Narao Peak is a 2,974-metre (9,757-foot) summit located in British Columbia, Canada.[5]

Narao Peak
Northwest aspect, from Wapta Lake.
(Mount Victoria to the right.)
Highest point
Elevation2,974 m (9,757 ft)[1][2]
Prominence108 m (354 ft)[3]
Isolation0.51 km (0.32 mi)[3]
ListingMountains of British Columbia
Coordinates51°24′45″N 116°18′56″W / 51.41250°N 116.31556°W / 51.41250; -116.31556[4]
Geography
Narao Peak is located in British Columbia
Narao Peak
Narao Peak
Location in British Columbia
Narao Peak is located in Canada
Narao Peak
Narao Peak
Narao Peak (Canada)
Map
Interactive map of Narao Peak
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictKootenay Land District
Protected areaYoho National Park
Parent rangeBow RangeCanadian Rockies
Topo mapNTS 82N8 Lake Louise[4]
Geology
Rock ageCambrian
Mountain typeFault block
Rock typeSedimentary rock
Climbing
First ascent1913
Easiest routeScrambling via North ridge[1]

Description

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Narao Peak is situated immediately south-southwest of Kicking Horse Pass and within Yoho National Park. It is part of the Bow Range which is a subrange of the Canadian Rockies. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,240 meters (4,070 ft) above the Narao Lakes in 2 km (1.2 mi). The nearest higher neighbor is Popes Peak, 1.61 km (1.00 mi) to the southeast on the Continental Divide.[3] Precipitation runoff from Narao Peak drains into tributaries of the Kicking Horse River. The peak is visible from Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway), and tourists en route to Lake O'Hara pass below the western base of the mountain.

History

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The first ascent of the summit was made in 1913 by the Interprovincial Boundary Survey which subsequently applied the toponym in 1916 based on the name given to the mountain by Samuel E.S. Allen.[6][7] Samuel Evans Stokes Allen was a cartographer who mapped this area of the Rockies in the late 1800s and named many peaks. Mount Allen was named after him.

The word "narao" translated from the Stoney language means "hit in the stomach",[2][8] which may be related to an incident during the 1858 Palliser expedition when a spooked horse kicked James Hector unconscious near here, which also led to the name of Kicking Horse Pass.[1]

The mountain's toponym was officially adopted April 3, 1952, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[4]

Geology

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Narao Peak is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.[9] Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.[10]

Climate

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Based on the Köppen climate classification, Narao Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[11] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C (−4 °F) with wind chill factors below −30 °C (−22 °F).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Alan Kane (2016), Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781771600972, p. 356
  2. ^ a b Glen W. Boles, William Lowell Putnam, Roger W. Laurilla (2006), Canadian Mountain Place Names: The Rockies and Columbia Mountains, Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781894765794, p. 180
  3. ^ a b c "Narao Peak, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  4. ^ a b c "Narao Peak". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  5. ^ "Narao Peak". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  6. ^ Gerry Shea (2011), Mountain Treks in British Columbia, Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781926855233, p. 187
  7. ^ Don Beers (1989), The Wonder of Yoho, Rocky Mountain Books, p. 186
  8. ^ Proceedings of the Royal Society of Canada, 1916, Royal Society of Canada, p. 523
  9. ^ Belyea, Helen R. (1960). The Story of the Mountains in Banff National Park (PDF). parkscanadahistory.com (Report). Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  10. ^ Gadd, Ben (2008), Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias
  11. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
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