Columbia Icefield – Athabasca Glacier
Updated June 2022
How do Glaciers Form?
Glaciers form when more snow falls during the winter than melts in summer.
The weight of new snow compresses the snow from previous years and turns it into ice. This is a prolonged process and takes more than one hundred years.
Do Glaciers Move?
They expand or retreat depending on the amount of snow and the temperature. If more snow is coming down over the years than the amount melting, the glacier will expand. This gives the appearance that it is moving. A glacier can become so massive that its weight can cause it to move down the mountain. Ice at the top of the Athabasca Glacier takes 150 years to move to the toe. The glacier will become smaller if more melting occurs than the amount replaced by new snow. This gives the appearance that the glacier has retreated.
Currently, the Athabasca Glacier is in retreat. Since 1870, it has lost 2/3 of its weight and has retreated 1.5 km (1640 yards). It once reached the other side of the Icefields Parkway.
How much of the world is covered by ice?
Glaciers occupy about ten per cent of the world’s total land mass, mainly in the Arctic, Antarctic, and Greenland. The total is a little less than all of South America. Canada has one per cent of the world’s glaciers.
What is an Icefield?
An icefield is a massive block of ice trapped in high mountain areas. The surrounding mountain tops hold the icefield in place and stop it from melting or moving.
The Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield is held in place by the peaks of Mt Columbia, Andromeda and Kitchener. It covers about 200 sq km (77.2 sq miles) and is 250 m (820 feet) thick. The average snowfall on the icefield is 7 m (22 feet)
The Glaciers
The Columbia Icefield is the source of six glaciers named Saskatchewan, Castleguard, Dome, Stutfield, Columbia and Athabasca.
Danger
Several people have died from falling into crevasses on the Athabasca Glacier. Crevasses can be covered with light snow and not visible. Walk on the glacier only in approved areas or with an authorised guide.
Glacier Adventure
You can ride on the Athabasca Glacier in a special snow bus. These massive buses with giant tires and six-wheel drive were specially designed to travel on ice. The bus will stop high up on the glacier, and you can get out and walk around. (Be sure to stay within the marked area).
Weather on the glacier
The weather on the glacier is unpredictable and can change rapidly. It might be quite warm but could be snowing a while later. At the minimum, you should take a light jacket even on a warm day. But be prepared for colder weather. Wear sturdy shoes.
The Icefield Parkway
To get to the Athabasca Glacier, travel north from Lake Louise, Alberta or south from Jasper, Alberta, on the Icefield Parkway (Highway 93). The glacier is located near the border of Jasper and Banff National Parks.
Update July 2020
I went up on the Athabasca Glacier many times in this red bus when I worked there as a guide. I took the photos of it above. In July 2020, it slid off the road and tumbled down a morain embankment, landing upside down. Three people were killed and all 24 on board were injured -14 of them seriously.
In May 2022, the company that operates the bus was charged with several offices, including failure to control hazards and failing to ensure that the bus was in safe operating condition.
An Alternative
Although the accident was a tragedy, millions of people go up on the glacier every year without incident. However, the trip is expensive and crowded, and you get to spend about 15 minutes in a confined area of the glacier where the bus stops.
An alternative is to hike from the visitor’s centre to the toe of the glacier. It is free. It is educational, as you can learn about the moraines that the glacier made and in which year it was there. Also, you can get great photos of the entire glacier from the toe that you can’t get if you are near the top.