Mount Aragorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Aragorn |
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Mount Aragorn from south ridge
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,435 m (7,989 ft) |
Prominence | 265 m (869 ft) |
Parent peak | Cadwallader Peak (2608 m) |
Listing | Mountains of British Columbia |
Geography | |
Location | 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 via South Ridge |
Mount Aragorn is a 2,435-metre (7,989-foot) mountain summit located in the Cadwallader Range in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is situated 36 km (22 mi) north of Pemberton, 56 km (35 mi) west of Lillooet, and immediately north of Mount Gandalf. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains into tributaries of the Fraser River.
History
The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1972 by Peter Jordan, Fred Thiessen, and Eric White. This climbing party also made the first ascents of nearby Mount Gandalf and Mount Shadowfax. The names Aragorn, Gandalf, and Shadowfax were taken from fictional characters in the novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, which were read while waiting out stormy weather during the 1972 outing. The mountain's name was proposed in 1978 by Karl Ricker of the Alpine Club of Canada, and was officially adopted January 23, 1979, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Aragorn is located in a subarctic climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Coast Mountains where they are forced upward by the range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall. As a result, the Coast Mountains experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for climbing Mount Aragorn.
Climbing Routes
Established climbing routes on Mount Aragorn:
- North Face - class 5.10a
- East Ridge - class 3
- South Couloir - class 3
- South Ridge
- South Pillar - class 5.10