Ten Peaks (Wenkchemna)

The ten peaks surrounding Moraine Lake, collectively known as Wenkchemna; a Stoney Nakoda word meaning “ten peaks.” Samuel Allen named them from Sentinel Pass in 1894; Lillian Gest documented the evolution of their nomenclature in History of Moraine Lake (1970) using Stoney numerals east to west: Heejee (Mount Fay), Nom (Mount Little), Yamnee (Mount Bowlen), Tonsa, Sapta (Mount Perren), Shappee (Mount Allen), Sagowa (Mount Tuzo), Saknowa (Mt. Deltaform), Neptuak, Wenkchemna. Henrietta Tuzo made the first ascent of Peak Seven (Mount Tuzo, 3,246 m) in July 1906 with Swiss guide Christian Kaufmann; the peak was renamed in her honour in 1907. Most were later renamed for individuals; the valley retains the collective name. The Ten Peaks run in the West Bowl of Lake Louise Ski Resort offers commanding views of the range.

From the Rockpile viewpoint the peaks form a continuous wall of limestone and quartzite above the turquoise lake; the Stoney numbering sequence runs east to west, from Mount Fay at the right to Wenkchemna Peak at the far left. The valley’s three main trails-Larch Valley, Eiffel Lake, and Wenkchemna Pass-all enter the same high terrain above the shoreline and reward visitors with increasingly close views of the peaks that frame the lake below.