High on the knife-edge ridge between Mount Lefroy and Mount Victoria, a little stone hut stood for a century, sheltering climbers from wind and snow. Built in 1922 by Swiss guides, Abbot Pass Hut became the heart of countless mountain tales: steaming mugs of tea after stormy ascents, shared laughs in a flickering lantern’s glow, and the quiet thrill of dawn light spilling across the Rockies.
But in 2022, melting permafrost made the hut unsafe. It was carefully taken apart, stone by stone, leaving only footprints on the rocky ground—and a profound sense of loss. That loss inspired my Abbot Pass Climate Heritage Project.
In August 2024, I hiked the old trail with members of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC). Every step brought a memory rushing back: a guide recalling golden sunrises over icy crests; a climber thrilled by late-summer ski runs right up to the hut’s door; a historian’s delight at finding a yellowed Alpine Journal entry about the first winter crossing. At the very spot where the hut once stood, someone whispered, “Only eight years ago this was all solid ice,” while another held up a faded photo, as if willing the stones to reappear.
I captured these memories through stories published by ACC mountaineers in the Canadian Alpine Journal and sixteen interviews with ACC members. Guides described the hut as “a promise of safety,” and climbers spoke of “mourning a friend” when it vanished. Their voices form a tapestry of wonder and grief, of adventure and responsibility.
Nominated for the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) Mountain Protection Award 2025, the Abbot Pass Climate Heritage Project is more than a record—it’s my personal call to action. By sharing these stories, I honor the hut’s legacy and remind everyone that mountains are living archives of memory. As caretakers of these high places, we carry not just ropes and crampons, but a duty of care for the world’s changing peaks.
Images submitted by Hossein Rasaei
A selection of photos accompanying the Abbot Pass Climate Heritage Project story. They capture the author in action, both outdoors on the trail and indoors presenting the project, as well as the landscapes and moments that shaped this moving tribute to a lost alpine landmark. Congratulations to Hossein on the project’s nomination for the UIAA Mountain Protection Award. We’re proud of you!
