Mount Edith Cavell

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Mount Edith Cavell

Mt. Edith Cavell and the Angel Glacier
Elevation 3,363 m (11,033 ft)[1][2]
Prominence 2,007 m (6,585 ft)[2]
Listing List of Ultras in Canada
Location
Mount Edith Cavell
Alberta, Canada
Range South Jasper Ranges
Coordinates 52°40′06″N 118°03′24″W / 52.66833°N 118.05667°W / 52.66833; -118.05667Coordinates: 52°40′06″N 118°03′24″W / 52.66833°N 118.05667°W / 52.66833; -118.05667[2]
Topo map NTS 83D/09
Climbing
First ascent 1915 by A.J. Gilmour and E.W.D. Holway [1]
Easiest route Rock/ice climb, UIAA II

Mount Edith Cavell is a mountain located in the Athabasca River and Astoria River valleys of Jasper National Park, Canada, and the most prominent peak entirely within Alberta.

The mountain was named in 1916 for Edith Cavell, an English nurse and executed by the Germans during World War I for having helped allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium to the Netherlands, in violation of military law.[1] It was previously known as la montagne de la Grande traversée (the Mountain of the Great Crossing) because it stands above Athabasca Pass.

A close up view of the north face of Mt. Edith Cavell is visible after a short hike to Cavell Meadows. The trailhead is by the parking lot at the end of Mt. Edith Cavell road. The trail to the meadows is 3.8 kilometres (2.4 mi) one way, rising 370 metres (1,214 ft) to 2,135 metres (7,005 ft). The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide describes the trail in detail.

The hanging Angel Glacier is visible from Cavell Meadows, which spills over a 300 metres (984 ft) cliff on the north face.

Access to the Tonquin Valley trails can be found about one km before the end of the Mt. Edith Cavell road. There is a parking area across from the Mt. Edith Cavell Hostel. A short walk down the gravel path leads to the north end of Cavell Lake. There is small bridge across the stream that empties the lake. From here there are good views with the lake in the foreground and the Mt. Edith Cavell massif in the background.

It is believed that the world's largest glacial erratic located in Okotoks, Alberta, was once part of Mt. Edith Cavell. The erratic was formed approximately ten thousand years ago when a large portion of quartzite stone was stripped away from the mountain along with the receding Athabasca River Valley glacier.[3]

Climbing Routes

There are several popular climbing routes, including:[1]

  • West Ridge (Normal Route) II
  • East Ridge III - 5.3
  • North Face, East Summit IV - 5.8

The North Face route is included as a classic climb in Steck and Roper's Fifty Classic Climbs Of North America.[4]

Notable Ascents

  • 1961 North Face, IV 5.7, First ascent by Yvon Chouinard, Fred Beckey and Dan Doody. July 20–21.[5]
  • 1966 North Face, Second ascent by Denny Eberl and Gray Thompson. July 30, 1966.[6]
  • 1967 North Face, First solo ascent by Royal Robbins.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Mount Edith Cavell". PeakFinder. Retrieved 2004-04-20. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Mount Edith Cavell". Bivouac.com. http://www.bivouac.com/MtnPg.asp?MtnId=8. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  3. "Okotoks Erratic - "The Big Rock"". Government of Alberta. October 25, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-22. 
  4. Roper, Steve; Steck, Allen (1979). Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books. ISBN 0-87156-292-8. 
  5. Jones, Chris (1976). Climbing in North America. Berkeley, California, USA: University of California Press. pp. 360–361. ISBN 0-520-02976-3. 
  6. Jones, p. 341
  7. "Jasper National Park - Edith Cavell, North Face, Chouinard, Becky, Doody 4/9/2009". Cascade Climbers. CascadeClimbers.com. April 9, 2009. 

External links


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