Commander Mountain is a glaciated mountain summit located west-southwest of

Invermere Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. It is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden to the north and Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake a ...

in the

Purcell Mountains The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mo ...

of southeast

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It is the seventh-highest mountain in the Purcells. The nearest higher peak is Jumbo Mountain, to the south, and The Lieutenants is set to the west.

History

The

first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...

of Commander Mountain was made August 4, 1915, by A.H. & E.L. MacCarthy, M. & W.E. Stone, B. Shultz, and

Conrad Kain Conrad Kain (10 August 1883, Schwarzau im Gebirge, Nasswald – 2 February 1934, Cranbrook, British Columbia) was an Austrian mountain guide who guided extensively in Europe, Canada, and New Zealand, and was responsible for the first ascents of mo ...

via the north ridge. The peak was named in 1915 by Winthrop E. Stone, member of the first ascent party. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted July 17, 1962, by the

Geographical Names Board of Canada The Geographical Names Board of Canada (GNBC) is a national committee with a secretariat in Natural Resources Canada, part of the Government of Canada, which authorizes the names used and name changes on official federal government maps of Canad ...

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Commander Mountain is located in a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Jumbo Glacier on its west slope, and Commander Glacier on the east slope. Precipitation runoff from the mountain and

meltwater Meltwater (or melt water) is water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glaciers, glacial ice, tabular icebergs and ice shelf, ice shelves over oceans. Meltwater is often found during early spring (season), spring when snow packs a ...

from its surrounding glaciers drains into Horsethief Creek which is a tributary of the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

Climbing Routes

Established climbing routes on Commander Mountain: * North Ridge - - First ascent 1915 * South Ridge - - FA 1928 (

Kate Gardiner Kate (Katherine Maude) Gardiner (21 September 1885–29 January 1974) was an English mountaineer who climbed extensively in New Zealand. Biography Katherine Maude Gardiner was born in Wavertree, Liverpool, Lancashire, England on 21 Septembe ...

, Byles, Feuz)

References

{{reflist

External links

* Weather
Commander Mountain
* Mountain Forecast
Commander Mountain
* Commander Mountain aerial photo
PBase
Three-thousanders of British Columbia Purcell Mountains Columbia Country Kootenay Land District

History

Climate

Climbing Routes

See also

References

External links