Columbia Icefield

The Columbia Icefield is an icefield located in the Canadian Rockies, astride the Continental Divide of North America. The icefield lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff and the southern end of Jasper National Park. It is about 325 km² in area, 100 to 365 metres (328' to 1,197') in depth and receives up to seven metres (23 ft) of snowfall per year. The icefield feeds eight major glaciers.

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies. Due to global warming, the glacier has receded more than 1.5 km in the past 125 years and lost over half of its volume. It currently recedes at a rate of 2-3 metres per year. The glacier moves down from the icefield at a rate of several centimetres per day. Due to its close proximity to the Icefields Parkway, between the Alberta towns of Banff and Jasper, and rather easy accessibility, it is the most visited glacier in North America. The leading edge of the glacier is within easy walking distance; however, travel onto the glacier is not recommended unless properly equipped. Hidden crevasses have led to the deaths of unprepared tourists.

The group before us.

Our guide Peter. Making sure that this is not our last adventure.

Mt. Athabasca. Plus the other two groups who went up with the same company.

Looking back to the parking Spot. Wow!

George our guide dog. So adorable, so cut and sooo smelly!

A hidden hole in the ice. Good to have a guide out here!

Mt. Andromeda and Mt. Athabasca.

One of the Brewster vehicles going up to their spot.

Have done that too and enjoyed the walk so much more!!!

Wow you literally see the glacier flowing down!