News

Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show 2012
Join us February 24-26, 2012 at the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show.

KnuckleBasher 2012
Yamnuska partnering with MEC for the 2012 MEC Knuckle Basher Ice Climbing Festival

Better Business Bureau Accreditation
An announcement of our Accreditation with the Better Business Bureau

Yamnuska Named Canadian Tourism Commission Signature Experience
Yamnuska given Canadian Tourism Commission recognition as a Signature Experience provider

Yamnuska Team To Lead Calgary Tower Charity Rappel
Yam guides to lead Calgary Tower charity rappel

Yamnuska Mountain Guides Inducted into Honorary Platoon
Two Yamnuska Mountain Guides are 2011 Rocky Mountain Honorary Platoon Inductees

Event Sponsor for 22nd Annual Mountain Guide’s Ball in Banff
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is the Event Sponsor for the 2011 Mountain Guide's Ball

Eye on the Bay
Climbing with Brian Hackney, host of San Francisco's largest evening show, Eye on the Bay.

Meet Adam Greenberg
The newest addition to Yam's team could possibly have the coolest summer job ever!

Jiro Kurihara
Jiro Kurihara and a friend were killed in an Avalanche accident on Mt Frances in Alaska.

Yamnuska announces partnership with Banff Centre
Yamnuska becomes co-Presenting Sponsor of the 2011 Banff Mountain Photography Competition.

Yamnuska revamps its Mountain Skills Semester
Starting with our upcoming Fall 2011 Mountain Skills Semester, we now have two exciting new professional certifications for graduates.

Canadian Avalanche Center Sponsorship Announcement
Yamnuska announces 'Supporting Sponsorship' for the Canadian Avalanche Center Public Safety Programs.

Winter Photo Contest Winner
Congratulations to Alan Hogg who submitted his video from his Avalanche Skills Training 1 course to win this Winter’s Photo & Video Promotional contest!

Yamnuska’s MSS kicks off to a good start
Our Mountain Skills Semester starts off with climbing Rockies Waterfall Ice.

Welcome Katherine to the Yamnuska Family!
We are very excited to announce that Katherine Dalman has joined the Yam Team in our Reservations and Administration department!

The challenges of Outdoor Photography
Outdoor photo-shoots are challenging, both the photographer and the subjects must deal with the elements and the difficulties they create.

MSS reflects on ski mountaineering at the Wapta Icefields
I pull the sunscreen out of my pocket to smear all over my nose for the fourth time today. I squeeze the tube as hard as I can, but it is frozen once again...

Famous Faces of Yamnuska
It’s 6:00am, and Dave Stark, Jesse de Montigny, and Carl Johnston are gathered at the Yam office sorting out gear and clothing for a day out ice climbing.

Knuckle Basher Ice Climbing Festival
The basic ice crew spent a snowy (but warm!) day one at Wedge smear, far from the busy weekend crowds.

Mixed Climbing Series – History
Welcome to the first installment in a new series of articles dedicated to the sport and practice of dry tooling and mixed climbing.

80 Hour Wilderness First Responder
I recently took our 80 hour Wilderness First Aid course here at our office in Canmore.

Yamnuska’s Boxing Week Sale
Not to be outdone by retailers, we are having our first ever Boxing Week sale.

Ice Climbing in the Rockies with CJAY’s Reaper
After a weekend of skiing and enjoying local hospitality in Lake Louise, CJAY 92’s popular daytime DJ Reaper and his family stopped by our office for their afternoon of ice climbing.

Yamnuska in the Community

Top 10 Rockies Ice Climbs by Barry Blanchard
The latest edition of Gripped Magazine profiles Yamnuska’s Associate Director, Barry Blanchard’s ‘Top 10 Rockies Fat Ice Moderates’.

Celebs go extreme!
It’s minus 24 degrees Celsius and I am in the parking lot of Johnston Canyon giving a safety talk on how to keep your fingers and toes from freezing, yet I am not even sure I can keep my own advice!

Avalanche Season has started!
We completed our first Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST 1) course at our office in Canmore this weekend.

Welcome Jana to the Yamnuska Team!
We are very excited to announce that Jana Christison has joined the Yam Team as our Logistics Coordinator!

Winter Promotion
Win with Yamnuska this Winter

Early Season Avalanche Courses
Snow is finally dumping in Banff, Lake Louise and Canmore.

2011 Summer Program Schedule
We’ve been taking lots of calls and emails about our 2011 summer program dates and we are excited that many people are already booking.

