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Mount Andromeda

International > N America > Canada > Alberta > Icefields Parkway

Description

Companion to Mount Athabasca, and joined to it by the AA col, Andromeda offers what may be the finest roadside alpinism in North America. Skyladder, NW Shoulder Direct, Shooting Gallery, Andromeda Strain, and other worthy objectives, can all be easily viewed from the Information Center. The mountain on the Parkway side is split in half by a north trending ridge into the closer NE face and the N. Bowl/NW Shoulder further on.

Getting There

Approach as described for Mount Athabasca. Continue walking up the snowcoach road toward the coach parking lot. Pick up the climber's trail into the moraines a short ways before the lot. To reach routes on the NE face, head left when below the AA (Athabasca/Andromeda) glacier. For routes in the N. Bowl/NW Shoulder, continue contouring along moraines until the N. Bowl glacier is reached. Good to be roped up on both glaciers.

Routes from Left to Right

WI3 Steep Snow
 2
● Near Earth Practice Gully
Trad, Ice, Snow, Alpine 10 pitches
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c WI4+ M6
 1
● Andromeda Strain
Trad, Mixed, Ice, Alpine
M6
 2
● Asteroid Alley
Trad, Mixed, Alpine 5 pitches
AI2 Mod. Snow
 2
● North Face
Ice, Snow, Alpine
AI3 Steep Snow
 2
● North West Shoulder Direct
Ice, Snow, Alpine
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
● Near Earth Practice Gully
 2
WI3 Steep Snow Trad, Ice, Snow, Alpine 10 pitches
● Andromeda Strain
 1
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c WI4+ M6 Trad, Mixed, Ice, Alpine
● Asteroid Alley
 2
M6 Trad, Mixed, Alpine 5 pitches
● North Face
 2
AI2 Mod. Snow Ice, Snow, Alpine
● North West Shoulder Direct
 2
AI3 Steep Snow Ice, Snow, Alpine

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Climbers Midway Up The Skyladder On Mt. Andromeda. Photo by Rich Strang. Used With Permission.
[Hide Photo] Climbers Midway Up The Skyladder On Mt. Andromeda. Photo by Rich Strang. Used With Permission.
Athabasca to the left; Andromeda on the right. Photo by Peter Cole, with permission
[Hide Photo] Athabasca to the left; Andromeda on the right. Photo by Peter Cole, with permission
Andromeda
[Hide Photo] Andromeda
Mt. Andromeda and the Skyladder. The Skyladder climbs the curving snow/ice face on the right in the bottom photo. August 1974
[Hide Photo] Mt. Andromeda and the Skyladder. The Skyladder climbs the curving snow/ice face on the right in the bottom photo. August 1974
Lowe route and Sky Ladder
[Hide Photo] Lowe route and Sky Ladder

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Bruce Pech
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] I climbed the Skyladder in August 1974 but, after almost 50 years, don't remember enough details about the route (e.g., the approach, protection, descent via AA Col etc.) to write it up. Since it's probably the most popular moderate snow/ice route on Mt. Andromeda, I urge someone who's climbed it more recently (or has a better memory) to add it to the database. Thanks. Sep 4, 2022