I was invited by the media group representing Travel Alberta to join a group on a two day hike to Abbott Pass Hut on the Alberta – BC border. Their goal was to produce a three to four minute video of the journey for the Travel Alberta website for release later in the fall. Part of the hike to Abbott Pass is a serious scree climb and the hut is precariously through beautifully situated.
Please note: The Abbott Pass Hut is permanently closed as of 2022 – and in fact the hut was taken down for safety reasons in July 2022. Apparently there was more slope erosion than originally thought and some cracks in the masonry. An end of an era.
Our group consisted of four hikers, three mountain guides and ten others – including crew, client and agency people.
In our hiking group – talent is what we were called – none of us had been in anything but a home video before. We had to agree before going that we would cooperate at all times with photos, videos and interviews. Sure – no problem I figured. And fortunately, the on camera sessions got easier over the course of the two days.
When you see a picture of Abbott Pass Hut you might ask yourself why in God’s name anyone would want to hike there.
Hike to Abbott Pass Hut for the challenge
I love the mountains. I revel in their beauty and delight in the solitude. That’s not to say that I’m not intimidated at times and in fact occasionally terrified on a talus slope when the boulders underneath you start to move. Trust me, I am.
But with the security of a mountain guide and their expertise with route finding, I had no problem agreeing to go.
Out of the four hikers, I was the oldest by far. In fact I could have been their mother. What I had going for me was experience and I figured I was in shape enough to make it up the close to 3,000 feet of vertical with a pack on my back.
And as it turned out there were many in the group of ten who had never done anything like this before. In fact our guide Tamara said that she thinks it was probably the first time Abbott Pass Hut had anyone walk through the door in jeans. (Thank heavens the weather cooperated because not all were dressed appropriately!)
The Abbott Pass hike starts easily
Over the course of about an hour you make your way up on a wide trail from the incredibly hued Lake O’Hara to the equally gorgeous Lake Oesa.
Read: Hiking to Lake Oesa in Yoho National Park
Time to get serious
Above Lake Oesa it’s time to don helmets and get serious. Initially the scree slopes are easy to cross; it’s the final 2,000 feet of climbing that gets gnarly.
Once you get into the section of unstable boulders you need to focus on every footstep. You don’t want to get a leg or a hand caught under a boulder. And you certainly don’t want to dislodge one and send it bouncing down the mountain.
The only part of the climb I really disliked was the middle section. Through here the boulders were larger and more mobile. At times it felt like you were on a sliding mountain. Whenever a boulder started to go my adrenaline surged. One step at a time was my mantra.
As we got close to the top the grade seemed to steepen even more – but solid outcrop appeared so you felt a sense of safety grabbing onto it.
Once you got to the pass the views were out of this world – as is your sense of accomplishment
The backside of the saddle that takes you down to Lake Louise is called The Death Trap. One of the guides said he’d done it once before and never again. Ice randomly breaks off from the glacier plus there are numerous crevasses to traverse.
Would I do it again?? Maybe – but there are so many great hikes in the Rockies I’d like to do, that I think for now I’d rather explore new country.
Tips for the hike to Abbott Pass
The hike to Abbott Pass Hut is a serious one. Accidents happen regularly on the scree slopes and people have been killed. Follow these tips for a safe hike.
- Wear a helmet at all times through the scree.
- Use a pole. It helps tremendously for balance. Keep it in the uphill hand.
- Stay to the middle of the scree slope. More accidents from rockfall occur close to the mountain.
- Never pull on a rock. They are way too easy to dislodge.
- Be very aware of who is climbing ahead of you and behind you. Yell ROCK if one starts bouncing down.
- Bring the proper clothing and the 10 hiking essentials. There’s a huge temperature change from bottom to top and it’s cold at night; it was below freezing in mid August.
- Hire a guide if you’re route finding skills aren’t great. We used Yamnuska Guides out of Canmore. They do the cooking too.
- Allow 3-6 hours to hike to the hut in the summer. The hut is rarely visited in the winter.
- Book the hut ahead of time through the Alpine Club of Canada. It holds 24 people. Rates are $22 per night for members, $32 for non-members.
- The hut is used by the real mountaineering crowd – those out to climb nearby Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy.
- The guitar in the hut needs a new set of strings – if you happen to be going.
- Propane and firewood are provided. Toilet paper is not.
- Bring a sleeping bag.
Further reading on easier hikes in BC and Alberta
- The Lake Agnes – Big Beehive Hike
- Hiking the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit in Yoho National Park
- Hiking the Iceline Trail near Field, BC
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