King Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King Peak |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,173 m (16,972 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,073 m (3,520 ft) |
| Geography | |
 King Peak
Location in Yukon
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| Parent range | Saint Elias Mountains |
| Topo map | NTS 115C/10 |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 6 June 1952, by Keith Hart and Elton Thayer |
| Easiest route | glacier/snow/ice climb |
King Peak, also known as Mount King, is a very tall mountain in Canada. It ranks as the fourth highest mountain in the entire country. It's also the ninth highest peak in all of North America. You can find King Peak just west of Mount Logan, which is an even bigger mountain. King Peak is like a smaller neighbor to Mount Logan.
Discovering King Peak
King Peak stands proudly in the Saint Elias Mountains. This mountain range is known for its huge glaciers and very tall peaks. King Peak reaches an amazing height of 5,173 meters (about 16,972 feet) above sea level. Imagine standing on top of something that tall!
The First Climb to the Top
In 1952, a group of students from the University of Alaska made history. They were the first people to ever climb King Peak. Their adventure began at the base of Quartz Ridge. A plane helped them by dropping off most of their climbing supplies there.
They set up their second camp, called Camp 2, on the mountain's west ridge. This was on June 3rd. A big storm then hit the mountain, so they had to wait two days for it to pass. Once the weather cleared, two of the students, Keith Hart and Elton Thayer, bravely set out for the summit. A third student had to stay behind because of a knee injury. Hart and Thayer reached the very top of King Peak on June 6th, 1952.
