Mount Columbia, Summit in Canadian Rocky Mountains, Alberta

Mount Columbia is a 3,747-metre peak on the Alberta–British Columbia border at the northern edge of the Columbia Icefield; its summit lies in Jasper National Park. The upper half is snow and glacier, with broad snowfields and rounded ribs, while the lower half exposes dark grey and black rock in steep faces and gullies. The snowline meets the rock along an irregular, jagged edge.

James Outram made the first recorded ascent in 1902, climbing with guide Christian Kaufmann via the eastern glacier route. This early expedition became a landmark moment in the exploration of Canada's highest peaks in the region.

J. Norman Collie named the peak in 1898 after the Columbia River, itself named for the American ship Columbia Rediviva, captained by Robert Gray, who explored the river's lower reaches in 1792. The name ties the mountain to that maritime exploration.

The eastern route across the glacier is non-technical and accessible during summer months, with an approach walk of around 19 kilometers from the trailhead. Conditions on the ice can change quickly, so proper equipment and weather awareness are essential.

The mountain shows sedimentary rock layers spanning from Precambrian to Jurassic times, pushed eastward during the Laramide mountain-building event millions of years ago. This geological story is readable in the rock faces and reveals the enormous forces that shaped the region.