The Virgin is a mountain

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

located in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Description

The Virgin is a 2,886-meter-elevation (9,470-foot) peak situated 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southeast of

The Bugaboos The Bugaboos are a mountain range in the Purcell Mountains of eastern British Columbia, Canada. The granite spires of the group are a popular mountaineering destination. The Bugaboos are protected within Bugaboo Provincial Park. Geography The ...

and three kilometers southwest of

Taurus Mountain Taurus Mountain is a mountain summit located in British Columbia, Canada. Description Taurus Mountain is a 2,972-meter-elevation (9,751-foot) peak situated 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southeast of The Bugaboos, in the Purcell Mountains which are a ...

. The mountain is part of the

Purcell Mountains The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mounta ...

which are a subrange of the

Columbia Mountains The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges along the upper Columbia River in British Columbia, Montana, Idaho and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² (52,491 sq mi). The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain T ...

. Precipitation

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

from The Virgin drains into the headwaters of Howser Creek which empties at Duncan Lake.

Topographic relief Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin word ...

is significant as the summit rises 1,525 meters (5,000 feet) above Howser Creek in two kilometers (1.24 mile).

History

The mountain was discovered and named in 1946 by the climbing team which made the first ascent of nearby Taurus Mountain. The climbers, Edward F. Little and

Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (July 6, 1888 – February 24, 1973) was a historian and social philosopher, whose work spanned the disciplines of history, theology, sociology, linguistics and beyond. Born in Berlin, Germany into a non-observant Jewish f ...

, wrote: "The white snow-draped terraces of the peak were a beautiful sight, and this appearance, along with the stellar name of the neighbor which, though hidden, we knew was nearby, prompted us to name it for purposes of our own reference, '

Virgo Virgo may refer to: *Virgo (astrology), the sixth astrological sign of the zodiac *Virgo (constellation), a constellation *Virgo Cluster, a cluster of galaxies in the constellation Virgo *Virgo Stellar Stream, remains of a dwarf galaxy *Virgo Supe ...

' or the 'Virgin'."Edward F. Little, Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, ''Ascent of Taurus'' (1947), Canadian Alpine Journal
/ref> The mountain's toponym was officially adopted October 29, 1962, by the

Geographical Names Board of Canada The Geographical Names Board of Canada (GNBC) is a national committee with a secretariat in Natural Resources Canada, part of the Government of Canada, which authorizes the names used and name changes on official federal government maps of Canada ...

. The

first ascent In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they en ...

of the summit was made August 2, 1952, by Peter Robinson, Bob Collins, Bill Briggs and John Briggs.Peter Robinson (1953), ''North America, Canada, British Columbia and Alberta, Ascents in the Northern Purcell Range, 1952'', American Alpine Journal
/ref>

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, The Virgin is located in a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Temperatures in winter can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* The Virgin
weather forecast
Purcell Mountains Two-thousanders of British Columbia Kootenay Land District

Description

History

Climate

See also

References

External links