Phone: 403 678 4164 - 1 866 678 4164
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Why choose a private program?

You would typically choose a private or custom program when your objectives, schedule and expectations are not matched by those offered on our scheduled programs.

You can hire a guide / instructor to do any of the activities in which we specialize: mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, ski and snowboard mountaineering and hiking & trekking.

Yamnuska guides and instructors are certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. In addition to certification, which only relates to a guide's technical competence, all of our guides have access to Yamnuska's staff training and guide mentoring programs which help to develop many other key qualities required of a professional guide.  They need to be endowed with patience, empathy, and a sense of humor as well as being effective communicators and great coaches.

How does it work?

If you would like to arrange a private climb or custom program please contact us directly, by email at info@yamnuska.com or by phone (403) 678 4164, to discuss with us what you are interested in doing. We will discuss with you your objectives, experience and expectations in order to design a program that would meet your needs.

We will confirm price and itinerary with you at which point you would book by making the appropriate deposit.  We can handle virtually all logistical requirements.

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Home >> Mountaineering >> Private Mountaineering and Guiding

Private Mountaineering and Guiding

Organizing your own mountain programs on a private basis can be extremely rewarding in terms of what you achieve. This is because the pace of the activity depends upon you and your group, there is no compromise involved as the sole aim is to satisfy your goals.

Perhaps our scheduled program dates don't work for you. You can still enjoy the full variety of our trips but on a more exclusive basis.

There are a multitude of fine climbing areas, alpine traverses, unique expeditions and adventures that are not in our brochure. If you would like to do something different in the mountains then consider a custom trip. In the past we have operated private trips not only in Canada but also in Antarctica, Asia, Mexico and Peru.

Options & Program Ideas 

Hiring a Private Guide for your mountain adventure can provide a very high quality experience for you and/or your climbing partners. Your guide will be completely focused on your objective.

Day Climbs near Banff, Canmore & Lake Louise: 

The highways that traverse the Rockies provide easy access to a wonderful variety of peaks and make rewarding day climbs possible. From Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise you can book climbs for one day or several. Kananaskis Country and the Rocky Mountain National Parks (Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho) are all possible day destinations (Jasper is further away and you may be better staying at one of the hotels or hostels along the Banff-Jasper Parkway). Typically these climbs are mostly on rock with some snow in the early season.

Private Day Climbs are easiest to organize and involve the fewest costs, typically just guide fee plus gear rentals, if you are supplying transport.

Here are a few suggestions:

Beginner level

  • Mount Edith: 2554m. An easy rock peak with a little 5.4 rock just N. of Banff. Allow at least 8 hours, elevation gain of 1200m. June - October.
  • Mount Rundle: 2949m. A big (elevation gain 1500m) but easy peak right above Banff. By the 'hiking' trail it's mainly steep hiking, not technical at all. If you follow the ridge from the Golf Course you'll quickly think you're much higher as you encounter enjoyable 4th and easy 5th class terrain, drop back to valley when you've had enough. June - October.
  • Mount Temple: 3544m. A long but easy scramble with some cliff bands leads to the summit of the highest peak in the Lake Louise area with an exceptional view. Big elevation gain of 1500m. July - September.
  • Mounts Whyte & Niblock: (2983m. & 2976m.) These two peaks, right above Lake Louise, offer a more alpine climbing experience than the others in this section. Mid-June - September.

Intermediate & Advanced Levels

  • Castle Mountain: 2760m. Towering above the Bow Valley this rocky monolith can be done in a long day from the valley or eased with an overnight in the hut part way up. There are several routes including Eisenhower Tower with some 5.5 or the spectacular Brewer's Buttress which is 5.7. both involve about 10 pitches of roped climbing. June - September.
  • Mount Aberdeen: 3152m.  This alpine peak right above Lake Louise involves a 1524m (5000 ft.) gain, a steep glacier and spectacular summit. June - July.
  • Mount Louis: 2680m. This spectacular limestone spire rises just north of Banff. The Kain Route with the Perren finish is a Rockies classic (5.7). June - September.

There are also many great multi-pitch rock routes in the area such as those on Yamnuska, East End of Rundle and Ha Ling Peak (Chinaman's). These are better outlined on our Private Rock Climbing page.

Costs

Yamnuska guides are the best in the industry. Our standards are very high and we are totally committed to providing you with the best possible experience.  Our guiding team benefits from staff training, peer and client review, daily conditions reports, and support from senior guides. We back up all of our programs with a full time, on-call Duty Manager and support network ready to help in any situation. We also have cutting edge, modern equipment ready to rent or borrow on all of our programs. We are the oldest mountain school and guiding company in Canada for a reason - we consistently meet our clients' objectives.

When you arrange a private or custom program you will be paying a guide fee plus the expenses incurred in running the program. It is important to understand that should you wish to shorten your trip due to weather or personal reasons you will still be paying for the entire duration that you registered for.

This is an outline of the typical costs involved.

These costs do not include Goods & Services Tax (GST) which is usually 5%.  A 50% rebate on the GST is available for those visiting from outside Canada.  Gratuities are not included.

Before booking your private program we will give you a final quote as to cost.

Guide fees:

The fees below are set by the number of people in your group. The guide to client ratio will be determined by the difficulty and technicality of your objective. For intermediate and advanced climbs we recommend no more than a 1 guide to 2 client ratio, for beginner level ascents and basic instruction ratios can reach 1:6.

Number in group/Per person, per day

  • 1 - $475
  • 2 - $263
  • 3 - $210
  • 4 or more - $185

The above prices do not include 5% GST (sales tax)

Trip Cancellation Insurance is available through Travel Guard.

Where climbs are more difficult, serious and/or long (for example Mounts Assiniboine, Louis, Robson, Sir Donald; Chouinard-Beckey on Howser) a surcharge will apply. Usually at least $100 CDN.

Guide's Expenses

Our quote will include costs for your guide's expenses during your program. These include driving costs (unless you drive the guide), accommodation & meals (doesn't apply to local day climbs), helicopter costs etc.

Miscellaneous Expenses 

Other charges that may apply to a private program are:

National Park Fees: If we climb in Banff or the other National Parks entry fees apply (c. $8/day/person) and if we overnight in a hut or camp in the backcountry a further $9/night/person Wilderness Fee applies.

Helicopter Access: Some backcountry areas (e.g. B.C. Interior Ranges, Mount Robson, Assiniboine) are best accessed by helicopter. Where the fee is fixed we can include that in our package price, where it may vary we will give you our best estimate and arrange for you to pay the helicopter pilot directly.

Porters: We can arrange for a porter to help on access climbs and on backpack trips to lessen your loads. The charge for a porter is $200/day plus the porter's gas costs.

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