Mount Murchison

Mount Murchison is a broad, glaciated massif in Banff National Park that rises above a major junction of river valleys near Saskatchewan Crossing. Its two principal high points, the higher Southeast Peak and the slightly lower Northwest Peak, are separated by about 700 metres. Named by James Hector in 1858 for Scottish geologist Sir Roderick Impey Murchison and officially recognized in 1924, it is formed of ancient sedimentary rock later thrust eastward during the Laramide orogeny. The mountain’s climbing history highlights the contrast between its summits, with the Northwest Peak first climbed in 1902 and the Southeast Peak not reached until 1996.

Alberta · Canada