Although located just 45 kilometres southwest of Jasper, Alta., Jeannette has remained unclimbed until now, likely due to its narrow, avalanche-prone valleys and a perimeter of smaller knife-edge mountains at its base. Officially, the peak has no name, but is known among mountaineers as Jeannette, after the USS Jeannette, an ill-fated Arctic exploration vessel that became trapped in ice in 1879 and ultimately sank. 

Dupre read about the trials of the USS Jeannette and its commander, George W. De Long, in preparation for past Arctic expeditions, so to climb the ship’s mountainous namesake was “a fitting coincidence,” he says. He and Marceau are investigating whether the peak has an Indigenous name. 

With no accounts of past climbs to draw upon, it was up to the team to determine the best route to the summit. The threat of avalanche quite literally hung over their heads, and they abandoned a first attempt in mid-March due to the conditions and the overall difficulty of the route. On their second attempt, everything fell into place, Marceau says. 

“At every little rock high point, we were delighted to find a way around. What an experience it was.”