Mount Forbes

Mount Forbes is the seventh tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and the tallest within the boundaries of Banff National Park. It is located in southwestern Alberta, Template:Convert southwest of the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff.<ref name=peakfinder/> The mountain was named by James Hector in 1859 after Edward Forbes, Hector's natural history professor at the University of Edinburgh during the mid-19th century.<ref name=peakfinder/><ref name=HaithiTrust2016/>

Mount Forbes was first ascended on August 10, 1902, by the Swiss brothers Christian and Hans Kaufmann, guiding the British gentlemen J. Norman Collie, James Outram, Hugh E.M. Stutfield, George M. Weed, and Herman Woolley.<ref name=peakfinder/><ref name=Thorington1966/> The shark tooth-shaped peak can be "predominantly seen from many parts of the range. The normal route, the NW face and the N Ridge all are well worth climbing."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Climbing routes

There are several climbing routes for Mount Forbes, including:<ref name=peakfinder/>

• West Ridge (Normal Route) III
• North-West Face Variation III
• West Ridge of Rosita III 5.3

The most common approach route for Mount Forbes is from the Alberta side, starting at the Icefields Parkway. Park at the Glacier Lake trailhead (at the end of a short unnamed road Template:Convert west of the David Thompson Highway turn-off), and follow the trail to the head of Glacier Lake (Template:Convert). From there follow the old trail up the north bank of the Glacier River to the large open basin at the head of the river. Ford the Glacier river. Find the climbers trail ascending the timbered knob at the south end of the basin. Follow this trail as it climbs steeply up the knob then crosses to the west and climbs improbably up toward cliffs to the west. Eventually you climb above the canyon and then the drop slightly to the edge of the Mons Glacier. Camps can be made here or at the foot of the North Glacier of Mt. Forbes. From here, the peak can be climbed in a reasonable day. The approach takes 4 to 6 hours.

A faster and shorter approach is from the west via recent logging roads starting north of Golden, BC. The 4–6 hour approach mentioned above has become much longer due to deteriorating trails, and also involves a cold river crossing. Many parties take two days using this approach. For a faster approach start on the Bush logging road and follow this until Template:Convert. Here turn right on the Vallenciennes Road to Template:Convert where you follow the left fork up the Mons road. Park just past Template:Convert beside Icefall Brook. From here a trail ascends Template:Convert up a gravel slope, where it traverses north on ledges above the Icefall Canyon. This ledge is on the west side of Mons Peak. After traversing for Template:Convert, the open meadows and moraines below the Mons Glacier are reached. From a camp here Mt. Forbes can be climbed in a day. This approach is Template:Convert long, climbs Template:Convert, and can be done in 3 to 4 hours.

Gallery

• Mt. Forbes Aiguille and North Glacier.jpg

  Mount Forbes Aiguille and the Forbes' North Glacier

• Mt. Forbes summit looking NW.jpg

  Mount Forbes summit looking northwest

• Mt. Forbes summit looking West.jpg

  Mount Forbes summit looking west

• Mt. Forbes summit looking SW.jpg

  Mount Forbes' summit looking southwest

• Mt. Forbes summit looking SE.jpg

  Mount Forbes' summit looking southeast

• Mt. Forbes Buttress and 2 US Climbers.jpg

  Mount Forbes Buttress & 2 US Climbers

• Mount Forbes.jpg

  Mount Forbes (aerial shot over Alberta)

• Mt. Forbes Summit From Icefields Parkway.jpg

  Mount Forbes from the Icefields Parkway

See also

• Mountain peaks of Canada
• Mountain peaks of North America
• Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
• Mistaya Mountain for a view of Mt. Forbes from the south-east

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Mount Forbes photo Flickr
• Mount Forbes aerial photo PBase