Abbot Pass Hut - History

History

The pass and the hut are named after Philip Stanley Abbot, who became the first mountaineering fatality in North America after he fell in an attempt to make the first ascent of Mount Lefroy in 1896. The hut was originally built in 1922 by Swiss guides working for the Canadian Pacific Railway to shelter clients attempting to climb Victoria and Lefroy. Much of the construction material was carried from Lake Louise on horseback across the Victoria Glacier and winched or carried on guides' backs up the pass on a route known as The Deathtrap because of its exposure to avalanches and crevasses.

The CPR operated the hut for 40 years, and in the 1960s turned the operation over to Parks Canada, which renovated it with the help of volunteers. In 1985, the park service turned the hut over to the Alpine Club of Canada, which has renovated it several times since. The hut was designated Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site of Canada in 1992, and, in 1997, a federal plaque was placed outside its front door.

Because many guests of the Chateau Lake Louise were trying mountaineering for the first time, Edward Feuz, a swiss guide, suggested that the CPR build a rest stop between Lake Louise and the hut. In 1924 the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House was built to accommodate overnight guests.