GUNUNG · Kanada (British Columbia)

Mount Sir Donald

Information

Elevation: 3.284 m
Country: Kanada (British Columbia) (CA)
Location / Range: Pegunungan Selkirk — kawasan Rogers Pass, Glacier National Park, British Columbia
Mountain type: Puncak batuan kuarsit berbentuk 'Matterhorn' (non-vulkanik)
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 51.2631, -117.4310
Difficulty: Sulit (alpine rock; rute klasik Northwest Arête sekitar 5.4 dengan pemanjatan panjang dan terekspos)
Best Season: Juli–September (jendela alpine musim panas)
Permits & Rules: Berada di Glacier National Park (Parks Canada). Pendakian mandiri diperbolehkan namun butuh registrasi/izin sesuai aturan taman; kawasan Rogers Pass juga memiliki penutupan terkait kontrol longsoran musim dingin
Hazards: Pemanjatan batu panjang dan terekspos, cuaca alpine yang cepat berubah, jatuhan batu, glasir/salju sisa di pendekatan, dan medan terpencil di taman nasional pegunungan

Description

Mount Sir Donald (3,284 m / 10,774 ft) is a Matterhorn-shaped rock peak towering above Rogers Pass, inside Glacier National Park in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. Built of good-quality quartzite, its slender, pointed profile makes it one of Canada's most admired alpine rock summits. Its classic line, the Northwest Arête (Northwest Ridge), is featured in the landmark book 'Fifty Classic Climbs of North America' — a long, exposed ridge climb graded around 5.4 that demands speed, route-finding, and weather management. Sir Donald is a coveted objective for alpinists seeking an aesthetic, committing line in the Canadian mountains.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Northwest Arête (Northwest Ridge) — rute klasik

Alpine rock ~5.4, panjang dan sangat terekspos

+1500 m Hari panjang (umumnya 12–18 jam PP dari Rogers Pass, termasuk pendekatan)

Sir Donald's most famous line and one of the 'Fifty Classic Climbs of North America'. From the Rogers Pass area, climbers take a long approach past the Uto–Sir Donald col to the base of the ridge, then climb the sustained, exposed quartzite arête (around 5.4) to the 3,284 m summit. It demands speed, route-finding, weather awareness, and time management to descend before afternoon storms — a committing climb rather than a walk-up.

Source

Pendekatan via Rogers Pass & Glacier National Park

Trekking pendekatan alpine (medan terjal, glasir sisa)

Pendekatan beberapa jam ke dasar rute / camp tinggi

The approach to the base of Sir Donald's routes starts from the Rogers Pass area in Glacier National Park, climbing through forest and alpine terrain toward the col between Uto Peak and Sir Donald. Many climbers bivouac at a high camp to start the climb as early as possible. The area is managed by Parks Canada and has avalanche-control rules and closures, so checking park status before setting out is essential.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Mount Sir Donald is synonymous with its Northwest Arête — a long, exposed rock ridge that is one of the 'Fifty Classic Climbs of North America'. Climbers' footage shows the approach from Rogers Pass, committing quartzite climbing, and both solo attempts and guided operator ascents. The clips below capture the peak's serious, aesthetic character.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.