Mount Gandalf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Gandalf
Mount Gandalf, southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation	2,391 m (7,844 ft)
Prominence	106 m (348 ft)
Parent peak	Mount Aragorn (2435 m)
Geography
Mount Gandalf Location in British Columbia Show map of British Columbia Mount Gandalf Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Location	Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park British Columbia, Canada
Parent range	Cadwallader Range Coast Mountains
Topo map	NTS 92J/10
Type of rock	granite
Climbing
First ascent	1972 by Fred Thiessen, Eric White, Peter Jordan
Easiest route	Scrambling class 2 via South Face

Mount Gandalf is a mountain in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It stands 2,391-metre (7,844-foot) tall. This impressive peak is part of the Cadwallader Range, which is a section of the larger Coast Mountains.

You can find Mount Gandalf at the edge of Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park. It's about 35 km (22 mi) north of Pemberton. The mountain is also close to other peaks named after characters from The Lord of the Rings. For example, Tolkien Peak is 2.9 km (2 mi) to the south. Mount Aragorn is right next to it and is slightly taller. All the water that runs off Mount Gandalf flows into streams that eventually join the Fraser River.

History of Mount Gandalf

The first time anyone successfully climbed Mount Gandalf was on May 8, 1972. The climbers were Peter Jordan, Fred Thiessen, and Eric White. This same group also made the first climbs of nearby Mount Aragorn and Mount Shadowfax.

The names for these mountains – Aragorn, Gandalf, and Shadowfax – come from characters in the famous books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The climbers read these books while waiting out a storm during their 1972 trip.

For a while, there was a mix-up on maps. Mount Gandalf was accidentally called Shadowfax, and Shadowfax was called Gandalf. This mistake was first pointed out in 1978 by Karl Ricker. In 2006, Scott Nelson and the British Columbia Mountaineering Club suggested fixing the names. The Geographical Names Board of Canada officially corrected the names on December 4, 2006.

Climate Around Mount Gandalf

Mount Gandalf is in a subarctic climate zone. This means it has long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Most of the weather in this area comes from the Pacific Ocean. These weather systems, called weather fronts, travel east. When they hit the tall Coast Mountains, they are forced to rise. This process is called Orographic lift. As the air rises, it cools and drops its moisture.

Because of this, the Coast Mountains get a lot of rain and snow. Winters, especially, see heavy snowfall. Temperatures can get very cold, sometimes dropping below −20 °C. With the wind, it can feel even colder, below −30 °C. If you want to climb Mount Gandalf, the best time to go is usually from July to September. The weather is much better during these months.

Climbing Routes on Mount Gandalf

There are several ways to climb Mount Gandalf. Each route has a different level of difficulty. The difficulty is often rated using the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS).

Here are some established climbing routes:

• South Face - class 2
• North Ridge - class 3
• Wizard of Choss (East Face) - class 5.7

Images for kids

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  The granite spire that is the summit of Gandalf

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  Mount Gandalf, seen from the north

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  Gandalf (left) and Aragorn (right) seen from Mount Shadowfax