North Twin Peak
Encyclopedia
North Twin is one of the two peaks that comprise The Twins massif
Massif
In geology, a massif 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...

 located at the northeast corner of the Columbia Icefield
Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield is an icefield located in the Canadian Rockies, astride the Continental Divide of North America. The icefield lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff National Park and the southern end of Jasper National Park. It is about 325 km² in area, 100 to 365 metres in depth and...

 in Jasper National Park
Jasper National Park
Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10,878 km² . It is located in the province of Alberta, north of Banff National Park and west of the City of Edmonton. The park includes the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls and...

, 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...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The other lower peak is named South Twin
South Twin Peak
South Twin Peak is one of the two peaks that comprise the Twin Peaks massif located just northeast of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park, Canada. The other higher peak is named North Twin Peak and reaches ....

 (3,566 m). North Twin is the third highest peak 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...

, after Mount Robson
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 of the Rainbow Range. It is commonly thought to be the...

 and Mount Columbia
Mount Columbia (Alberta)
Mount Columbia is the highest point in Alberta, Canada and the second highest peak in the Canadian Rockies after Mount Robson. It is located on the border between Alberta and British Columbia on the northern edge of the Columbia Icefield. Its highest point, however, lies within Jasper National Park...

.

The massif was named The Twins in 1898 by J. Norman Collie
J. Norman Collie
John Norman Collie FRS , commonly referred to as J. Norman Collie, was a British scientist, mountaineer, and explorer.- Life and work :He was born in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, the second of four sons...

 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, 3627 m (11,900 ft). This sits atop the famed north face of the massif (see below), and was named in 1984.

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
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...

 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
Ice axe
An ice axe, is a multi-purpose ice and snow tool used by mountaineers both in the ascent and descent of routes which involve frozen conditions. It can be held and employed in a number of different ways, depending on the terrain encountered...

 is recommended for the narrow connecting ridge.

Notable ascents

The nearly vertical north face drops over 1500 m (4,921 ft) from Twins Tower to the Athabasca River
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...

 - 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 three 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
    Barry Blanchard 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 :...

     and Dave Cheesmond.

  • 2004 House/Prezelj by Steve House
    Steve House
    Steve House is an American professional climber and mountain guide from La Grande, Oregon.-Biography:House earned a Bachelor of Science in ecology from The Evergreen State College in 1995...

     and Marko Prezelj
    Marko Prezelj
    Marko Prezelj is a Slovenian mountaineer and photographer.Prezelj received two 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 Kangchenjunga South in alpine style...

    .

External links

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