Mount Rae
Encyclopedia
Mount Rae is a mountain
located on the east side of Highway 40 between Elbow Pass
and the Ptarmigan Cirque
in the Canadian Rockies
of Alberta
. Mount Rae was named after John Rae
, explorer of Northern Canada
, in 1859.
Due to its relatively high summit and modest elevation gain from Highwood Pass
, Mount Rae is a very popular scrambling
objective. The scramble starts at the Highwood Pass parking lot on Highway 40 (2227 m (7,306.4 ft)) 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
is the standard route. In dry conditions, the gendarme can be bypassed on slopes beneath it.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located on the east side of Highway 40 between Elbow Pass
Elbow Pass
Elbow Pass is the mountain pass between the Highwood and Elbow areas in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada. It contains Elbow Lake which is the headwaters of the Elbow River....
and the Ptarmigan Cirque
Ptarmigan Cirque
Ptarmigan Cirque is the cirque between Mount Arethusa and Mount Rae at the Highwood Pass in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada.The Ptarmigan Cirque hiking trail is a short loop in the cirque. After an easy climb up from the Highwood Pass parking lot on Highway 40 the hike proceeds around the...
in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Mount Rae was named after John Rae
John Rae (explorer)
John Rae was a Scottish doctor who explored Northern Canada, surveyed parts of the Northwest Passage and reported the fate of the Franklin Expedition....
, explorer of Northern Canada
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
, in 1859.
Due to its relatively high summit and modest elevation gain from Highwood Pass
Highwood Pass
Highwood Pass is a mountain pass in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada. It lies west of Mount Rae and Mount Arethusa of the Misty Range, south of the Elbow Pass.It lies within the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park...
, Mount Rae is a very popular scrambling
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
objective. The scramble starts at the Highwood Pass parking lot on Highway 40 (2227 m (7,306.4 ft)) 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
Gendarme (mountaineering)
A Gendarme is a pinnacle of rock on a mountain ridge. They are typical of Alpine areas. Gendarmes often form on the intersection of two ridges due to the lower erosion of glaciers here. The name originates from the French Alps, where they were seen as resembling the gendarmerie police....
is the standard route. In dry conditions, the gendarme can be bypassed on slopes beneath it.