The Abbot Pass hut stood for decades in a rugged saddlebetween two iconic peaks, overlooking the limpid turquoise of Banff National Park害羞草研究所檚 Lake Louise 害羞草研究所� a destination for alpinists from around the world until the ground melted beneath it and forced its closure.
University of Calgary researchers have now used a century害羞草研究所檚 worth of entries from the hut害羞草研究所檚 log to illuminate how climate change is erasing historic climbs, making others more dangerous and altering the face of Canadian mountaineering.
害羞草研究所淭here were absolutely comments about how climate change has impacted the Canadian Rockies and many hut visitors expressed sadness and concern over it,害羞草研究所� wrote Kate Hanly, a geography doctoral candidate and co-author of a paper drawing on those logs published in the journal Climatic Change.
害羞草研究所淐limate change is contributing to changes in mountaineering conditions in the Canadian Rockies,害羞草研究所� she says in an email.
Mountain guides agree.
害羞草研究所淐lassic routes have changed,害羞草研究所� says Paul Vidalin, president of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides with 25 years of guiding experience.
害羞草研究所淚n places the ice is gone and there害羞草研究所檚 nothing but rotten rock left. What used to be nice mellow glacier (ski) runs are now really crevassed.害羞草研究所�
James Gudjonson, a vice-president of the Alpine Club of Canada, has been guiding climbers and skiers for 30 years.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really disheartening,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淵ou know a lot (of routes) have gone away or are slowly going away and they害羞草研究所檙e not coming back.害羞草研究所�
Hanly害羞草研究所檚 paper combines 6,283 trip reports left by alpinists in the Abbot Pass hut log with those in a modern climbers database. It covers from 1923 to 2024.
Early entries describe reliable ramps of firm snow en route to renowned peaks such as Mount Lefroy and Mount Victoria.
But by 2017, all Lefroy climbers reported exposed ice and half faced bare, unstable rock. Five per cent of climbers on Victoria reported bare rock in the 害羞草研究所�50s, while more than half did between 2013 and 2022.
That rock means more than just wobbly footing. As ice that holds it in place melts, it falls.
On one route to Abbot 害羞草研究所� used since early in the last century 害羞草研究所� there were no reports of dangerous rockfall for the first 50 years of the hut害羞草研究所檚 log. In the last decade, three-quarters of climbing parties mentioned it.
The findings were similar for another route to the hut.
害羞草研究所淭he typical right side was a war zone of rockfall with many near misses,害羞草研究所� said a 2009 entry.
The threats aren害羞草研究所檛 limited to Abbot Pass, says Christoph Dietzfelbinger, who has guided since the 害羞草研究所�80s in British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 Coast Range.
害羞草研究所淥n Mount Edziza, the access to the summit ridge used to be a simple snow slope,害羞草研究所� he says in an email. 害羞草研究所淣ow it is a 30- to 70-metre-high slope of black water ice that requires full alpine ice gear.害羞草研究所�
In the Bugaboos range south of Golden, B.C., a popular col in what may be Canada害羞草研究所檚 most famous climbing area is becoming increasingly inaccessible as it loses snow.
害羞草研究所淚 think it will eventually become a place where you just don害羞草研究所檛 go,害羞草研究所� says Gudjonson. 害羞草研究所淚t was the access point for dozens of routes.害羞草研究所�
Other hazards are also increasing.
Lower snowpacks and increased melting changes the shape and angle of glaciers, making them more prone to avalanches. Snow bridges allowing alpinists to safely cross crevasses are weakened.
Gudjonson has seen that effect on the Wapta Icefield, a popular high-altitude glacier ski touring destination between Banff and Jasper, Alta.
害羞草研究所淵ou just don害羞草研究所檛 have that snow because there害羞草研究所檚 so much rain and warm temperatures,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檙e not getting that good bridging.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 OK in the summer 害羞草研究所� you can see the ice. But the real issue is the thinner snowpack in the winter.害羞草研究所�
As well, areas that usually see deep, stable snowpacks now experience big dumps followed by long droughts, sometimes punctuated by rain or thaw. That creates snow layers and makes avalanche assessment even harder.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 more erratic, more extreme,害羞草研究所� says Vidalin.
害羞草研究所淭here seems to be more problem layers (in the snow), more variability, more complexity.害羞草研究所�
Climate change is reducing some hazards. For example, Hanly says the thinner snowpack has shrunk cornices that used to hang over Victoria害羞草研究所檚 southeast ridge, making travel faster and easier.
New routes may open up as guides adapt.
害羞草研究所淭he only constant in guiding is change,害羞草研究所� Hanly writes in the email. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think we are at risk of losing the culture of mountaineering in this country (at least right now) but I am pretty sure it will continue to evolve.害羞草研究所�
There are economic consequences, Hanly adds.
害羞草研究所淭he warm and dry weather in January reduced ice climbing opportunities so significantly that some guides didn害羞草研究所檛 have any work. In the Canadian Rockies and especially the Bow Valley, where so much guiding occurs, climate change could have a significant impact on the industry with potentially cascading effects on the tourism and hospitality industry.害羞草研究所�
Gudjonson points to the industry that害羞草研究所檚 grown up around backcountry skiing and mountaineering.
害羞草研究所淲hat害羞草研究所檚 going to happen to the commercial operators?害羞草研究所� he asks.
But that害羞草研究所檚 not his main concern. The 2018 closure of the Abbot Pass hut haunts climbers and hikers, he says.
害羞草研究所淲e have 100 years of history and something that害羞草研究所檚 woven into the culture of the mountain community. You lose those historical places forever.害羞草研究所�
Guides talk about it all the time, says Dietzfelbinger.
害羞草研究所淭here is something best called ecological grief,害羞草研究所� he wrote. 害羞草研究所淎 landscape that has been dear to me and that has nurtured many experiences is irrevocably changed.害羞草研究所�
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Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
