Mount Stephen

Mount Stephen
Mount Stephen as seen from Field, British Columbia, Canada.
Elevation	3,199 m (10,495 ft) [1]
Prominence	989 m (3,245 ft) [1]
Location
Location	British Columbia, Canada
Range	Canadian Rockies
Coordinates	51°23′56″N 116°26′11″W / 51.39889°N 116.43639°W / 51.39889; -116.43639Coordinates: 51°23′56″N 116°26′11″W / 51.39889°N 116.43639°W / 51.39889; -116.43639[1]
Topo map	NTS 82N/08
Climbing
First ascent	1887 by James J. McArthur, T. Riley
Easiest route	Scramble (difficult)

Mount Stephen is a mountain located in the Kicking Horse River Valley of Yoho National Park, ½ km east of Field. The mountain was named in 1886 for George Stephen, the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway.^[1][2]

The mountain is composed mainly of shales and dolomites from the Cambrian Period, some 550 million years ago. The Stephen Formation, a stratigraphical unit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin was first described at the mountain and was named for it.

The first ascent was made in September 1887 when James. J. McArthur and his assistant T. Riley, which was made even more difficult by the surveying equipment they also carried with them. Unfortunately for them, smoke from forest fires limited visibility from the top.^[1][2]

Climbing routes

• The main route (scramble) ascends slopes on the southwest face but requires much route finding and the final section of 125 m (410 ft) to the top is rated difficult. A cornice on the summit may prevent parties from reaching the top so if in doubt of conditions, attempts should wait until August. The route also passes through a fossil bed and thus requires a special park permit to be in the area. The elevation gain is 1,920 m (6,299 ft).
• A rock climbing route on the north ridge is rated III 5.7.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Mount Stephen". Bivouac.com. http://www.bivouac.com/MtnPg.asp?MtnId=1617. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Mount Stephen". PeakFinder.com. http://peakfinder.com/peakfinder.asp?PeakName=Mount+Stephen.