The Grand Daddy Couloir on Bow Peak in Banff National Park is a line I’ve been staring at for as long as i’ve been driving up and down the Icefields Parkway. Dozens of ski trips have had me staring across the highway at this thing, and every time it has called me to come and…
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…
Dolomite Shoulder is an awesome backcountry skiing day trip located on the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, Alberta
Helen Shoulder makes up the south ridge of Dolomite Peak on the Icefields Parkway. The ridge offers access to the Cirque Peak drainage (Helen Lake) via east-facing slopes on mellow terrain. West slopes feature a number of long runs towards the Highway. There are lots of amazing burnt trees and wide-open slopes with a bit…
Jimmy. Jr bowl is a great ski touring gem at the north end of the icefields parkway just past Bow Lake.
