Misplaced Pages

Mount Murchison
Mount Murchison seen from Peyto Lake overlook at Bow Pass
Highest point
Elevation	3,348 m (10,984 ft)
Prominence	988 m (3,241 ft)
Parent peak	Mount Hector (3394 m)
Listing	Mountains of Alberta
Coordinates	51°55′59″N 116°40′30″W / 51.93306°N 116.67500°W / 51.93306; -116.67500
Naming
Etymology	Roderick Murchison
Geography
Mount MurchisonLocation in AlbertaShow map of AlbertaMount MurchisonLocation in CanadaShow map of Canada
Interactive map of Mount Murchison
Location	Alberta, Canada
Parent range	Murchison Group Canadian Rockies
Topo map	NTS 82N15 Mistaya Lake
Geology
Rock age	Cambrian
Rock type	Sedimentary
Climbing
First ascent	August 25, 1996 by Reg Bonney, Rick Collier, John Holmes, Jerre Skvaril
Easiest route	technical climb

Mount Murchison is a 3,348-metre (10,984 ft) mountain summit located at the convergence of the North Saskatchewan River valley and Mistaya River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The main summit has two high points: the Southeast Peak is 3,348 m, whereas the Northwest Peak is 3,333 m and separated by 700 m distance. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Cline, 15.71 km (9.76 mi) to the north. Mount Murchison is situated immediately southeast of the confluence of the North Saskatchewan River, Mistaya River, and Howse River near Saskatchewan Crossing, where the Icefields Parkway intersects with the David Thompson Highway.

History

Named by James Hector as he traversed the Mistaya Valley in September of 1858, Mount Murchison honors Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871), a prominent English geologist and director of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. The mountain's name became official in 1924. The first ascent of the Northwest Peak was in 1902 by Norman Collie, H.E.M. Stutfield, G.M. Weed, and Hans Kaufmann. The first ascent of the Southeast Peak was made August 25, 1996, by Reg Bonney, Rick Collier, John Holmes, and Jerre Skvaril.

Geology

Like other mountains in Banff Park, the Murchison massif 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. The massif, which covers an area measuring five km by seven km (7400 acres), is characterized by seven rocky towers and glacial ice of the Murchison Icefield.

Towers of Murchison

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Murchison is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C. Weather conditions during winter make Mount Murchison a destination in the Rockies for ice climbing. Precipitation runoff from Mount Murchison drains into tributaries of the Saskatchewan River.

Ice Climbing Routes

Ice Climbing Routes with grades on Mount Murchison

• But My Daddy's a Psycho - WI5
• Murchison Falls - WI4-5
• Virtual Reality - WI6
• Balfour Wall - WI 2-4
• Cosmic Messenger - WI5
• Imaginary Voyage - WI3
• Laughter in the Dark - WI4
• Alien Abduction - WI5
• Syndrome - WI6

Gallery

• Towers of Murchison
• North aspect
• The north aspect of Mount Murchison
• Towers of Mt. Murchison

See also

• List of mountains of Canada
• Geography of Alberta

References

1. ^ "Mount Murchison". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
2. ^ "Mount Murchison". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
3. "Mount Murchison, Alberta". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
4. ^ "Mount Murchison". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
5. "Mount Murchison NW Peak". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
6. Belyea, Helen R. (1960). The Story of the Mountains in Banff National Park (PDF). parkscanadahistory.com (Report). Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
7. Gadd, Ben (2008). Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias.
8. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606.
9. Mount Murchison Mountain Project
10. Mount Murchison SummitPost

External links

• Weather forecast: Mount Murchison
• Parks Canada web site: Banff National Park
• Explor8ion web site: Mount Murchison climb
• SummitSearch photo: Mount Murchison

v t e Places adjacent to Mount Murchison (Alberta)
Mount Wilson Mount Cline North Saskatchewan River Mount Amery Mount Erasmus Mount Murchison Siffleur Wilderness Area Mount Sarbach Epaulette Mountain Mount Chephren Totem Tower

• Three-thousanders of Alberta
• Mountains of Banff National Park
• Front Ranges