Mount Columbia | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 3,747 m (12,293 ft) [1] |
Prominence | 2,383 m (7,818 ft) [2] |
Listing | |
Coordinates | 52°08′50″N117°26′30″W / 52.14722°N 117.44167°W [3] |
Geography | |
Country | Canada |
Provinces | Alberta and British Columbia |
Park | Jasper National Park |
Parent range | Winston Churchill Range (Canadian Rockies) |
Topo map | NTS 83C3 Columbia Icefield [3] |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1902 by James Outram, guided by Christian Kaufmann [1] First winter ascent 1944 by Douglas Groff |
Easiest route | Glacier climb |
Mount Columbia is a mountain located in the Winston Churchill Range of the Rocky Mountains. It is the highest point in Alberta, Canada, and is second only to Mount Robson for height and topographical prominence in the Canadian Rockies. It is located on the border between Alberta and British Columbia on the northern edge of the Columbia Icefield. Its highest point, however, lies within Jasper National Park in Alberta. [4]
The mountain was named in 1898 by J. Norman Collie after the Columbia River. [1] The river itself was named after the American ship Columbia Rediviva captained by Robert Gray, who first ventured over a dangerous sandbar and explored the lower reaches of the river in 1792. [5] Mount Columbia was first ascended in 1902 by James Outram, guided by Christian Kaufmann. The first winter ascent of Columbia was completed on March 14th,1944 by about thirty men led by Major Douglas Groff [6] of Winnipeg, during the course of a three-day patrol on the Icefield, using snow holes as sleeping quarters.
The normal route is on the east face, a non-technical glacier climb that is straightforward in summer, albeit with a long approach (approx. 19 km (12 mi)) up the Athabasca Glacier and over the Columbia Icefield. Camping by King's Trench can reduce the approach down to 8 km (5.0 mi). Other routes include the North Ridge, which is more technical (Grade V, YDS 5.7, W3) but considered more spectacular. [1]
Mount Columbia is composed of sedimentary rock laid down from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny. [7]
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Columbia is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. [8] Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C.
Diadem Peak is a peak located in the Sunwapta River Valley of Jasper National Park, Canada. Diadem Peak is essentially the high point of a ridge leading down from the slightly higher Mount Woolley. This peak was the first 11,000er north of the Columbia Icefield to be climbed and one of the few peaks in the Canadian Rockies to be climbed before 1900.
Mount Ball is a mountain located on the Continental Divide, on the borders of Banff and Kootenay national parks in Western Canada. Mt. Ball is the highest peak of the Ball Range in the Canadian Rockies.
Mount Saskatchewan is a mountain located in the North Saskatchewan River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada.
Mount Hector is a 3,394-metre (11,135-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The mountain was named in 1884 by George M. Dawson after James Hector, a geologist on the Palliser expedition. The mountain is located beside the Icefields Parkway, 17 km (11 mi) north of Lake Louise.
Howse Peak is the highest mountain in the Waputik Mountains, a subrange of the Canadian Rockies. It is located 5 km (3 mi) west of the Icefields Parkway, above Chephren Lake, on the continental divide between Alberta and British Columbia. At 3,295 m (10,810 ft), it is the 46th highest peak in Alberta, and the 59th highest in British Columbia.
Saint Nicholas Peak is a 2,938-metre (9,639-foot) mountain summit in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. It is located on the Continental Divide, on the Alberta-British Columbia border, in both Banff National Park and Yoho National Park. It lies at the eastern edge of the Wapta Icefield, and is part of the Waputik Mountains which are a sub-range of the Canadian Rockies.
Mount Lyell is a mountain on the Alberta–British Columbia border in western Canada. Comprising five distinct summits, Mount Lyell reaches a height of 3,498 m (11,476 ft). The mountain was named by James Hector in 1858 in recognition of Scottish geologist Sir Charles Lyell.
Mount Balfour is a mountain located on the Continental Divide, part of the border between British Columbia and Alberta, in the Waputik Range in the Park Ranges of the Canadian Rockies. It is the 71st highest peak in Alberta and the 113th highest in British Columbia; it is also the 52nd most prominent in Alberta.
Mount Habel is a 3,073-metre (10,082-foot) mountain summit located in Banff National Park on the Continental Divide along the border of Alberta and British Columbia in the Waputik Mountains, part of the Canadian Rockies. It was named in 1986 after Jean Habel. Jean Habel was a German geographer who explored the Canadian Rockies and in 1897 was the first to set foot on the Wapta Icefield which surrounds Mount Habel.
