Mount Kitchener presents itself in a most spectacular fashion from the Icefields Parkway just north of Sunwapta Pass. Although its southwestern slopes are very gentle as the Columbia Icefield drapes itself from the summit, the near-vertical cliffs on the highway side looms impressively above the viewpoints on the Icefield Parkway. Norman Collie named this mountain Mount Douglas after the well known botanist David Douglas, for which the Douglas Fir is named. The name was changed to Mount Kitchener in 1916 to honour Horatio Herbert, Viscount Kitchener who had recently died. Collie may not have been aware that Mount Douglas in the upper Red Deer Valley had been named after David Douglas in 1884. The first ascent of Mount Kitchener was completed by Alfred J. Ostheimer and Hans Fuhrer during an impressive 36 hour outing from their base at the head of the Athabasca Valley. As well as climbing Mount Kitchener, they completed the first ascent of Stutfield Peak and climbed North Twin Peak and Snow Dome. They reached the summit of Kitchener at 2:00 am.