Ptarmigan Peak is a mountain located near Pika Peak in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.
| Ptarmigan Peak | |
|---|---|
 Ptarmigan Peak (left) seen from Deception Pass | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,059 m (10,036 ft)[1][2][3] |
| Prominence | 209 m (686 ft)[2] |
| Listing | Mountains of Alberta |
| Coordinates | 51°29′32″N 116°05′26″W / 51.49222°N 116.09056°W[4] |
| Geography | |
  Ptarmigan Peak Alberta, Canada  Ptarmigan Peak Ptarmigan Peak (Canada) | |
| Parent range | Slate Range Canadian Rockies |
| Topo map | NTS 82N8 Lake Louise |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1909 |
| Easiest route | Moderate scramble |
The mountain was named in 1909 by J.W.A. Hickson, who named it after encountering several rock ptarmigan in the meadows below the peak. Hickson, guided by Edward Feuz Jr., also completed the first ascent of the peak that same year.[5]
The southern slopes of Merlin Ridge, which includes Ptarmigan Peak, Mount Richardson, and Pika Peak, are home to the Lake Louise Mountain Resort. A backcountry campground is located at the base of the mountain, near Hidden Lake.
Routes
editThe scrambling route to the summit of Ptarmigan Peak follows the southern slopes and begins from Hidden Lake.[3]
Geology
editLike other mountains in Banff National Park, Ptarmigan Peak is composed of sedimentary rock that was laid down from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.[6] This rock, originally formed in shallow seas, was later uplifted and pushed eastward over younger rock layers during the Laramide orogeny.[7]
Climate
editBased on the Köppen climate classification, Ptarmigan Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone, characterized by cold, snowy winters and mild summers.[8] During winter, temperatures can drop below −20 °C, with wind chill factors reaching below −30 °C.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Banff & Mt. Assiniboine (Map). Cochrane, AB: GemTrek Publishing Ltd. 1997. § 6204. ISBN 1-895526-04-3.
- ^ a b "Ptarmigan Peak". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ^ a b Kane, Alan (1999). "Ptarmigan Peak". Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books. p. 249. ISBN 0-921102-67-4.
- ^ "Ptarmigan Peak". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ "Ptarmigan Peak". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Gadd, Ben (2008), Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias
- ^ 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.
External links
edit- National Park Service web site: Banff National Park