King Peak (Yukon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King Peak |
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Aerial view, 2006
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,173 m (16,972 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,073 m (3,520 ft) |
| Listing |
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| Geography | |
 King Peak
Location in Yukon
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| Parent range | Saint Elias Mountains |
| Topo map | NTS 115C/10 |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | June 6, 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 all of Canada. It's also the ninth-highest peak in North America! This impressive mountain is located in the Yukon territory. It sits right next to Mount Logan, which is the highest mountain in Canada. King Peak is often seen as a smaller part of Mount Logan because they are so close.
Climbing King Peak
King Peak is a challenging mountain to climb. Its first successful climb happened in 1952. A group of students from the University of Alaska made this historic journey.
The First Climb in 1952
The first climbers were Russell Alston Paige, Keith Hart, Elton Thayer, and Bill Atwood. They walked to the Ogilvie Glacier, where their supplies had been dropped by air. On June 3, they reached their second camp on the mountain's west ridge.
A big storm made them wait for two days. Once the weather improved, Hart and Thayer bravely headed for the summit. Bill Atwood stayed behind because of a knee injury. They faced tough challenges like rocky towers and icy slopes. Finally, on June 6, 1952, they reached the very top of King Peak!
More Climbs That Same Year
Later in 1952, two more groups successfully climbed King Peak. An American team, who had just climbed Mount Augusta, made the second and third ascents. They approached King Peak from its south side. They climbed towards the east ridge, sometimes moving to the north side to avoid steep areas.
After two attempts on July 20 and 21, Pete Schoening and Gibson Reynolds reached the summit. They managed to get past a difficult rock formation called a gendarme. This gendarme had stopped earlier attempts. The very next day, Pete Schoening returned with Dick McGowan and Bill Niendorff. They completed the third successful climb of King Peak.
See also
In Spanish: Pico King (Yukón) para niños
