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Yamnuska, Mount

Home » Mountains » Kananaskis
Published by vdewit on April 30th, 2009
Trip Details
Trip Activity: 
Scramble
Attained Summit?: 
Yes
Location: 
Kananaskis Country
Trip Date: 
September 5, 2004
Summit Elevation: 
2,785m
Summit Elevation (ft): 
9,138ft
Related Content
Interesting Facts: 
(info from peakfinder.com) Until 1961 the mountain was known as Yamnuska which is derived from the Stoney word from the Stoney "Iyamnathka" that describes steep cliffs or "the flat faced mountain." It was renamed at the request of the Stoneys in honour of the founder of the Indian Association of Alberta, John Laurie.

Trip Report

Yamnuska is a very fun mountain. It is right in the way of the warm Chinook winds so often it is one of the first summits to be clear of snow. The back side of the mountain is an interesting scramble with a difficult downclimb just before the summit. (Of course there is now a chain to help anyone who doesn't want to die young...)


Yamnuska's ridge looks like a wall from on top of the ridge.

Steve and Jon with the cliffs in the background on top of the CMC ridge.

A nice view of the cliff from the ridge.

A gap in the cliffs on the way up the backside of Yam.

One of my favorite shots. Gus and Jeff stand on top of a cliff on the way up Yamnuska.

Steve and Jon are ready to come down the crux. This is before chains made this move considerably easier.

Steve, Jon and Vern on the summit of Mount Yamnuska.

The descent gully on the west side of the mountain.

Jeff gazes up at the cliffs of Yamnuska on the traverse across the bottom of Yamnuska's cliffs on route to the scree ski.