Mount Assiniboine

Mount Assiniboine
Mount Assiniboine as it appeared in 1902
Elevation	3,618 m (11,870 ft) [1]
Prominence	2,086 m (6,844 ft) [2]
Listing	List of Ultras in Canada
Location
Mount Assiniboine Location on Alberta / B.C. border
Location	Alberta-British Columbia, Canada
Range	Canadian Rockies (Assiniboine Area)
Coordinates	50°52′10″N 115°39′03″W / 50.86944°N 115.65083°W / 50.86944; -115.65083Coordinates: 50°52′10″N 115°39′03″W / 50.86944°N 115.65083°W / 50.86944; -115.65083[2]
Topo map	NTS 82J/13
Climbing
First ascent	1901 by James Outram, Christian Bohren and Christian Hasler
Easiest route	rock/snow climb (II/5.5)[1]

Mount Assiniboine seen from Sunburst Lake

Mount Assiniboine seen from Sunshine Village

Cross country skiing near Lake Magog

Canadian Pacific Railways ad c. 1917

Mount Assiniboine, also known as Assiniboine Mountain, is a mountain located on the Great Divide, on the British Columbia/Alberta border in Canada.

At 3,618 m (11,870 ft), it is the highest peak in the Southern Continental Ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Due to Assiniboine's pyramidal shape, it has been unofficially named the "Matterhorn" of North America. Mt. Assiniboine rises nearly 1,525 m (5,003 ft) above Lake Magog.

Mt. Assiniboine was named by George M. Dawson in 1885. When Dawson saw Mt. Assiniboine from Copper Mountain, he saw a plume of clouds trailing away from the top. This reminded him of the plumes of smoke emanating from the teepees of Assiniboine Indians.^[1]

Mt. Assiniboine lies on the border between Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, in British Columbia, and Banff National Park, in Alberta.^[3] The park does not have any roads and thus can only be reached by a six hour hike 27 km (17 mi), three hour bike ride (now disallowed to reduce human / grizzly encounters) or helicopter. The usual approach is via Bryant Creek. From Canmore, Alberta follow the Smith-Dorien road to the Mount Shark parking lot. The trail is well signed. A helipad is also here.

Climbing

Mt. Assiniboine was first climbed in 1901 by James Outram, Christian Bohren and Christian Hasler. In 1925, Lawrence Grassi became the first person to make a solo ascent. On August 27, 2001, Bohren's granddaughter Lonnie along with three others made a successful ascent, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first ascent.^[1]

There are no scrambling routes up Mt. Assiniboine. The easiest mountaineering routes are the North Ridge and North Face at YDS 5.5 which are reached from the Hind Hut.

See also

• Mountain peaks of Canada
• Mountain peaks of North America
• Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
• Ranges of the Canadian Rockies
• Rocky Mountains

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Mount Assiniboine". PeakFinder.com. http://peakfinder.com/peakfinder.asp?PeakName=Mount+Assiniboine. Retrieved 2003-11-02. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Mount Assiniboine". Bivouac.com. http://www.bivouac.com/MtnPg.asp?MtnId=1479. Retrieved 2007-06-10. 
3. ^ Map: British Columbia Parks

External links

• [1] Mount Assiniboine in Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia (Bivouac.com)
• SummitPost - Mt. Assiniboine
• Peakware - Mt. Assiniboine
• "Mount Assiniboine, Alberta/British Columbia". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=4669. 
• ACC - Accident history