The peak is usually climbed during winter or early spring when the rock is frozen because it is very loose and rotten.

Atwell Peak is part of the Garibaldi Massif which is an eroded stratovolcano formed during the last ice age.

Several gullies on the southeast face offer moderate routes that eventually join one of the three ridges.

To the east of Atwell Peak lies the Garibaldi Névé ice field, which is a popular objective with the ski touring crowd.

Straight north of Atwell toward Mount Garibaldi lies a small, high-elevation ice cap called the Cheekye Glacier.