Wenkchemna Pass sits at the terminus of the Valley of the Ten Peaks on the Continental Divide, a high-altitude gateway between the turquoise basins of Banff National Park and the wilderness of Kootenay National Park.

Stats. Summit elevation 2,611 m (8,566 ft). From the Larch Valley junction: roughly 6.8 km one way, 440 m net gain. From Moraine Lake: 9.6 km one way, 1,010 m gain. Challenging; the path is well-defined but the high altitude, exposure, and final traverse over loose scree and rock require stamina and surefootedness.

Ascent. The trail follows the Eiffel Lake route; at the junction (roughly 2,170 m), turn left away from the crowded Larch Valley path. The subalpine forest of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir thins as you ascend. Pinnacle Mountain and Mount Temple frame the view; Minnestimma Lakes remain visible below Sentinel Pass to the northeast. Krummholz gives way to boulder fields and ancient terminal moraines. The final approach is steep switchbacks over weathered shale and quartzite; the air thins and temperature drops as you reach the Great Divide.

The Ten Peaks. Wenkchemna Pass is the western anchor of the Valley of the Ten Peaks, famously depicted on the reverse of the Canadian twenty-dollar bill (1969–1979 series). East to west: Mount Fay, Little, Bowlen, Tonsa, Perren, Allen, Tuzo, Deltaform, Neptuak, and Wenkchemna Peak (3,170 m). Wenkchemna Peak looms directly over the pass; it is unique for retaining its Stoney Nakoda numerical name (“ten”). Beneath the pass lies the Wenkchemna Glacier, a relic ice body largely hidden under rockfall; it contributes glacial flour that gives downstream lakes their electric-blue hue.

History. The name Wenkchemna is Stoney Nakoda (Îyârhe Nakoda) for “ten.” Samuel Allen brought the pass and valley to international attention in 1894; accompanied by Walter Wilcox and Stoney Nakoda guide Enoch Wildman, he mapped the area and named the peaks using Nakoda numerals 1 through 10. Most have since been renamed for mountaineers; Wenkchemna retained its original designation.

Geology and ecology. The terrain is dominated by Gog Group quartzite (reddish-brown cliffs) and Stephen Formation shale (dark, plate-like scree; part of the Burgess Shale sequence). Primary habitat for subalpine larch (Larix lyallii); trees turn gold in autumn and can be centuries old yet barely taller than a person. American Pika inhabit the talus; grizzly bear corridor; group-of-four restriction often in effect.

The view beyond. Standing on the crest, you are on the Great Divide. East (Banff): the Ten Peaks. West (Kootenay): Tokumm Creek Valley, raw and desolate. Mount Biddle and Curtis Peak dominate the northwestern skyline. The descent into Tokumm Creek is rarely traveled; it leads toward Marble Canyon. Prevailing westerly winds carry moist Pacific air to the wall of the Ten Peaks.

See the summer trail page for stats and nearby trails, and Lake Louise and Moraine Lake Trail Systems for shuttle access and the full trail network.