Mount French (Alberta)

Mount French
Mount French
	Mount French (right of center under cloud) seen from the north. Mount Murray to left of center.
Highest point
Elevation	3,244 m (10,643 ft)
Prominence	470 m (1,540 ft)
Parent peak	Mount Sir Douglas (3411 m)
Listing	Mountains of Alberta
Coordinates	50°43′45″N115°18′20″W / 50.72917°N 115.30556°W
Geography
	Mount French Location of Mount French in Alberta Mount French Mount French (Canada)
Location	Alberta, Canada
Parent range	Spray Mountains ; Canadian Rockies
Topo map	NTS 82J11 Kananaskis Lakes
Geology
Rock age	Cambrian
Rock type	sedimentary rock
Climbing
First ascent	1921 by M. Morton Jr., H.S. Hall Jr., Edward Feuz Jr.
Easiest route	Difficult Scramble/Mountaineering

Last updated November 04, 2024

Mount French is a 3,244-metre (10,643-foot) summit in the Spray Mountains range of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada.^[4] The mountain is situated in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park of Kananaskis Country. French is the second highest point in the Spray Mountains Range. Its nearest higher peak, and highest in the Spray Range, is Mount Sir Douglas, 3.0 km (1.9 mi) to the west.^[1]^[3] Mount French can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail.

History

It was named in 1915 by Morrison P. Bridgland (1878-1948), a Dominion Land Surveyor after Sir John French (1852-1925). French was Commander-in-chief of the British Forces (1914-1915) during the first 16 months of World War I, and in 1922 he was named the first Earl of Ypres.^[6]

The first ascent was made in 1921 by M. Morton Jr. and H.S. Hall Jr., with Edward Feuz Jr. as guide.^[1]

The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1924 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.^[4]

Geology

Mount French is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during 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] The French Glacier resides immediately west of the peak. The Haig Glacier, largest singular glacier in Kananaskis Country, lies to the south. The Smith-Dorrien Glacier is situated on the east side of Mount French.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount French 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.

Notes

↑ Other sources state 3234 m.^[2]^[3]

Related Research Articles

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Mount Sparrowhawk is a 3,121-metre (10,240 ft) mountain summit located in Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Sparrowhawk's nearest higher peak is Mount Bogart, 3.6 km (2.2 mi) to the southeast. Sparrowhawk's south slope was a candidate to be used as a ski hill for the alpine events at the 1988 Winter Olympics, but nearby Mount Allan's Nakiska was selected instead.

Mount Evan-Thomas is a 3,097-metre (10,161-foot) mountain summit located in the Opal Range of the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Evan-Thomas is the highest point in the Opal Range. It is situated in the Kananaskis River Valley northeast of Lower Kananaskis Lake and east of Highway 40 in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Rae, 18.0 km (11.2 mi) to the south-southeast.

Mount Lyautey is a 3,045-metre (9,990-foot) mountain summit located in Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Lyautey is situated 2.0 kilometres east of the Continental Divide, within Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Joffre, 8.0 km (5.0 mi) to the south. Mount Lyautey can be seen from Upper Kananaskis Lake and Alberta Highway 40.

Gap Mountain is a 2,675-metre (8,776-foot) mountain summit located at the southern end of the Opal Range in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher neighbor is Elpoca Mountain, 2 km (1.2 mi) to the east. Gap Mountain is situated 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Mount Wintour, within Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Gap Mountain is a conspicuous peak seen from Alberta Highway 40 at Highwood Pass. It is a popular climbing destination because it offers exposed scrambling on its eastern flanks with excellent summit views of Kananaskis Country.

Mount Sarrail is a 3,159-metre (10,364-foot) mountain summit located in Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Sarrail is situated 1.0 kilometre north of the Continental Divide, within Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Foch, 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to the southeast. Mount Sarrail can be seen from Upper Kananaskis Lake and Alberta Highway 40.

Mount Shark is a 2,786-metre (9,140-foot) mountain summit located in the Spray Valley of Kananaskis Country at the northern tip of the Spray Mountains range. It is situated on the southern boundary of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Shark in not visible from any road in Banff Park, however, it can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, also known as the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail. Mount Shark's nearest higher peak is Mount Smuts, 3.0 km (1.9 mi) to the southeast.

Mount Smuts is a 2,938-metre (9,639-foot) mountain summit located in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is set in the Spray Valley near the northern end of the Spray Mountains range. It is situated on the common boundary shared by Peter Lougheed Provincial Park with Banff National Park. Mount Smuts is not visible from any road in Banff Park, however it can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, also known as Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail in Kananaskis Country. Mount Smuts' nearest higher neighbor is Mount Birdwood, 2.8 km (1.7 mi) to the south-southeast.

Mount Morrison is a 2,765-metre (9,072-foot) mountain summit located in the upper Spray River Valley of southern Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Morrison in not visible from any road in Banff Park, however, it can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, also known as the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail in Kananaskis Country. Mount Morrison's nearest higher peak is Mount Turner, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) to the north.

Commonwealth Peak is a 2,775-metre (9,104-foot) mountain summit in the Spray Mountains, a sub-range of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada. The mountain is situated in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Birdwood, 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to the west. Both can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, also known as Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail in Kananaskis Country.

Mount Murray is a 3,026-metre (9,928-foot) mountain summit in the Spray Mountains range of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada. The mountain is situated in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park of Kananaskis Country. Its nearest higher peak is Mount French, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) to the south-southwest. Mount Murray can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail.

Mount Jellicoe is a 3,075-metre (10,089-foot) mountain summit located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Smith-Dorrien, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) to the north. The Haig Glacier lies below the west aspect of Jellicoe, and the Smith-Dorrien Glacier lies to the north. The Continental Divide is 2.0 km (1.2 mi) to the west.

Fisher Peak is a 3,053-metre (10,016-foot) mountain summit located in the Fisher Range of Kananaskis Country in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Fisher Peak is the highest point in the Fisher Range, so its nearest higher peak is Mount Evan-Thomas, 7.0 km (4.3 mi) to the southwest in the Opal Range. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains west into Evan-Thomas Creek, which is a tributary of the Kananaskis River, or east into the Little Elbow River which is a tributary of the Elbow River.

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Mount French". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
1 2 Kane, Alan (2016). "Mount French". Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies (3rd ed.). Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books. Kindle Edition. ISBN 978-1-77160-098-9.
1 2 "Topographic map of Mount French". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
1 2 3 4 "Mount French". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2018-12-03.
↑ Hall, Henry S. Jr. (1922). "The First Ascent of Mt French". Canadian Alpine Journal: 38. ISSN 0068-8207.
↑ Place-names of Alberta. Ottawa: Geographic Board of Canada. 1928. p. 55.
↑ Gadd, Ben (2008), Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias
↑ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.

External links

Mount French weather: Mountain Forecast
Mount French climbing photos: Expor8ion.com

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[4] Other sources state 3234 m.^[2]^[3]

[bivouac-1] 1 2 3 4 5 "Mount French". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.

[Kane2016-2] 1 2 Kane, Alan (2016). "Mount French". Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies (3rd ed.). Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books. Kindle Edition. ISBN 978-1-77160-098-9.

[opentopo-3] 1 2 "Topographic map of Mount French". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.

[cgndb-5] 1 2 3 4 "Mount French". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2018-12-03.

[6] Hall, Henry S. Jr. (1922). "The First Ascent of Mt French". Canadian Alpine Journal: 38. ISSN 0068-8207.

[7] Place-names of Alberta. Ottawa: Geographic Board of Canada. 1928. p. 55.

[gadd-8] Gadd, Ben (2008), Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias

[Peel-9] Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.

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