Mount Athabasca

Agenda

Day 1: Meet your guide at the Columbia Icefields Campground by the cook shelter at 7 pm.  Please bring all of your gear with you.  We’ll ensure that everyone is properly equipped, distribute any gear on loan or rent, and discuss the route, objectives, and meeting times for the next day.

Day 2: An early morning start (approx. 3:00 am) allows us to enjoy the incredible beauty of a mountain sunrise. The climb is not too technical but requires many of the things mountaineers must have: stamina, fitness, route-finding skills, and good judgment.

Typically we will follow one of 2 routes.

1. The North Glacier route follows the A2 Glacier on the North side of the mountain to the base of the Silverhorn Ridge from where a traverse leads us over to the West Ridge (where it joins the Athabasca/Andromeda (AA) Col route) which is followed over the peak of Silverhorn to the summit. This is a beautiful route for beginner alpinists and is often used as a descent for the ‘AA’ route. Our maximum guide to client ratio is 1:3. Return time is between 9 and 12 hours.

2. The AA Col route follows the glacier on the other side of the peak from the North Glacier. It leads to the ‘col’ (alpine pass) between Athabasca and Mt. Andromeda from where the West Ridge is followed over Silverhorn to the summit. Our maximum guide to client ratio is 1:3. Return time is between 9 and 12 hours.

Other route information:

More technical routes are the North Face, the North Face By-Pass, and the Classic Silverhorn route. These require a higher level of client experience in addition to more stable snow, weather, and ice conditions. The more technical routes can take longer because sections of the route need to be ‘pitched out’. The more technical routes have a maximum guide-to-client ratio of 1:2.

A clear day will present summiteers with spectacular views of the expansive Columbia Icefields and the magnificent surrounding peaks.

Meeting Time and Place

Meet the guides at the “ICEFIELDS CAMPGROUND” by the cooking shelters at 7.00 pm the evening before the climb. Have your gear with you. The campground is located 1 km south of the Icefields Centre on Hwy. 93. It is the closest one to the Centre. The guides will brief you about the climb and tell you where and when to meet in the morning.

Park Passes

Please note that the program location is within a National Park. Guests will be required to purchase their own pass.

National Park passes are available both online at https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission and in-person at National park gates and some information centres.

Weather and Conditions

Please note that weather may still prevent a safe attempt on the mountain. In this case, we will either schedule another peak or a day of mountaineering instruction. The mountains call the shots and the wise mountaineer takes heed. Thus we never guarantee climbs.

Equipment & Clothing

The equipment and clothing you bring to this course will play a large role in the quality of your experience. Read the following suggestions and lists carefully. If you have any questions or need clarification, don’t hesitate to call or email.

Equipment

Yamnuska provides group climbing gear and the following personal technical gear. Please feel free to bring your own items if desired:

• Crampons
• Mountaineering ice axe
• Climbing harness
• Climbing helmet
• Prusik cord, slings, carabiners, ice screw

We recommend you bring:

• Mountaineering boots* (must be crampon compatible)
• Daypack* (30-40 litres), (optional)
• Tent*
• Sleeping bag*
• Sleeping pad*
• Water bottle (1-2 litres)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen, SPF lip balm
• Camera
• Compass
• Headlamp (with fresh batteries)
• Earplugs
• Blister kit
• First aid items (Our guides carry a first aid kit, but you may bring your own Band-Aids and anti-inflammatory medication if desired.)
• Personal toiletries including hand sanitizer
• Trekking pole (recommended)
• Music player and lightweight reading material (optional)
• Personal camping equipment including cooking equipment, plastic mug,  bowl, and eating utensils

*These items are available for rent. Please advise us in advance.

Clothing

When mountaineering, it is important to be able to adjust to the changing conditions. We recommend bringing clothing that can be layered to achieve comfort as you change from periods of activity to periods of rest. Cotton clothing is not appropriate as it causes rapid heat loss when wet.

