The Virgin (Purcell Mountains)

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The Virgin
The Virgin, Purcell Mtns.jpg
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation 9,470 ft (2,886 m) [1]
Isolation 3 km (1.9 mi)
Listing Mountains of British Columbia
Coordinates 50°39′15″N116°38′27″W / 50.65417°N 116.64083°W / 50.65417; -116.64083 [2]
Geography
Canada British Columbia relief location map.jpg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
The Virgin
Location in British Columbia
Canada relief map 2.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
The Virgin
Location in Canada
The Virgin (Purcell Mountains)
Interactive map of The Virgin
Location British Columbia, Canada
District Kootenay Land District
Parent range Purcell Mountains
Columbia Mountains
Topo map NTS 82K10 Howser Creek [2]
Geology
Rock age Proterozoic
Mountain type Fault block
Rock type Quartzite
Climbing
First ascent 1952

The Virgin is a mountain summit located in British Columbia, Canada. [3]

Contents

Description

The Virgin is a 2,886-meter-elevation (9,469-foot) peak situated 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southeast of The Bugaboos and three kilometers southwest of Taurus Mountain. [1] The mountain is part of the Purcell Mountains which are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains. Precipitation runoff from The Virgin drains into the headwaters of Howser Creek which empties at Duncan Lake. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,525 meters (5,003 feet) above Howser Creek in two kilometers (1.2 miles).

History

The mountain was discovered and named in 1946 by the climbing team which made the first ascent of nearby Taurus Mountain. The climbers, Edward F. Little and Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, wrote: "The white snow-draped terraces of the peak were a beautiful sight, and this appearance, along with the stellar name of the neighbor which, though hidden, we knew was nearby, prompted us to name it for purposes of our own reference, 'Virgo' or the 'Virgin'." [4] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted October 29, 1962, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada. [2]

The first ascent of the summit was made August 2, 1952, by Peter Robinson, Bob Collins, Bill Briggs and John Briggs. [5]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, The Virgin is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. [6] Temperatures in winter can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Robert Kruszyna, William Lowell Putnam (1977), A Climber's Guide to the Interior Ranges of British Columbia, South, American Alpine Club, p. 103
  2. 1 2 3 "The Virgin". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  3. ↑ "The Virgin". BC Geographical Names . Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  4. ↑ Edward F. Little, Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, Ascent of Taurus (1947), Canadian Alpine Journal
  5. ↑ Peter Robinson (1953), North America, Canada, British Columbia and Alberta, Ascents in the Northern Purcell Range, 1952, American Alpine Journal
  6. ↑ 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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