Athabasca Glacier

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies. The glacier currently loses depth at a rate of about 5 metres (16 ft) per year and has receded more than 1.5 km (0.93 mi) and lost over half of its volume in the past 125 years. Easily accessible, 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.

Athabasca Glacier
Athabasca Glacier in July 2018
Athabasca Glacier Athabasca Glacier Athabasca Glacier
Location	Columbia Icefield
Coordinates	52°11′55″N 117°14′37″W
Area	6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Length	6 km (3.7 mi)
Thickness	90–300 metres (300–980 ft)
Status	Receding

The Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, closed during the winter (mid-October to mid-April), stands across from the glacier. It is used as a lodge and for ticket sales for sightseeing on the glacier. There are also two restaurants and a Starbucks located in the centre. Standard buses transport tourists from the centre to the glacier edge, where they board specially designed snow coaches for transport over the steep grades, snow and ice part way up the glacier.

The glacier is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) long, covers an area of 6 km² (2.3 sq mi), and is measured to be between 90–300 metres (300–980 ft) thick.

Notable accidents

On 18 July 2020, a sightseeing snow coach rolled over on the glacier's moraine early in the afternoon, killing 3 passengers and injuring 24 others. Survivors were first airlifted by Parks Canada helicopters to a triage area. Nineteen of the occupants, 14 of whom suffered critical injuries, were then transported to the nearest hospitals via air and ground. In addition to countless first responders and EMS crews, three STARS helicopters from Calgary, Edmonton, and Grande Prairie responded to this multiple casualty incident.

On 5 October 2018, an employee of the sightseeing company died in the parking lot after suffering serious injuries when she was struck by her unmanned bus following a collision. The woman succumbed of her injuries upon arrival of the STARS air ambulance crew.

See also

• List of glaciers in Canada
• Athabasca

Further reading

• Kucera, Richard E. Probing the Athabasca Glacier: Case History of a Glacier in the Columbia Icefield [sic], Jasper National Park. Rev. and second printing. Evergreen Press, 1973, cop. 1972. 32, [2] p., ill. with b&w photos, graphs, and maps. N.B.: A bibliog. and the largest of the maps appear, respectively, on p. [33] and [34] (i.e., on the inside and outside the back cover).

External links

• Parks Canada entry

Gallery

• Athabasca Glacier tour in 2006
• 
  Athabasca Glacier snow coach in 2009
• 
  Terra Bus on the Athabasca Glacier in 2010
• 
  Approaching Athabasca Glacier Headwall
• 
  Athabasca Glacier headwall (on the ramp)