Give the Gift of Adventure!
Gift Certificates - With the arrival of snow and ice many of us are focused on two things only: Skiing and Ice Climbing!

Backcountry Skiing in Banff
As many of the scheduled openings for the ski resorts in the Rockies approach, you may be thinking about learning to Backcountry Ski.

Upcoming festivals and events!
Fall is a busy time here at Yamnuska with lots of exciting new ways for us to get out and meet people with passions similar to our own!

Introducing the Sport of Drytooling!
Expand your rock climbing season and get in some excellent training for winter Ice!

Best Adventure Company in the Bow Valley
It was just another quiet day in the office last Thursday when a rep from the Rocky Mountain Outlook stopped by to congratulate us for winning Best Adventure Company in the Bow Valley as voted by their readers.

What? Mountain Guides in Calgary???
When you think of Mountain Guides and where their skills are best applied, naturally you think the mountains.

Congratulations Jesse!
We are very excited for Yamnuska’s Assistant Director of Operations, Jesse de Montigny, for passing his final Alpine Guide Exam.

AST 2 - Avalanche Skills Training
Our AST 2 course has been redesigned to make it easier for you to advance your avalanche skills and we are excited to tell you about these changes.

Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation Rappel off of Calgary Tower
Once again this year, Yamnuska Mountain Adventures staff will be volunteering their time for the Calgary Tower Charity Rappel event.

Yamnuska to Sponsor Annual Mountain Guides Ball
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is pleased to announce that we are the Mt Denali level sponsor at the 2010 Annual Mountain Guides Ball hosted by the Rim Rock Hotel on October 23, 2010.

Yamnuska’s GM to sit on Tourism Canmore Board
At a recent board meeting, Len Youden, Yamnuska’s General Manager has been appointed to represent the Activities segment of Tourism Canmore Kananaskis.

Intro to Mountaineering Guest Review
Another fantastic week was spent up at the Bow Hut on the Wapta Icefields last week with a strong group of aspiring mountaineers!

Yamnuska Joins Year Out Group
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is thrilled to be accepted for membership into the prestigious UK based Year Out Group.

Yamnuska Partners with Outward Bound Canada
It is an exciting day for all of us at Yamnuska!

Maelle Ricker: Olympic Gold Medalist, Alpinist
Wow! What a combination for our first summer mountaineering program!

MSS - Spring Mountaineering Section
Our second last trip of the MSS took us back to the Columbia Icefields.

Go Outside Your Comfort Zone
I hope you had a great long weekend and got outside.

Summer Program Promotion
Beginning May 22 through to Sept 30 one of our guests will win a $500 credit towards their next trip with us.

Congratulation Grant Meekins!
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures congratulates senior guide Grant Meekins on completing his final Mountain Guide Exam.

Canadian Army Cadet Program
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is pleased to announce that the Department of National Defence has opted to extend their current Cadet Training contract with Yamnuska by an additional year.

British Army Mountain Skills and Adventure Training
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is pleased to announce that the western Canada based adventure training section of the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) has opted to extend their current contract with Yamnuska by an additional year.

Rope Rescue Dynamics with the MSS
I spent 3 days last week with the Mountain Skills Semester group teaching rope rescue.

Spring Climbing and West Coast Visit
Continuing our cross-Canada Adventure Show journey, we will be in Vancouver April 24th and 25th at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show in the new convention center.

Avalanches and Decision Making
If you’ve been following the news lately, you would have no doubt heard about the unfortunate snowmobiler avalanche fatalities in Revelstoke, BC.

Spring Semester Count Down: 3d22h55min!
Well things are a buzz around the office here at Yam.

Barry Blanchard and Yamnuska Back Together Again
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is excited to announce the appointment of Barry Blanchard, North America’s premier alpinist, as Associate Director effective March 1, 2010.

Barry Blanchard and Yamnuska Back Together Again
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is excited to announce the appointment of Barry Blanchard, North America’s premier alpinist, as Associate Director effective March 1, 2010.

How difficult are our programs?
Having just returned from the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show I want to thank our new and return guests for coming out to say Hi.

Expedition Training for Big Mountain Ascents
The world’s highest and most complex mountains appear to be ready for a full on climber assault in 2010!

Ski Touring on the Wapta
Rockies Ice and ski touring in Canada’s West continues to be phenomenal.

Rockies Ice, Guest Feedback, and Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show

Rockies Ice Climbing and Avalanche Programs in Full Swing
Its been a busy winter so far with our ice climbing and avalanche courses still being our most popular.

