{{short description|Mountain in Banff NP, Alberta, Canada}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Mount Whyte | image = Lake Agnes AB.jpg | image_caption = Mt. Whyte at top centre, above Lake Agnes | elevation_m = 2983 | elevation_ref = <ref name=crdb>{{Cite crdb|id=1527 | name=Mount Whyte |access-date=2007-09-10}}</ref><ref name=opentopomap/> | prominence_m = 140 | prominence_ref = <ref name=bivouac>{{cite bivouac|id=1595|name=Mount Whyte|access-date=2009-01-02}}</ref> | range = Bow Range | parent_peak = Mount Victoria<ref name=bivouac/> | listing = Mountains of Alberta | country = Canada | region_type = Province | region = Alberta | part_type = Protected&nbsp;area | part = Banff National Park | map = Canada Alberta#Canada | map_caption = Location in Alberta | label_position = right | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 8 | mapframe-caption = Interactive map of Mount Whyte | coordinates = {{Coord|51|24|31|N|116|16|16|W|type:mountain_region:CA}} | coordinates_ref = <ref name=cgndb>{{cite cgndb|id=IAPER|name=Mount Whyte|access-date=2021-08-02}}</ref> | topo_maker = NTS | topo = {{Canada NTS Map Sheet|82|N|08}}<ref name=cgndb/> | first_ascent = 1901<ref name=crdb/> | easiest_route = Difficult scramble<ref name=Kane1999/> }}

'''Mount Whyte''' is a mountain in Alberta, Canada located in Banff National Park, near Lake Louise. The mountain can be seen from the Trans-Canada Highway, and offers views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks, including the Chateau Lake Louise. The mountain is also visible from the hiking trail that skirts the northern shore of Lake Agnes.

The mountain was named in 1898 by Sir William Methuen after William Whyte, a representative of the Canadian Pacific Railway.<ref name=crdb/>

==Climbing== Mt. Whyte is usually combined with Mount Niblock ({{convert|2976|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) when done as a scramble. However, while Mt. Niblock is rated a moderate scramble, Mt. Whyte is much more difficult due to additional exposure and loose rock. The scramble should not be attempted in snowy conditions due to considerable fall distance which would likely prove fatal.<ref name=Kane1999/>

For rock climbers, the Perren Route (II 5.6) is another option. While mostly a scramble as well, a short section of difficult climbing near the top in addition to route finding challenges and loose rock will not make it an easy ascent.

==Geology== Like other mountains in Banff Park, Mount Whyte is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.<ref name=Belyea1960>{{Belyea-Banff-NP}}</ref> Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.<ref name=gadd>{{cite book|title=Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias |author=Gadd, Ben |year=2008}}</ref>

==Climate== Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Whyte is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.<ref name=Peel>{{cite journal | author = Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. |name-list-style=amp | year = 2007 | title = Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification | journal = Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume = 11 |issue=5 | pages = 1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P | issn = 1027-5606}}</ref> Winter temperatures can drop below -20&nbsp;°C with wind chill factors below -30&nbsp;°C.

==Gallery== <gallery> Mt. Whyte.jpg|East aspect in winter </gallery>

==See also== * Geography of Alberta * {{Commons-inline}} * {{Portal-inline|Mountains|size=tiny}} * List of mountains in the Canadian Rockies

==References== <references>

<ref name=Kane1999> {{cite book | title=Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies | author=Kane, Alan | chapter = Mount Whyte | publisher=Rocky Mountain Books|location = Calgary | year=1999|isbn=0-921102-67-4|pages=230–231}}</ref> <ref name=opentopomap> {{cite opentopomap|Mount Whyte|51.40861|-116.27111|2021-08-02}}</ref>

</references>

==Further reading== * {{cite book|first=M. Grace|last=Wilmarth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=45fJkycjX6gC&dq=%22Mount+Whyte%22&pg=PA1445 |title=Lexicon of Geologic Names of the United States: M-Z|year=1938|page=1445}}

{{Canadian Rockies|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whyte}} Category:Two-thousanders of Alberta Category:Alberta's Rockies Category:Mountains of Banff National Park Category:Bow Range