Topo map NTS 82N/08 Elevation 3,199 m Prominence 989 m Mountain range Canadian Rockies | Easiest route Scramble (difficult) First ascent 1887 Province British Columbia Parent range Canadian Rockies | |
 | ||
Similar Mount Burgess, Mount Field, Wapta Mountain, Mount Whyte, Mount Richardson | ||
Mount Stephen, 3,199 m (10,495 ft), is a mountain located in the Kicking Horse River Valley of Yoho National Park, ½ km east of Field, British Columbia, Canada. The mountain was named in 1886 for George Stephen, the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Contents
Map of Mount Stephen, Columbia-Shuswap A, BC, Canada
The mountain is composed mainly of shales and dolomites from the Cambrian Period, some 550 million years ago. The Stephen Formation, a stratigraphical unit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin was first described at the mountain and was named for it.
Climbing
The first ascent was made in September 1887 by James. J. McArthur and his assistant T. Riley, which was made even more difficult by the surveying equipment they also carried with them. Unfortunately for them, smoke from forest fires limited visibility from the top.
The main route (a scramble) ascends slopes on the southwest face but requires much route finding and the final section of 125 m (410 ft) to the top is rated difficult. A cornice on the summit may prevent parties from reaching the top so if in doubt of conditions, attempts should wait until August. The route also passes through a fossil bed and thus requires a special park permit to be in the area. The elevation gain is 1,920 m (6,299 ft).
For rock climbers, a route on the north ridge is rated III 5.7 with generally good rock formations composed mainly of quartzite.