Mount Rae is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
located on the eastern side of
Highway 40 between
Elbow Pass and the
Ptarmigan Cirque in the
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies () 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 of the Canadian Cordillera, w ...
of
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
. Mount Rae was named after
John Rae, explorer of
Northern Canada
Northern Canada (), colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada, variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada#Territories, terr ...
, in 1859.
[
Due to its relatively high summit and modest elevation gain from Highwood Pass, Mount Rae is a very popular ]scrambling
Scrambling is a mountaineering term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. It can be described as being between hiking and climbing, rock climbing. "A scramble" is a relat ...
objective. The scramble starts at the Highwood Pass parking lot on Highway 40 () and proceeds to the back of the Ptarmigan Cirque. Two options from this point are either ascending a steep snow field or climbing progressively steeper slabs to the col. Once on the col (connecting the main summit of Rae with an unnamed peak), the route ascends on the northern side to the narrow summit ridge. In snowy conditions, sticking close to the summit ridge and passing an upcoming massive gendarme
A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (). In France and som ...
is the standard route. In dry conditions, the gendarme can be bypassed on slopes beneath it.[
]
Gallery
File:Mt-Rae-Alberta-Canada-aerial2.jpg, Mount Rae from the South
File:Ptarmigan-Cirque Arethusa Rae.jpg, Mount Rae (middle left) from Highwood Pass
References
External links
*
* Scrambling.ca
Mount Rae
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rae, Mount
Three-thousanders of Alberta
High Rock Range