The third-highest peak in the Lake Louise area and one of the most recognisable mountains in the Canadian Rockies. Mount Temple (3,544 m) rises in the Bow Range of Banff National Park, above Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. The peak is composed of quartzite and limestone; the large, steep north face (~1,200–1,500 m) is often compared to the Eiger for scale and seriousness.

Naming and first ascent. George Mercer Dawson named the peak in 1884 for Sir Richard Temple, a British colonial administrator. The first ascent was in 1894 by Walter Wilcox, Samuel Allen, and L.F. Frissell via the SW ridge; the first 11,000-foot peak climbed in the Canadian Rockies.

Normal route and East Ridge. The standard route (SW ridge) is a long scramble via Sentinel Pass from Larch Valley; non-technical in good conditions but exposed, with route-finding and rockfall hazard. Scrambling season typically mid-July to September. Rockfall is the leading cause of accidents; helmets mandatory. Best climbed mid- to late summer once high snow has melted. Mount Fairview and Saddleback Pass offer views of Temple’s north face. The East Ridge is a classic technical rock route. Mount Temple is not a hike; it requires route-finding, scrambling, and often snow and ice conditions.

North face. The north face is a serious alpine undertaking with rockfall, ice, and rapidly changing weather. Classic lines include the Greenwood–Jones (Northeast Buttress, 1969; Brian Greenwood and Jim Jones), the Greenwood–Locke (major mixed/ice line), and Elzinga–Miller / North Ridge variations. The first documented winter ascent of the Greenwood–Locke was in 2004 (Raphael Slawinski and Ben Firth).

1955 tragedy. On 11 July 1955 seven American teenagers from a summer camp; supervised but not professionally guided; died on the SW ridge when a wet snow avalanche swept the group on a hot summer day. It was the worst mountaineering accident in Canadian history at the time and forced Parks Canada to professionalize mountain rescue; today’s Visitor Safety Specialists and backcountry safety programs are in part a legacy of Temple.