Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 23, 2026

Mount Rae

Mount Rae is a mountain located on the eastern side of Highway 40 between Elbow Pass and the Ptarmigan Cirque in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. Mount Rae was named after John Rae, explorer of Northern Canada, in 1859.

Last revised
Jul 23, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
301 w
Citations
10
Source
Mount Rae
Mt. Rae from the north (Sept. 2006)
Highest point
Elevation3,218 m (10,558 ft)123
Prominence1,330 m (4,360 ft)4
Parent peakMount Joffre 3433 m4
ListingMountains of Alberta
Coordinates50°37′22″N 114°58′29″W / 50.62278°N 114.97472°W / 50.62278; -114.974725
Geography
Mount Rae
Location in Alberta
Country
Canada
Province
Alberta
Parent rangeMisty Range
Topo mapNTS 82J10 Mount Rae5
Climbing
Easiest routeModerate scramble2

Mount Rae is a mountain located on the eastern side of Highway 40 between Elbow Pass and the Ptarmigan Cirque in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. Mount Rae was named after John Rae, explorer of Northern Canada, in 1859.6

Due to its relatively high summit and modest elevation gain from Highwood Pass, Mount Rae is a very popular scrambling objective. The scramble starts at the Highwood Pass parking lot on Highway 40 (2,227 m (7,306 ft)) and proceeds to the back of the Ptarmigan Cirque. Two options from this point are either ascending a steep snow field or climbing progressively steeper slabs to the col. Once on the col (connecting the main summit of Rae with an unnamed peak), the route ascends on the northern side to the narrow summit ridge. In snowy conditions, sticking close to the summit ridge and passing an upcoming massive gendarme is the standard route. In dry conditions, the gendarme can be bypassed on slopes beneath it.2

References

References

  1. "Mount Rae". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-17.
  2. Kane, Alan (1999). "Mount Rae". Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books. pp. 180–181. ISBN 0-921102-67-4.
  3. "Topographic map of Mount Rae". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  4. "Mount Rae". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
  5. "Mount Rae". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  6. Birrell, Dave (2000). 50 Roadside Panoramas in the Canadian Rockies (Google Books search). Rocky Mountain Books Ltd. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-921102-65-6. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
External links