Masocists the ones that did Ball from the parking lot in a day. Bluebird though just after the fresh snow and of course no one around. Tackled Stanley via SW the next morning and then Haffner round 2. Stasys you are a machine. Rob glad you enjoyed Haffner both ways with your full pack. 3 to go... Scramblers (2): Stasys, Alex https://www.meetup.com/canadian-scrambling-and-mountaineering-company/events/273015855/" — alexjoseph • Sep 9, 2020

"Well well.... A year after going up the creek, Leigh-Anne and I decided it was time to tidy up the unfinished business and go back. After a hot bushwhack in we established camp and had dinner. We did the toiletries and got ready for bed. There was weather moving in and we had to take some precaution to ensure the tent wouldn't blow away. We got in the tent and within ten minutes it was raining and hailing. Eventually the storm passed and we were able to get some sleep. The next morning we got ready and went up the waterfall, and aimed for Beatrice. We had already decided to do Beatrice first, finish on Ball, and come back down the waterfall. Enough of me yacking, enjoy the pics." — BertB • Aug 2, 2020

"Bert and I did the unthinkable - we returned to the Haffner Creek bushwhack. It was miserable. It was hot. It took us forever to get to the bivy. Then we set up the tent and ate and a thunderstorm made its presence known. We tied down the tent really well, got inside and then it hailed pretty hard! It was mentally taxing after the bushwhack and it didn't help us feel positive. It was creepy ominous. I didn't sleep well... maybe 3 hours of sleep? However, Sunday was perfect. I never needed my down, never needed my crampons, never needed my ice axe. But I carried them all lol, so my already big pack was still heavy. We took the waterfall gully up Beatrice, slogged to the summit, then went over to Mount Ball. I couldn't commit to the sketchy left bypass of the rock knob, so I told Bert to go ahead while I looked for a better route. I made the sketch move required for the right bypass, then chased after him and we ascended Ball together. It was Bert's last peak of the Kane 2nd edition. Wow!!!!! He and I have done over 60 of them together, so over 1/3. Amazing!" — leigh-annewebster • Aug 2, 2020

"From Ball. Just reversed the ridgewalk to the Col, then up a short (less than 100m for sure) slope to this peak. Views were different from Ball, but just as awesome. We took the alternate decent and cruised to the bowl via snow and scree filled gully. Easy to add this one on to your ball trip. And the decent makes is faster than retracing your Ball ascent anyway. Back to camp at sunset. Dinner at dusk, then a well earned sleep. " — mike_rogers81 • Aug 3, 2019