North Twin (Peak) is one of the two main peaks that comprise The Twins

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

located at the northeast corner of the

Columbia Icefield The Columbia Icefield is the largest ice field in North America's Rocky Mountains. Located within the Canadian Rocky Mountains astride the Continental Divide along the border of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, the ice field lies partly in ...

Jasper National Park Jasper National Park is a national park in Alberta, Canada. It is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains spanning . It was established as a national park in 1930 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Its locatio ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

, Canada. The other lower peak is named South Twin (3,566 m). North Twin is the third-highest peak in the

Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies (french: Rocheuses canadiennes) or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part ...

, after

Mount Robson Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part o ...

and Mount Columbia. The massif was named ''The Twins'' in 1898 by J. Norman Collie and Hugh M. Stutfield. The decision to name the peaks separately was approved February 28, 1980. In addition to North Twin and South Twin, the massif contains a northern subpeak of North Twin known as Twins Tower, (see lower photo). This sits atop the famed north face of the massif (see below), and was named in 1984. Further, another subpeak in the massif is known as West Twin , a picture of which can be found in the South Twin Gallery - access to this peak is from the North/South col.

Routes

The first ascent of North Twin was recorded on 10 July 1923 by W.S. Ladd, J.M. Thorington, and Conrad Kain, via the East Face. The normal route is a ski

mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, ...

climb on the eastern slopes, and it is possible to ski all the way to the summit. A traverse can be made to the South Twin, although an

ice axe An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow, ice, or frozen conditions. Its use depends on the terrain: in its simplest role it is used like a walking ...

is recommended for the narrow connecting ridge.

Notable ascents

The nearly vertical north face drops over from Twins Tower to the

Athabasca River The Athabasca River (French: ''Rivière Athabasca'') is a river in Alberta, Canada, which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than before emptying into Lake Athabasca. Much of the land along its banks is ...

- the true summit of North Twin is somewhat removed from the top of the north face. The north face is renowned in climbing circles and has been climbed by only four parties: * 1974 ''Lowe-Jones'' (VI 5.10 A3, 1500m), George Lowe and Chris Jones from 6 August to 12 August 1974. * 1985 ''North Pillar'' or ''Blanchard/Cheesemond'' by

Barry Blanchard Barry Blanchard (born March 29, 1959) is one of North America's top alpinists, noted for pushing the standards of highly technical, high-risk alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies and the Himalayas. Climbing accomplishments Blanchard was born ...

and Dave Cheesmond. * 2004 ''House/Prezelj'' by Steve House and

Marko Prezelj Marko Prezelj (born 13 October 1965) is a Slovenian mountaineer and photographer. Prezelj received four Piolet d'Or awards. He won the inaugural "Oscar of mountaineering" in 1992 with Andrej Štremfelj for their new route on the south ridge of ...

. * 2013 North Pillar (2nd Ascent) by Josh Wharton and Jon Walsh. North Twin, Twins Tower; Vic Doug

Notes

References

External links

Skiing North Twin Peak on Explor8ion
- trip report {{Canadian Rockies, state=collapsed Three-thousanders of Alberta Winston Churchill Range Mountains of Jasper National Park