New Alpine Hut Coming to Mount Robson

The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) has officially announced plans for a new state-of-the-art backcountry hut in Mount Robson Provincial Park, marking a major milestone in a project over 20 years in the making.

Slated for construction in summer 2025, the hut will be located at Robson Pass, approximately 24 kilometres from the Mount Robson Provincial Park information centre and just two kilometres from the popular Berg Lake Campground. Once completed, the new facility will serve as a gateway to the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies and provide a much-needed shelter for backcountry users in all seasons.

“This project has been a long time coming,” said the ACC in its announcement. “We’re thrilled to finally bring it to life.”

Mount Robson — known to the Texqa’kallt people of the Secwépemc-Shuswap Nation as Yexyexéscen, or “The Mountain of the Spiral Road” — is not only a geological icon but also a deeply meaningful cultural and historical landscape. The ACC acknowledges this significance and has committed to honouring it through respectful mountain practices and responsible outdoor behaviour.

The hut’s construction reflects that ethos. Designed as a 12-person, two-storey hybrid timber-frame structure, it will incorporate sustainable materials, solar power, and an airlock vestibule system to optimize energy efficiency and comfort in extreme conditions. The first floor will house sleeping quarters, while the second floor will include a common area, kitchen, and panoramic views of Mount Robson and the surrounding peaks.

A wraparound deck on the west and south sides will offer exterior seating, and roof-mounted solar panels will support the hut’s electrical needs. The innovative design aims to set a new standard for modern alpine architecture in remote settings.

Initial planning for a Robson Pass hut began in 2002 but was delayed due to various challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and flood damage in 2022. With renewed momentum and community support, the ACC is moving forward — awarding the construction contract to Ennadai Woodworks, a timber-frame specialist based in Golden, BC, known for sourcing materials locally.

“After more than two decades, shovels will officially hit the ground in early summer 2025,” the ACC confirmed.

The new hut builds on a rich legacy. The ACC’s relationship with Mount Robson dates back to 1913, when its exploratory summer camp led to the first successful ascent of the peak — a moment that became one of the defining stories in Canadian mountaineering history.

“The ACC’s commitment to climb Mount Robson and the story of the mountain’s eventual first ascent would become one of the great tales of Canadian mountaineering,” wrote mountain historian Chic Scott.

With this new hut, the Alpine Club of Canada is not only preserving that legacy — it’s creating a new chapter in Canadian backcountry culture, offering safe, sustainable access to one of the country’s most revered alpine landscapes.