Abbot Pass lies between Mount Lefroy and Mount Victoria, in the divide between the valleys of

Lake O'Hara Lake O'Hara is a lake at an elevation of in the alpine area of Yoho National Park, in the province of British Columbia, on the western side of the Continental Divide, Great Divide with the province of Alberta and Banff National Park to the east. ...

and Lake Louise. It was named for Philip Stanley Abbot who died in 1896 in an attempt to climb Mount Lefroy with Charles Fay, Charles Thompson, and George T. Little. Abbot Pass has a stone

hut A hut is a small dwelling, which may be constructed of various local materials. Huts are a type of vernacular architecture because they are built of readily available materials such as wood, snow, stone, grass, palm leaves, branches, clay, hid ...

, built in 1922 by Swiss guides working for the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

, and was maintained by the

Alpine Club of Canada The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) is an amateur athletic association with its national office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler, ...

. In 2022, the hut was removed by Parks Canada due to erosion making the structure unsafe.

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Abbot Pass is located in a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C.

Gallery

File:Abbot Pass, north side.jpg, Abbot Pass from the Alberta side File:Abbot Pass and hut.jpg, Abbot Pass and hut seen from Alberta side

References

External links

* * Banff National Park Mountain passes of Alberta Mountain passes of British Columbia Mountains of Yoho National Park Kootenay Land District {{BritishColumbiaInterior-mountain-stub