Abbot Pass hut

Abbot Pass Hut is a stone structure built at 2,926 meters elevation between Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy. The building marked the boundary between Banff and Yoho National Parks and served climbers at this high-altitude location.

Swiss guides built the refuge in 1922 for the Canadian Alpine Association, carrying all materials on horseback across Victoria Glacier to the building site. The structure represented one of the most remarkable construction achievements of its era in Canada's high alpine zone.

The hut received recognition as a National Historic Site in 1992 and became a Classified Federal Heritage Building of Canada in 1999. This status reflects its importance to the mountaineering heritage of North America.

The building contained 24 sleeping spaces on the upper floor and had wood stoves for heating plus propane systems for cooking and lighting. The extreme elevation and alpine setting required careful planning for any stay at this location.

The structure stood as the second-highest permanent habitation in Canada before its demolition in 2022 and was a rare example of lasting occupation at such altitude. The demolition became necessary due to geological instability caused by glacier melting.

Location: Improvement District No. 09 (Banff National Park)

Official opening: 1922

Elevation above the sea: 2,926 m

GPS coordinates: 51.36417,-116.29028

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:56