The Canadian Rockies aren’t necessarily known for incredible ski quality. Most years it ranges from mediocre to abysmal. Facets, persistent weak layers, and long periods without any precipitation mean that the snowpack is usually not very inspiring, and often downright terrifying. What is inspiring is the terrain. Few places in the world offer as much…
Cathedral Peak is a magnificent massif located in Yoho National Park near Lake Louise. The Cathedral Massif is comprised of several summits, the tallest main summit rising to a towering 3,189m (10,462′), one of the loftier peaks in what is already a large and prominent range (Lake Louise Group). While Cathedral Peak is a classic…
Surprise Pass ski tour, near Lake Louise Alberta, is one of those iconic backcountry tours that deserves a revisit at least once per year when conditions are good. This classic ski tour requires a solid 3-6 hours to complete the approximately 900m of elevation gain over roughly 6km from the parking lot. The first 2-3km…
Mt. Whymper avalanche and accident report. Sometimes things go a bit differently than expected in the mountains. Mt Whymper was a great day that was a bit closer to the edge than we planned for.
It’s a great experience to explore a new zone that has seen little, or possibly no traffic in the past. This is especially true. when the zone is as perfect and feature-rich as the Apollo Bowl on the west rib of the imposing Mt. Hector on the Icefields Parkway. Apollo bowl ski touring should be…
If you have done any ski touring in the Canadian Rockies, you’ve probably heard of Bow Summit. The many dozens of cars parked here, and number of AST1 courses that take place here on any given weekend should hint that this is a very popular ski touring destination. But is it really the best first…
Puzzle Peak (or OXO peak) is usually a great, classic ski tour to a prominent mountain summit that is relatively easily accessible along the Icefields Parkway. The day I met up with Brandon, however, it was a little more of a “scramble in ski boots” than it typically would be. But I think, that’s part…
The Mt Engadine burn is a hidden gem of ski touring in Kananaskis country. When the snow in this area is good, this zone offers some of the best bang-for-buck skiing anywhere. While the upper slopes are certainly avalanche terrain, the lower angle slopes lower down offer mellow, safe skiing during times of high avalanche…
Ski touring (or Backcountry skiing) has exploded over the past decade. Some estimate put the number near 6,000,000 self-powered powder junkies out there in the US. But with this growth comes a lot of aspiring backcountry travellers trying to learn how to get into ski touring/backcountry skiing. While it’s a relatively simple sport to access…
Dolomite Shoulder is an awesome backcountry skiing day trip located on the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, Alberta