Elkhorn Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elkhorn Mountain |
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Elkhorn Mountain, north aspect (June 2008)
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,194 m (7,198 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,024 m (3,360 ft) |
| Listing | Mountains of British Columbia |
| Geography | |
 Elkhorn Mountain
Location in Vancouver Island
Elkhorn Mountain
Location in British Columbia
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| Parent range | Elk River Mountains |
| Topo map | NTS 92F/13 |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1912 ACC party led by A.O. Wheeler |
Elkhorn Mountain is a tall mountain found in the Elk River Mountains on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It stands at 2,194 meters (7,198 feet) high. This makes it the second tallest peak on Vancouver Island.
The only mountain taller than Elkhorn is the Golden Hinde. Golden Hinde is about 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Elkhorn Mountain. Elkhorn Mountain is located inside Strathcona Provincial Park. This park covers a huge area of 2,500 square kilometers (965 square miles). The mountain is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) east of the town of Gold River.
Exploring Elkhorn Mountain
Elkhorn Mountain is one of the easiest tall mountains to reach on Vancouver Island. You can drive about an hour from Campbell River. This drive takes you to the start of the Elk River Trail.
From there, it's only a 30-minute walk along the Elk River Trail (also called ERT). You will reach a small campsite. At this spot, you cross the Elk River. Then, you start a steep climb up into the high mountain area.
Once you are above the treeline, you can see the mountain clearly. It looks like a steep, pointed horn. There are different ways to climb Elkhorn Mountain. The most popular path is the Northwest Ridge. It's not the easiest way, but it's considered a classic route. This was also the path taken by the first climbers.
Elkhorn Mountain's History
The first time anyone climbed Elkhorn Mountain was in 1912. A group from the Alpine Club of Canada made this first ascent. The group was led by A.O. Wheeler. Other climbers included Edward Wheeler, Albert MacCarthy, and several others.
For many years, people wondered if Elkhorn was the highest mountain on Vancouver Island. It was even called Strathcona's Matterhorn because of its shape. However, it was later confirmed that another mountain, Golden Hinde, is taller.
There have been other important climbs on Elkhorn Mountain:
- The first winter climb happened on March 24, 1968. Peter Busch and Alastair Watt climbed it using the Northwest Ridge.
- The North Ridge was first climbed in 1972. Joe Bajan, Stuart Wazny, Dave Smith, and Tom Muirhead completed this route.
- The North Face was climbed on June 18, 1977, by Joe Bajan and Peter Busch.
- A very fast climb was made by Lindsay Elms on August 21, 1992. He reached the top in under four hours!
