Valley of the Ten Peaks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Valley of the Ten Peaks |
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The reflections of some of the Ten Peaks on Moraine Lake.
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 Location in Alberta
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| Geography | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Borders on | Wenkchemna Peaks |
| Topo map | NTS 82N/08 |
| Traversed by | Moraine Lake Road, Larch Valley Trail |
| River | Moraine Creek |
The Valley of the Ten Peaks (which is Vallée des Dix Pics in French) is a beautiful valley in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It's famous for being surrounded by ten amazing mountain peaks and also for the stunning Moraine Lake. You can find this valley by following the Moraine Lake road, which is close to Lake Louise.
The first person to explore this area, Samuel Allen, gave the ten peaks their original names. He simply used numbers from one to ten in the language of the Stoney First Nations people. He probably learned these words from his Native American guides, who helped him with horses.
The Nakoda people, also known as the Stoney Indians, are a First Nation tribe. Their culture and language are very similar to the Assiniboine First Nation. It's believed they separated from the Assiniboine in the mid-1700s. The Nakoda people used to travel across large parts of the prairies and mountains in western Alberta, even reaching into British Columbia. The quiet Valley of the Ten Peaks was part of their traditional homeland. Over time, most of the mountains were renamed to honor important people, including Samuel Allen himself. Only three kept their original Stoney names.
Mount Hungabee was not one of the original ten peaks named by Allen. Even though it is taller than Wenkchemna Peak, Wenkchemna Peak is actually an extension of Hungabee.
The Ten Peaks
Here are the ten peaks, listed from east to west, along with their heights in meters and feet:
| # | Peak | metres | feet |
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| 1 | Mount Fay | 3,235 | 10,613 |
| 2 | Mount Little | 3,088 | 10,131 |
| 3 | Mount Bowlen | 3,072 | 10,079 |
| 4 | Tonsa | 3,057 | 10,030 |
| 5 | Mount Perren | 3,051 | 10,010 |
| 6 | Mount Allen | 3,310 | 10,860 |
| 7 | Mount Tuzo | 3,246 | 10,650 |
| 8 | Deltaform Mountain | 3,424 | 11,234 |
| 9 | Neptuak Mountain | 3,233 | 10,607 |
| 10 | Wenkchemna Peak | 3,170 | 10,401 |
You can also see other peaks from the valley, such as Mount Temple, Mount Babel, and Eiffel Peak. The Fay Glacier is a large ice field found between Mount Babel, Mount Fay, Mount Little, and Mount Bowlen.
Interesting Facts
The beautiful Valley of the Ten Peaks was shown on the back of the Canadian twenty-dollar bill in 1969 and 1979.
For experienced climbers, the Neil Colgan Hut is a mountain shelter that can be reached by climbing the Perren Route from Moraine Lake. This climb usually takes about 8 to 12 hours.
See also
In Spanish: Valle de los Diez Picos para niños