Castleguard Mountain, also known as Mount Castleguard, is an isolated mountain located near the southern edge of the Columbia Icefield at the northern edge of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. In 1918, Irish land surveyor Arthur Oliver Wheeler named the mountain because of its castle-like appearance, which seemed to stand guard over the southern portion of the Columbia Icefield. Castleguard was first ascended in 1919 by the Interprovincial Boundary Commission, which determined the exact location of the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta along the continental divide.
Mount Aberdeen is a 3,152-metre (10,341-foot) mountain summit located in the Lake Louise area of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Lefroy, 2.9 km (1.8 mi) to the southwest. Haddo Peak is on the same massif with Mount Aberdeen, and the Aberdeen Glacier is between the two peaks.
Nigel Peak is a 3,211-metre (10,535-foot) mountain summit located on the shared border of Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Nigel has two peaks, the north summit is the highest point. The nearest higher peak is Mount Athabasca, 6.4 km (4.0 mi) to the south-southwest. Nigel Peak is situated immediately north of Sunwapta Pass and can be seen from the Icefields Parkway and from Athabasca Glacier. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,100 meters (3,610 feet) above the parkway in two kilometers (1.2 mile).
Mount Thompson is a 3,089-metre (10,135-foot) mountain summit located four kilometres west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Baker, 5.0 km (3.1 mi) to the west. Mount Thompson is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Mount Thompson can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.
Mount Andromache is a 3,033-metre (9,951-foot) mountain summit located in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher neighbor is Mount Hector, 4.00 km (2.49 mi) to the south. Mount Andromache can be seen from the Icefields Parkway as the road traverses the western base of the peak. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,180 meters (3,870 ft) above the parkway in 1.5 km (0.93 mi). The Molar Glacier is situated on the northeast aspect of the mountain. Precipitation runoff from Mount Andromache drains into tributaries of the Bow River.
Hilda Peak is a 3,058-metre (10,033-foot) mountain summit located at the northern extreme of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher peak is Mount Athabasca, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) to the southwest. Hilda Peak is situated south of Sunwapta Pass and can be prominently seen from the Icefields Parkway. The Hilda Glacier lies to the south side of the peak, and the Boundary Glacier lies to the west.
Portal Peak is a 2,926-metre (9,600-foot) mountain summit located four kilometers west of Bow Lake in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Thompson, 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to the northwest. Portal Peak is situated east of the Wapta Icefield, and is a member of the Waputik Mountains. Portal Peak can be seen from the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake.
Parker Ridge is a 2,255-metre (7,398-foot) mountain ridge located in the upper North Saskatchewan River valley in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Athabasca, 7.7 km (4.8 mi) to the west. Parker Ridge is situated along the west side of the Icefields Parkway and southeast of Sunwapta Pass. Parker Ridge is a ski-touring destination in the winter and popular hiking destination in the summer because it is situated beside the Icefields Parkway allowing easy access, and is nearly entirely above treeline allowing good views of the surrounding mountain landscape. A 2.2 km (1.4 mi) trail gains 275 metres (900 ft) of elevation from the highway to the top of the ridge. Wandering east or west along the ridge provides views of Cirrus Mountain, the north face of Mount Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Glacier, Mount Athabasca, Hilda Peak, and Nigel Peak among others.
Mount Noyes is a 3,080-metre (10,100-foot) mountain summit located in the Mistaya River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Noyes is situated at the confluence of Silverhorn Creek and Mistaya River, 3.5 km northwest of Mount Weed, and 9.2 km east of Howse Peak. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Patterson, 8.55 km (5.31 mi) to the south. Topographic relief is significant as it rises over 1,380 metres above the Icefields Parkway in two km.
Valenciennes Mountain is a 3,150-metre (10,335 ft) mountain summit located in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada. Valenciennes Mountain is situated at the head of Valenciennes River, one kilometre west of the British Columbia-Alberta border, and the same distance outside the Banff National Park boundary. Arras Mountain is 6 km (3.7 mi) to the west, and both are in the Kootenay Land District. The peak was named in 1920 for the French town of Valenciennes, which was captured by the Allies and entered by Canadian Expeditionary Force troops on 2 November 1918 following intense fighting in World War I. The name was officially adopted in 1930 when approved by the Geographical Names Board of Canada. Canadian soldier Hugh Cairns was awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery during the battle. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1934 by H. S. Kingman and J. Monroe Thorington, with guide Rudolph Aemmer.
Barbette Mountain is 3,072-metre (10,079-foot) summit located on the shared border of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.