Meet Yamnuska’s New General Manager!
I am very excited about being the newest member of the Yamuska team and want to tell you a little bit about what is upcoming for this great organization.

Happy Holidays!
Happy holidays from our Staff!

Banff Mountain Festivals 2009
Fall is always a tentative season for most of us outdoorsy types.

Record Cold means Early Ice Season!
Last week saw some of the coldest temperatures on record for mid-October in the Rockies!

Upcoming events with Yamnuska
Fall in the Bow Valley is quickly turning into winter and with it we are transitioning into our winter programs.

Mountaineering 2008 Client Testimonials
Here's what people are saying about their experience with our Intro to Mountaineering Course.

Trip Reports

Winter Guide Training
Yamnuska 2011 winter guide training ensures our guides keep current on skills and can provide the best customer service possible for our guests...

The Ice Is Calling
Its October 25th and some of the Canadian Rockies ice climbs have begun to see traffic. Local climbers have been getting up early for a few weeks already and making long walks in search of frozen water.

Looking back on the first month of the MSS
For the vast majority of the population of the planet, a glacier is a theoretical entity.

Nepal Expedition
A pre-trip blog from one of our guests joining Barry for an expedition to Nepal.

Lake Louise Classics Part 1
We set off from Lake O’Hara and headed to the Abbott Pass Hut on Day 1 of the 2011 Lake Louise Classics program.

Lake Louise Classics Part 2
On the evening of July 25th, I met up with Yamnuska to spend the next 3 days on the last days of the Lake Louise Classics.

Summit attempt of Mt Joffre
Over the past few years, the 11,000' peaks in the Canadian Rockies have become somewhat of a prize for mountaineers.

Mount Temple
Awesome scramble up the mighty Mount Temple this past weekend on Yamnuska’s Canadian Rockies 11,000ers program.

Ghost River - Wilderness Rock Climbing!
Summer is finally here and I was lucky enough to usher it in with 4 days of rock climbing in the beautiful Ghost River Wilderness area.

Summer mountaineering kicks off
Yamnuska's first Snow and Ice Long Weekend for the summer starts off on a high note.

Spring skiing on the Wapta Traverse
Leaving the parking lot at Bow Lake we were faced with strong south westerly winds and snow as we started our attempt at The Wapta Traverse.

Peak ascents and Powder Skiing on the Wapta
James Blench and myself spent the past four days attempting to do the Wapta Traverse with 10 enthusiastic guests.

Fairy Meadows Ski Week
What a snow filled week at the Fairy Meadows Hut near Golden, BC! It hardly stopped snowing the whole week which made for fun and challenging skiing.

Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Canmore
A group of keen outdoor enthusiasts and committed backcountry skiers just finished up the AST 2 – our Avalanche Skills Training 2 course.

Bamboo Powder – Hokkaido Japan
We’re just back from yet another wonderful “Bamboo Powder” backcountry ski trip to Hokkaido, Japan. Talk about sensory overload!

Climbing Central Pillar of the Weeping Wall
Ted has climbed all around the world. One thing that he was missing was steep ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies.

Multi-pitch Ice Video
Satoshi Shimizu is from Japan and he loves ice climbing. He travelled to the Rockies to climb for a week, first with some friends and then hiring me through Yamnuska Mountain Adventures.

Ski Touring in Mt Assiniboine Provincial Park
I took a few days over New Years in hopes of getting some turns in near Mt Assiniboine in British Columbia.

Multi-pitch ice climbing on Moonlight
After two days of picking up the basics with Grant Meekins on the Ice Evolution course, Toni and Chris were teamed up with me for their multi-pitch day.

Climbing Louise Falls - Waterfall Ice
Matt Mueller and I climbed Louise Falls on Dec. 29 on a gorgeous wintry day – big soft snowflakes and mist over the lake.

Christmas Eve climbing in The Ghost
On Christmas Eve, my climbing partner, Mike Kearns and I went into the Ghost to climb This House of Sky.

Ghost Multi-pitch Ice - Beowulf
Yam guide James Madden has the ice section of the ACMG alpine training coming up in January and to fine tune his readiness he took Senior Guide Nick Sharpe and I out to climb Beowulf in the Ghost.

British Army Winter Adventure Training
Tension was in the air. The thermometer read -21°C and the stoves were not cooperating. The soldiers thought they were in for a night of misery.

Winter fun ice climbing with CORA
Myself and fellow guide Matt Mueller spent a great weekend ice climbing with 11 members of the Calgary Outdoor Recreation Association (CORA).

Rockies Ice Climbing Season in Full Swing
This weekend represented the official start of our busy ice climbing season.

