Vimy Peak (original) (raw)

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Mountain in Waterton Lakes NP, Canada

Vimy Peak
Vimy Peak
Highest point
Elevation 2,385 m (7,825 ft)[1]
Prominence 190 m (620 ft)[1]
Parent peak Arras Peak (2423 m)[1]
Listing Mountains of Alberta
Coordinates 49°02′18″N 113°51′29″W / 49.03833°N 113.85806°W / 49.03833; -113.85806[2]
Geography
Vimy Peak is located in AlbertaVimy PeakVimy PeakLocation in AlbertaShow map of AlbertaVimy Peak is located in CanadaVimy PeakVimy PeakVimy Peak (Canada)Show map of Canada
Map
Interactive map of Vimy Peak
Location Alberta, Canada
Parent range Canadian Rockies
Topo map NTS 82H4 Waterton Lakes[2]
Geology
Rock age Cambrian
Climbing
Easiest route Hiking trail[3]

Vimy Peak is a 2,385-metre (7,825-foot) summit located in Waterton Lakes National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is set along the east shore of Waterton Lake on the opposite side from Waterton Park townsite. It is situated 5.4 km (3.4 mi) west of Sofa Mountain, and the nearest higher neighbor is Arras Peak, 3.1 km (1.9 mi) to the southeast.[1] Vimy Peak anchors the northern end of Vimy Ridge, which stretches three kilometers to Arras Peak anchoring the southern end.

In 1917, the mountain—which had been labelled as Sheep Mountain on George Dawson's 1886 map,[1] and Goat Mountain in Kootenay Brown[4]—was renamed in honour of the Canadian Army's significant victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.[5] According to a 1989 article in the Proceedings of the Geologists' Association journal,[6] This mountain's name was officially adopted in 1943 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[2]

Like other mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park, Vimy Peak is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger Cretaceous period rock during the Laramide orogeny.[7]

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Vimy Peak is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[8] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. Precipitation runoff from Vimy Peak drains into Waterton Lake, thence Waterton River.

  1. ^ a b c d e "Vimy Peak". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  2. ^ a b c "Vimy Peak". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  3. ^ Vimy Peak SummitPost
  4. ^ "Vimy Peak". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  5. ^ Place-names of Alberta. Geographic Board. 1928. p. 129. hdl:2027/mdp.39015070267029.
  6. ^ Rosenbaum, M.S. (January 1989). "Geological influence on tunnelling under the Western Front at Vimy Ridge". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 100 (1): 135–140. Bibcode:1989PrGA..100..135R. doi:10.1016/S0016-7878(89)80072-0.
  7. ^ Gadd, Ben (June 2016). "Geology of the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains" (PDF).[_self-published source?_]
  8. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (11 October 2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007.