We recommend you bring:

• Long underwear top and bottoms (lightweight synthetic or wool)
• Socks (synthetic/wool, at least two pairs)
• Light synthetic shirt
• Softshell pants and jacket
• Midweight synthetic or down jacket
• Heavyweight insulated jacket
• Waterproof hardshell jacket with hood
• Waterproof hardshell pants (should have a full-length side zip so they can be put on without taking off boots and crampons)
• Gaiters (big enough to fit over large boots)
• Waterproof mountaineering or ice climbing gloves (at least two pairs)
• Warm hat that fits under a helmet
• Sun hat
• Running shoes or sandals

• Alpha SV Jacket (Men’s & Women’s)
• Rush Jacket (Men’s & Women’s)
• Rush Bib Pant (Men’s & Women’s)
• Atom Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)
• Atom SL Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)
• Cerium Down Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)
• Nuclei Hoody (Men’s & Women’s)

Additional gear info:

Daypack:  For single-day climbing trips your pack should be 30–40 litres.

Sleeping bag: We recommend a three-season bag rated at approximately -7°C. A down bag will be lighter and more compressible for the weight than a synthetic bag. A compression stuff sack is recommended to reduce volume.

Mountaineering boots: A good pair of boots is essential. They need to be warm and crampon compatible. Yamnuska uses Scarpa Mont Blanc boots.

Crampons:  Mountaineering crampons should have anti-snow-balling plates, and need to be compatible with your boots. We use the Petzl Vasak.

Mountaineering ice axe:  Your ice axe should be 55-75 cm, and should be equipped with an adze. Yamnuska provides the Petzl Summit Axe.

Climbing harness:  Should be sized to fit over your cold-weather clothing. It is recommended to have a harness with a belay/rappel loop.

Climbing helmet:  A comfortable, all-around climbing helmet that can fit over your winter hat.

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. Full payment is required at the time of booking. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Canadian Cheques, Money Orders, and Bank Drafts.  Credit card payments are easiest, especially for international travellers.

We ask that you review our detailed booking instructions and conditions.

Risk is an inherent part of all mountain activities. We strive to manage and reduce it however, it is impossible to totally eliminate. Learn more about our safety and risk management approach here.  Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the program. Please view our sample waiver copy.

The Simpson Group offers a wide range of travel insurance options including Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Travel Medical, and Personal Effect Loss for both Canadian and International Travelers. Other providers offer similar services and we encourage you to select an appropriate level of coverage. We highly recommend purchasing this insurance to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. The two basic types of insurance that most travellers need to consider are Medical and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance.

Insurance Risk 
One of the ways to mitigate risk is by purchasing appropriate insurance. Simpson Group Insurance Services who are travel & health risk specialists, work with technical and high-risk insurance solutions both in medical and non-medical spheres.  We highly recommend that you review your insurance needs to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident during your trip. Simpson Group have a team standing by to answer any of your questions.

Emergency Medical Evacuation
While there is typically no charge for search & rescue in the National and Provincial Parks for active pass holders, costs such as air & ground ambulance after the rescue are not covered by your park pass. The chance of a large bill associated with this risk is a real possibility.

For Canadians
A common myth is that healthcare across provinces is fully covered. There are many things which do not carry interprovincial agreements. Ambulance services, medical evacuation, and some services which one province charges more than another you’d be responsible to pay the difference.

For Internationals
A common myth is that healthcare in Canada is free. Although it is less expensive than US healthcare, charges for non-residents can still be very high. Proper medical health insurance is essential if you were to get injured. Most coverages exclude rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and the like. Simpson Group can make sure all those risks are well covered.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
We recognize that our guests’ schedules may change for many reasons, business, family, flight delays, injuries, and other unplanned events.  For these eventualities, Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance is a great way to protect your investment. We can assure you that circumstances do arise that prevent guests from participating in trips or courses and trip cancellation & interruption insurance is a relatively easy way to manage your level of risk of unforeseen events.

For all your travel insurance requirements we recommend Simpson Group Insurance Services.  For more information and to purchase a plan, visit Simpson Group’s website.