Training for Alpine and Ice Climbing
Some tips and suggestions on training for ice climbing in the off season

Exploring the Wapta Icefields in Fall
John James and Chris Webber’s goal of escaping the Oklahoma heat was achieved on a wintery trip to the Wapta Icefields.

Fall Climbing in the Canadian Rockies
With the cooler weather and changing colors, fall is one of the nicest times of year to enjoy a visit to the Canadian Rockies!

Lake Louise Classics – Part 2 Mt Fay, Little
The following describes the second three days of the trip which took place in the Valley of the 10 Peaks near Lake Louise.

Conquering a dream! Mt. Athabasca ascent
Athabasca, Columbia Icefields, August 6th 2010. I had wanted to climb Athabasca for more than a decade.

Scrambling Classic Peaks in Lake Louise
A big thanks to Scott Romans who made for two very enjoyable days out in the Mountains.

Blitzing Ha Ling NE ridge
The weather had been threatening to unleash it's power, at least that was the forecast for Saturday afternoon.

Louise Classics – Mt Victoria and Lefroy!
I was fortunate enough to do the first three days of our intermediate mountaineering program the Lake Louise Classics.

Rock Evolution - Multi-pitch heights on Kid Goat

Kananaskis Alpine Traverse
It has taken a couple of days for my body recover from a fantastic hiking and mountaineering challenge - The Kananaskis Alpine Traverse

Glacier Hiking on the Wapta Icefields
Associate Director and Mountain Guide David Begg shares his experiences on the Wapta Ice Hike from this past weekend.

MSS Spring 2010 Review
MSS Student Zenn Teoh reviews his experiences on the most recent Spring 2010 Semester program.

Summit Success on Snow and Ice
Yes! Another successful Snow and Ice Long weekend!

Mt Columbia – MSS Final Expedition
Wow! What an amazing finish to a great Mountain Skills Semester.

Spring Climbing in Skaha
Early season rock climbing in Skaha, BC for the mountain skills semester students.

Spring Adventures in the Rockies
A Great Spring Adventure! After having read many mountaineering stories, Michael thought it was time to turn his armchair adventures into reality.

Una gran aventura para los Mexicanos!
The Javiers, father and son, came all the way from Guadalajara Mexico to spend a few days with us in the mountains.

Swinging into Spring - Ice with the MSS
Yamnuska Mountain Skills Semester - Spring 2010 - Ice Climbing

Fire (works) and Ice!
A great group of folks chose to finish off 2009 with myself on the Ice Evolution Course.

Cold, Crisp, Ice Evolution!
Yamnuska's first Ice Evo of the 2009/2010 Winter season kicked off with a forecast week of rather cool temps!!!

Fall 2009 Mountain Skills Semester Highlights
How many different techniques can you use to climb a mountain?

Early Season Backcountry at Chester Lake
With snow finally falling in earnest and the ski hills already open, it is time to start getting out into the backcountry for some famous Rockies' skiing!

Bluebird days on the Wapta
"Smiles, sunshine and mountaineering skills on the Wapta!

Building Skills and Friendships on the Wapta
Here is what Yamnuska Guide Abby Watkins had to say about our Women’s Intro to Mountaineering July 21st – 26th 2009.

Gear Reviews

OR Alibi Jacket
This season’s Yamnuska staff jacket, is a real work horse! The Outdoor Research Alibi Jacket is strategically built to maximize durability and performance.

Mountain Hardware Trango 4 Tent
Our 2011 spring semester students are the guinea pigs for our newest addition in the gear room – Mountain Hardware Trango 4 tents.

Scarpa Omega Boot
What does Yamnuska need from a mountain boot? Comfort, warmth, durability and reliability are the top ranking requirements.

Annual Gear and Equipment Sale
It’s that time of year at Yamnuska Mountain Adventures where we are looking at our equipment needs for this winter and next summer.

Gear Locker: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hoody
Ok, I’ll admit it. My Closet is filled with soft shells and Gore-tex jackets. As a matter of fact, too many choices, but I am realizing that the jacket I reach for the most is my Ferrosi Hoody made by the folks at Outdoor Research.

Petzl Corax Harness
Recently we were tasked with choosing a harness that was state of the art and would fit most of our uses at Yamnuska Mountain Adventures – guided rock climbing, ice climbing and general mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies.

Yamnuska Gear Reviews
As Canada’s leading provider of guided mountain adventures and a trainer to military organizations around the world, we are constantly asked by our guests for opinions on gear.