Mount Temple (Alberta)

History

Tragedy

• On July 11, 1955, in one of Canada's most tragic mountaineering accidents, seven American male teenagers were killed on the southwest ridge route. A warm summer day had caused several nearby avalanches. They finally decided to turn back and during the descent, an avalanche swept 10 members of the party down the snowfield through a bottleneck of rocks. Unfortunately, the entire party only had one ice axe among them and were not well prepared for the seriousness of the route. The party had also gone up the route without either of their two group leaders.
• On Sept. 25, 2015, Jen Kunze, an avid runner and hiker from Calgary, Ab. fell to her death.

  Climbing routes

• South-West Ridge
• * By late July or early August, the southwest ridge is generally free of snow and is a moderate scramble for experienced parties.
• East Ridge
• North Face, Elzinga/Miller
• North East Buttress, Greenwood/Jones One of the most secure routes on the north side of the mountain. Free climbed in August 1983, René Boisselle and Bernard Faure.

First Ascent

• August 17, 1894 Walter D. Wilcox, Samuel E. S. Allen and Lewis Frissell This was the first ascent of a peak above in the Canadian Rockies.

  First Winter Ascent

• January 2, 1969 James Jones and Dave Haley via the Southwest Ridge