Climbing through Climate Change in the Canadian Rockies: Guides’ Experiences of Route Transformation on Mt. Athabasca

Climate change is significantly transforming mountaineering routes on Mt. Athabasca, Jasper National Park, Canada, with rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns driving glacial retreat and the loss of semi-permanent snow and ice. This shift is altering climbing conditions and increasing objective hazards, impacting both the livelihoods of mountain guides and the broader mountain tourism sector. The study, employing a mixed-methods approach that included spatio-temporal trend analysis, repeat photography, and interviews with guides, found that these changes disproportionately affect guides based on their career stage, with late-career guides facing reduced opportunities and early-career guides encountering more challenging conditions. These findings highlight the urgent need for adaptation strategies and further research to address the global implications of climate change on mountaineering destinations.

Hanly, K., McDowell, G., & Tricker, J. (2023). Climbing through Climate Change in the Canadian Rockies: Guides’ Experiences of Route Transformation on Mt. Athabasca. Tourism and Hospitality, 4(4), 539–558. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp4040033