Mount Vaux is a prominent mountain peak located within the Ottertail Range of the Canadian Rockies. It is situated in Yoho National Park in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Reaching an elevation of approximately 3,320 meters (10,892 feet), it is one of the higher summits in the region and serves as a significant landmark within the park's alpine landscape.
The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector, a naturalist and geologist participating in the Palliser Expedition. It was named in honor of William Sandys Wright Vaux (1818–1885), a British museum official, numismatist, and a personal friend of Hector. Vaux served as the president of the Numismatic Society and held a position in the Department of Antiquities at the British Museum.
The first recorded ascent of Mount Vaux occurred in July 1901. The climbing party consisted of James Outram and Edward Whymper, assisted by Swiss guides Christian Kaufmann and Christian Hasler Sr. The peak is characterized by its significant topographic prominence, measured at approximately 1,210 meters (3,970 feet).
Geologically, Mount Vaux is composed of sedimentary rock deposited during the Cambrian period. Like much of the Canadian Rockies, the mountain was shaped by the Laramide orogeny, where tectonic pressure forced layers of rock eastward over newer strata, followed by extensive glacial erosion that carved its current form. The mountain is often visible from the Trans-Canada Highway near the community of Field, British Columbia.