Mount Rundle
Encyclopedia
Mount Rundle is a mountain
in Banff National Park
overlooking the towns of Banff
and Canmore, Alberta
. The mountain was named by John Palliser
in 1858 after Reverend Robert Rundle, who had visited the Banff area during the 1840s.
Mount Rundle is formed of outcrops of massive limestone
s of the Rundle Group
, which was named for the mountain and defined here in 1953 by R.J.W. Douglas.
Mt. Rundle is one of the most popular scrambles
in the area, and is relatively straightforward for experienced hikers. However, one must be careful not to follow the huge watercourse encountered about halfway up, even though a well-worn path coaxes the hiker up. There is no scrambling route along this route, as the cliffs get higher and more vertical. The real route crosses the watercourse and then immediately turns left (watch for markings). As one passes the treeline, the hiker ventures onto a feature called the "Dragon's back", where the route narrows between two steep gullies. The only real obstacle at this point is perseverance at the tread-mill like scree which slows progress to a two steps forward, one step back pattern.
Mt. Rundle could actually be considered a small mountain range as the mountain extends for over 12 kilometres (7.5 mi), with many high points along the way, ending at Whiteman's Gap above the town of Canmore
. Another scramble, East End of Rundle
, is accessible from its starting point at Goat Creek.
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...
in Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
overlooking the towns of Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
and Canmore, Alberta
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
. The mountain was named by John Palliser
John Palliser
John Palliser was an Irish-born geographer and explorer. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was the son of Colonel Wray Palliser and a brother of Major Sir William Palliser , all descendants of Dr William Palliser, Archbishop of Cashel .From 1839 to 1863, Palliser served in the Waterford Militia,...
in 1858 after Reverend Robert Rundle, who had visited the Banff area during the 1840s.
Mount Rundle is formed of outcrops of massive limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s of the Rundle Group
Rundle Group
The Rundle Group is a stratigraphical unit of Mississippian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.It takes the name from Mount Rundle , and was first described in outcrops at the northern side of the mountain in Banff National Park by R.J.W...
, which was named for the mountain and defined here in 1953 by R.J.W. Douglas.
Mt. Rundle is one of the most popular scrambles
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...
in the area, and is relatively straightforward for experienced hikers. However, one must be careful not to follow the huge watercourse encountered about halfway up, even though a well-worn path coaxes the hiker up. There is no scrambling route along this route, as the cliffs get higher and more vertical. The real route crosses the watercourse and then immediately turns left (watch for markings). As one passes the treeline, the hiker ventures onto a feature called the "Dragon's back", where the route narrows between two steep gullies. The only real obstacle at this point is perseverance at the tread-mill like scree which slows progress to a two steps forward, one step back pattern.
Mt. Rundle could actually be considered a small mountain range as the mountain extends for over 12 kilometres (7.5 mi), with many high points along the way, ending at Whiteman's Gap above the town of Canmore
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
. Another scramble, East End of Rundle
East End of Rundle
East End of Rundle is a mountain located immediately south of the town of Canmore Alberta just west of the Spray Lakes road in the Canadian Rockies. Mount Rundle occupies the space between Canmore and Banff on the south side of the Trans Canada Highway....
, is accessible from its starting point at Goat Creek.