Mount Richardson (Alberta)

Mount Richardson is the highest mountain of the Slate Range located beside Pika Peak in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The mountain was named in 1859 by James Hector after Sir John Richardson who was the ship's surgeon and naturalist on John Franklin's 1819 and 1825 expeditions into the Arctic.[1]

Mount Richardson
South slopes of Mt. Richardson, August 1994
Highest point
Elevation	3,086 m (10,125 ft) [1][2]
Prominence	922 m (3,025 ft) [3]
Coordinates	51°29′45″N 116°07′21″W [4]
Geography
Mount Richardson Alberta, Canada
Parent range	Slate Range
Topo map	NTS 82N/08
Climbing
First ascent	1911
Easiest route	Easy/Moderate Scramble[5]

The Lake Louise Mountain Resort is developed on the southern slopes of the Merlin Ridge, which includes Mount Richardson, Ptarmigan Peak, Pika Peak. A campground is located at the foot of the mountain, near Hidden Lake.

The first ascent was made in 1911 by L.L. Delafield who was guided by Edward Feuz jr.[1]

Routes

The scrambling route (rated easy/moderate) begins from Hidden Lake and ascends the southern slopes to the top. The only real challenge on the ascent are a few rubbly gullies just above the lake. A traverse to Pika Peak can be made via the Richardson-Pika col and the west ridge, however this undertaking is much more difficult.[5]

References

1. "Mount Richardson". PeakFinder.com. Retrieved 2004-06-19.
2. Banff & Mt. Assiniboine (Map). Cochrane, AB: GemTrek Publishing Ltd. 1997. § 6004. ISBN 1-895526-04-3.
3. "Mount Richardson". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
4. "Mount Richardson". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
5. Kane, Alan (1999). "Mount Richardson". Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books. p. 250. ISBN 0-921102-67-4.

Richardson seen from Lake Louise!