Sunwapta Peak

Last updated
Sunwapta Peak
South Face of Sunwapta Peak from Tangle Ridge.jpg
South Face of Sunwapta Peak seen from Tangle Ridge
Highest point
Elevation 3,315 m (10,876 ft) [1] [2]
Prominence 1,014 m (3,327 ft) [1]
Listing Mountains of Alberta
Coordinates 52°20′55″N117°16′30″W / 52.34861°N 117.27500°W / 52.34861; -117.27500 [3]
Geography
Canada Alberta relief location map - transverse mercator proj.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Sunwapta Peak
Location in Alberta
Sunwapta Peak
Interactive map of Sunwapta Peak
Location Alberta, Canada
Parent range Canadian Rockies
Topo map NTS 83C6 Sunwapta Peak [3]
Climbing
First ascent 1906 by Jimmy Simpson [1]
Easiest route Easy scramble [4]

Sunwapta Peak is a peak in the Sunwapta River valley of Jasper National Park, just north of the Columbia Icefield in Alberta, Canada. The peak was named in 1892 after the Stoney language word sunwapta meaning "turbulent river". [4] The mountain can be seen from the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93).

Contents

Routes

The normal climbing route (an easy scramble) is via the southwest slopes, requiring an elevation gain of 1,735 m (5,692 ft) to the summit from the trail head beside the Icefields Parkway. [4]

Geology

Sunwapta Peak is composed of sedimentary rock laid down from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods that was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny. [5]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Sunwapta Peak is in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. [6] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. Precipitation runoff from Sunwapta Peak drains into the Sunwapta River which is a tributary of the Athabasca River.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sunwapta Peak". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
  2. ↑ "Sunwapta Peak". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  3. 1 2 "Sunwapta Peak". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  4. 1 2 3 Kane, Alan (1999). "Sunwapta Peak". Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies . Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books. pp. 312–313. ISBN   0-921102-67-4.
  5. ↑ Gadd, Ben (2008), Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias
  6. ↑ Peel, M.C.; Finlayson, B.L. & McMahon, T.A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification" (PDF). Hydrology and Earth System Sciences . 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
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