Mount Murchison (Alberta) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Murchison
Mount Murchison seen from Peyto Lake overlook at Bow Pass
Highest point
Elevation	3,353 m (11,001 ft)
Prominence	993 m (3,258 ft)
Parent peak	Mount Hector (3394 m)
Listing	Mountains of Alberta
Naming
Etymology	Roderick Murchison
Geography
Mount Murchison Location in Alberta Show map of Alberta Mount Murchison Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Location	Alberta, Canada
Parent range	Murchison Group Canadian Rockies
Topo map	NTS 82N/15
Geology
Age of rock	Cambrian
Type of rock	Sedimentary
Climbing
First ascent	August 25, 1996 by Reg Bonney, Rick Collier, John Holmes, Jerre Skvaril
Easiest route	technical climb

Mount Murchison is a 3,353-metre (11,001 ft) mountain summit located at the convergence of the North Saskatchewan River valley and Mistaya River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The main summit has two high points: the Southeast Peak is 3,353 m, whereas the Northwest Peak is 3,333 m and separated by 700 m distance. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Cline, 15.71 km (9.76 mi) to the north. Mount Murchison is situated immediately southeast of the confluence of the North Saskatchewan River, Mistaya River, and Howse River near Saskatchewan Crossing, where the Icefields Parkway intersects with the David Thompson Highway.

History

Named by James Hector as he traversed the Mistaya Valley in September of 1858, Mount Murchison honors Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871), a prominent English geologist and director of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. The mountain's name became official in 1924. The first ascent of the Northwest Peak was in 1902 by Norman Collie, H.E.M. Stutfield, G.M. Weed, and Hans Kaufmann. The first ascent of the Southeast Peak was made August 25, 1996, by Reg Bonney, Rick Collier, John Holmes, and Jerre Skvaril.

Geology

Like other mountains in Banff Park, the Murchison massif is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny. The massif, which covers an area measuring five km by seven km (7400 acres), is characterized by seven rocky towers and glacial ice of the Murchison Icefield.

Towers of Murchison

Climate

The north aspect of Mount Murchison

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Murchison is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C. Weather conditions during winter make Mount Murchison a destination in the Rockies for ice climbing. Precipitation runoff from Mount Murchison drains into tributaries of the Saskatchewan River.

Ice Climbing Routes

Ice Climbing Routes with grades on Mount Murchison

• But My Daddy's a Psycho - WI5
• Murchison Falls - WI4-5
• Virtual Reality - WI6
• Balfour Wall - WI 2-4
• Cosmic Messenger - WI5
• Imaginary Voyage - WI3
• Laughter in the Dark - WI4
• Alien Abduction - WI5
• Syndrome - WI6

Towers of Murchison