
Mount Athabaska 3491m
With Guide Mike Stuart of Canadian Alpine Guides. Camped overnight on 21st at the Columbia Icefields campsite, near the humungous car park serving the Icefields Snocoach tours. Left around 3.20am under a full moon without headtorches, initially on the Snocoach road then up the AA (Andromeda-Athabaska) glacier to the col with the Silverhorn. Traversed this subsidiary peak then on to the summit, about 8.50am, with magnificent views westwards of the adjoining ranges. The cairn sits on solid rock immediately below the ice peak, which we also visited. Descended efficiently to be back at the car park for about 1pm.
Our guide Mike had shown admirable persistence to get us our only summit on this trip. We had originally hired him for 5 days for an attempt on Assiniboine - this was binned when conditions turned against us on the day we were to fly-in. A further 3 days were expended on abortive (but exciting) attempts on Edith Cavell East Ridge, and trying to reach the Colgan Hut via the Schiesser Ledges from Moraine Lake.