Mount Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Alberta |
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Mt. Alberta from Northern edge of Columbia Icefield
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,619 m (11,873 ft) |
| Prominence | 819 m (2,687 ft) |
| Listing | |
| Geography | |
 Mount Alberta
Location in Alberta
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| Location | Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada |
| Parent range | Winston Churchill Range |
| Topo map | NTS 83C/05 Fortress Lake |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | July 21, 1925, by a Japanese team (Six Japanese men including Yūkō Maki and three men from Switzerland) |
| Easiest route | rock/snow climb |
Mount Alberta is a tall mountain found in the beautiful Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. It's located in the upper part of the Athabasca River Valley. The mountain was named in 1898 by J. Norman Collie after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta.
This impressive peak is known as one of the hardest mountains to climb among the "11,000ers" – a group of mountains in the Canadian Rockies that are over 11,000 feet (about 3,350 meters) high. Mount Alberta is the fifth-highest peak in the Canadian Rockies and the third highest in Alberta. It stands about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southeast of the town of Jasper, near the northern edge of the Columbia Icefield. Many climbers say Mount Alberta is "one of the finest peaks in the Rockies," but also very challenging to climb from any side.
Climbing Mount Alberta
First Climbs and History
The very first time someone successfully climbed Mount Alberta was in 1925. A team from the Japanese Alpine Club made this historic climb. The team included S. Hashimoto, H. Hatano, T. Hayakawa, Y. Maki, Y. Mita, and N. Okabe. They were guided by three experienced climbers: Hans Fuhrer, H. Kohler, and J. Weber. The leader of this brave group was Y. Maki.
The team began their climb on July 21, 1925. It was a very difficult journey, taking them 16 hours to overcome tricky parts like overhangs and steep ledges. When they finally reached the top, they celebrated by planting an ice axe as a symbol of their amazing achievement. They left the ice axe there.
Twenty-three years later, in 1948, the second group to climb Mount Alberta found this special ice axe. They brought it back to the American Alpine Club in New York. The handle of the ice axe had broken off because of the ice and rocks. In 1969, another Japanese climbing team found the missing handle. In 1997, both parts of the ice axe were put back together in Tokyo. Today, this historic ice axe is on display at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum.
The second successful climb was made by Americans Fred Ayers and John Oberlin in 1948. The first time a Canadian team reached the summit was in 1958. That team included Neil Brown, Hans Gmoser, Leo Grillmair, Heinz Kahl, and Sarka Spinkova.
Popular Climbing Routes
There are several well-known paths climbers use to reach the top of Mount Alberta. Each route has its own challenges:
- Japanese Route (Normal Route) V 5.6
- North Face VI 5.9 A3
- North-East Ridge V 5.10
Gallery
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Mount Alberta seen from near the summit of Diadem Peak
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Mt. Alberta seen from the Columbia Icefield
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Mount Alberta (center) from the South Twin summit
