Mount Whyte | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,983 m (9,787 ft) [1] [2] |
Prominence | 140 m (460 ft) [3] |
Parent peak | Mount Victoria [3] |
Listing | Mountains of Alberta |
Coordinates | 51°24′31″N116°16′16″W / 51.40861°N 116.27111°W [4] |
Geography | |
Interactive map of Mount Whyte | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Alberta |
Protected area | Banff National Park |
Parent range | Bow Range |
Topo map | NTS 82N8 Lake Louise [4] |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1901 [1] |
Easiest route | Difficult scramble [5] |
Mount Whyte is a mountain in Alberta, Canada located in Banff National Park, near Lake Louise. The mountain can be seen from the Trans-Canada Highway, and offers views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks, including the Chateau Lake Louise. The mountain is also visible from the hiking trail that skirts the northern shore of Lake Agnes.
The mountain was named in 1898 by Sir William Methuen after William Whyte, a representative of the Canadian Pacific Railway. [1]
Mt. Whyte is usually combined with Mount Niblock (2,976 m (9,764 ft)) when done as a scramble. However, while Mt. Niblock is rated a moderate scramble, Mt. Whyte is much more difficult due to additional exposure and loose rock. The scramble should not be attempted in snowy conditions due to considerable fall distance which would likely prove fatal. [5]
For rock climbers, the Perren Route (II 5.6) is another option. While mostly a scramble as well, a short section of difficult climbing near the top in addition to route finding challenges and loose rock will not make it an easy ascent.
Like other mountains in Banff Park, Mount Whyte is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. [6] 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 Whyte is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. [8] Winter temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C.
Mount Niblock is a mountain in Banff National Park near Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada.
Fairview Mountain is a mountain in Banff National Park situated along the southeastern shoreline of Lake Louise. The mountain was named in 1894 by Walter Wilcox, which reflects the view from the top. An alternate name for the peak is Goat Mountain although it is rarely referred to as such.
Ptarmigan Peak is a mountain located near Pika Peak in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.
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 Peechee is the third highest peak of the Fairholme Range in Banff National Park. Mt. Peechee is located immediately southeast of Mount Girouard in the Bow River valley south of Lake Minnewanka.
Redoubt Mountain is a mountain located in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It forms the southern buttress of Boulder Pass.
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.
Pilot Mountain is a mountain in the Bow River valley of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located southeast of Redearth Creek and directly west of the Trans-Canada Highway.
East End of Rundle (EEOR) is a mountain located immediately west of the town of Canmore, Alberta and immediately west of the Spray Lakes road in the Canadian Rockies. Mount Rundle occupies the space between Canmore and Banff on the southwest side of the Trans-Canada Highway.
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Mount Victoria, 3,464 metres (11,365 ft), is a mountain on the border between British Columbia and Alberta in the Canadian Rockies. It is located just northeast of Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park and is also part of Banff National Park and is on the Continental Divide. The mountain has two peaks, the south being the highest while the north peak is slightly lower at 3,388 metres (11,115 ft).
Mount Bourgeau is a 2,931-metre (9,616 ft) mountain located in the Massive Range of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It was named by James Hector in 1860 after Eugène Bourgeau, a botanist with the Palliser Expedition. Bourgeau Lake sits at the foot of the mountain and is a popular hiking destination.
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Mount Magog is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia on the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies. It also straddles the shared boundary of Banff National Park with Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park. It was named in 1930 after references in the Bible.
Haddo Peak is a summit in Alberta, Canada. Haddo Peak is located in the Lake Louise area of Banff National Park.
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 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 m (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.
Mount Bell is a 2,910-metre (9,550 ft) summit in Alberta, Canada.
Saddle Mountain is a 2,433-metre (7,982 ft) summit in Alberta, Canada.