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Photo: Looking northwest to Mount Niblock from the Bow Valley Parkway

Mount Niblock

  • 2976 m (9,764ft)
  • First Ascent
  • Naming History
  • Hiking and Trails
51.4172N -116.271W
Located between the head of the valley west of Lake Agnes and lower Bath Creek; near the south buttress of Kicking Horse Pass; head of the Minewakun Lake Valley

Province: Alberta
Park: Banff
Headwater: Bow
Visible from Highway: 1, 93N
Ascent Date: 1899
Ascent Party: Walter Wilcox
Year Named: 1904
Named for: Niblock, John (John Niblock was a superintendent with the Canadian Pacific Railway.)
Popular Hike: Lakes Louise/Moraine/O'Hara

Although less than 3000 metres in elevation, Mount Niblock looks very impressive as it towers above the Trans-Canada Highway just west of Lake Louise. To hikers it is best known as, together with Mount Whyte, forming the backdrop to Lake Agnes above Lake Louise. As the western superintendent for the CPR, John Niblock was one of the earliest promoters of touism in the Canadian Rockies. He also had some influence over the naming of the numerous stops on the various lines that were being built in western Canada during the late nineteenth century. He named a stop on the line south of Calgary after his wife Clare. By 1895, when the boxcar at the site was replaced with a frame building, the stop had become well known as Clare's home or Claresholm.

Photo: Looking south-southwest to Mount Niblock from Herbert Lake on the Icefields Parkway

Looking northwest to Mount Whyte (left) and Mount Niblock from the Bow Valley Parkway

Looking west-southwest to Mount Niblock from the Trans-Canada Highway

Looking south-southwest to Mount Niblock (centre) from Herbert Lake on the Icefields Parkway

Looking south-southwest to Mount Niblock (centre) from Herbert Lake on the Icefields Parkway

Looking south-southwest to Mount Niblock from Herbert Lake on the Icefields Parkway

Looking west to Mount Niblock (Mount Whyte at left) from Fairview Mountain

Looking west to Mount Niblock (courtesy Rudolf Posch)