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The Columbia Icefield Centre Tourism The Columbia Icefield Centre, located on the Icefield Parkway at the base of Mt. Andromeda and Mt. Athabasca, was built in 1996 to replace the much smaller center previously found there. There is a small coffee shop stocked with quick snacks, and a dining lounge with more sophisticated dining, for those who feel a culinary treat is in order. Both are open only during regular business hours. Modern washrooms provide the last civilized toilets many climbers will see for days. There are ATM machines and tourist shops with souvenirs of the Columbia Icefield and the Rocky Mountains. The Columbia Icefield Chalet on the top floor of the Icefield Centre is a modern, if expensive hotel for those who don't want to camp, bivy or stay in nearby hostels. On the main floor near the entrance is an Interpretive Center with videos and models of the Icefield, featuring the history of the area's glaciology, geology, and early mountaineering exploration and history. A huge fiberglass relief model of the Icefield, mountains and glaciers is fascinating and helps greatly in appreciating the topography and sheer size of the Columbia Icefield. There is plenty of helpful Columbia Icefield information available at the Icefield Centre and on their various web pages, featuring movie clips and slide shows from the Athabasca Glacier, and information regarding the Icefield Parkway. A huge parking area ensures plenty of free parking for tourists, travellers, climbers and other backcountry users who happen to stop at the Icefield Centre. There are several pay phones in the parking area, available for use even during the months when the centre is closed. Photo by Brewster Transportation
The Columbia Icefield Centre, located on the Icefield Parkway directly north of the Columbia Icefield
Snocoach glacier tours onto the Athabasca Glacier can be arranged at the Icefield Centre. Privately led hikes are also available onto the glacier, under the supervision of local licensed guides. Veteran climber and ACC member Marcus Kellerhals leads glacier ski tours onto the Athabasca Glacier. Telescopes are mounted out on the terrace, and can be used to examine the various mountains in the area at close range. You can stand at one of the scopes, have a relaxing beverage and watch the intrepid adventures of climbers working their way up the North Face of Mt. Athabasca, or the Skyladder on Mt. Andromeda. It is not at all unusual for climbers near the Athabasca Glacier, the Icefield Centre or the Snocoach road to be the subject of photographs by hordes of awed tourists visiting the icefield for the first time. (So remember, if you are ever climbing one of the peaks close by....Smile! You're a tourist attraction!) Photos by Travel Alberta
Snocoach tours are available, departing from the Icefield Centre, to the Athabasca Glacier and surrounding peaks
Park Wardens In addition to Ranger Stations at Sunwapta, Pobotkan Creek and the town of Jasper, park wardens are based at the Icefield Centre. Route information, climbing conditions, weather reports, perusal of logbook entries, and a voluntary climber's check-in and check-out are among the services offered. Park Wardens, in addition to frequently climbing in the area themselves, have a full view of the two most frequently-climbed peaks, Mt. Athabasca and Mt. Andromeda. Remember, climbers: if you check in, you must remember to check out, or a costly search operation could be conducted, for which you could end up stuck with the bill. A helicopter search based out of Golden, B.C. will be expensive.
Topographic Maps The road map of Columbia Icefield area highways is the property of Rocky Mountain Books.
Nigel Peak - Acknowledgements and Photo Credits The information contained on the Nigel Peak mountain page has been compiled by Henry Timmer, a Canadian citizen, mountaineer and adventurer currently residing in Sacramento, California, USA. To make comments, corrections, additions or inquiries, contact me at climbwild@hotmail.com The text of this mountain page is based on the experiences, research and writing of Henry Timmer, and is protected by copyright.
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