Climbing enthusiasts plan to replace Abbot Pass Hut, former historic cabin on Alberta, B.C. border

There's hope again for the historic Abbot Pass Hut.

The iconic, century-old stone hut, perched along the border of Alberta and B.C., was torn down last year by Parks Canada after slope erosion under the foundation made it unsafe.

Now, the Alpine Club of Canada, the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and the Lake Louise Ski Area want to replace it with a brand new hut.

"[It's] a national historic site and very critical to the climbing community in the Canadian Rockies," said Charlie Locke, owner of Lake Louise Ski Area, in an interview with the Calgary Eyeopener on Friday.

"I used to be a mountain guide in the area, made my living guiding guests up to the peaks and especially Abbot Pass."

Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin was built by hand in 1922 by Swiss mountain guides hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway. They carried hand-cut stones on horseback and by foot to the pass, which is at 2,925 metres above sea level.

It provided shelter to alpinists seeking to reach the summits of nearby Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy. The hut was designated a national historic site in 1992.

In 2018, the hut had to be closed to overnight visitors because of erosion of the slope underneath.

Parks Canada later determined, after several attempts to save the hut, it would have to be removed. A construction crew dismantled the hut in June.

Carine Salvy, executive director with the Alpine Club of Canada — which operated the hut for 31 years — said conversations about a replacement hut started among those in the mountaineering community and with community partners immediately afterwards.

"We asked some guides that are very knowledgeable of the area if there were other locations that we could consider. Obviously the pass itself is not an option for a new build, so several areas were identified as potential locations," she said.

As it's early on in the planning process, Salvy wouldn't say what those locations are.

Potential design and cost would also depend on the chosen location, but Salvy said it would have to be a similar footprint to the previous hut.

"The idea is to have a small facility that will provide shelter to climbers and mountaineers that want to access the nearby peaks," she said.

"It's unlikely that it'll be a hiker's hut. I suspect the access will be more technical than the previous one."

LISTEN | Charlie Locke explains why he wants to replace the historic Abbot Pass Hut:

Locke said he, his family and Lake Louise Ski Area would be interested in contributing most or all of the funds necessary to re-establish the hut.

"It's our opportunity to give back to the community that's looked after it so well," he said. "We have to choose a site that's going to last for another 100 years."

Replacement hut

In a statement Tuesday, Parks Canada said it welcomes the Alpine Club of Canada and its collaborators' intent to submit a proposal to replace the hut.

"At this time, no formal proposal has been received by Parks Canada," the statement said.

"Parks Canada will consider all available information before a decision is confirmed. Any decisions regarding proposed developments would be made in accordance with priorities and objectives within the respective park management plans, policies and guidelines."

Work on a feasibility study would need to be done before sending a proposal to the agency, Salvy said, including geotechnical evaluations, environmental impact reports and avalanche assessments.

But everything starts with the location, she said.

"Is there ground up there that is good enough to have a new facility? And then all these assessments will have their own results."

Locke is spearheading the efforts, led by his passion for the site.

He said he can still remember the first time he visited the hut in 1964, traversing all of the mountains between Moraine Lake and Lake Louise.

"Getting up in the morning at the hut, just marvelling at the spectacular scenery and then in those days we were young and keen and climbing Mountain Lefroy from the hut before breakfast," he said. "That was just spectacular."

If all goes well, Locke hopes to begin construction on the new site next spring.