Bow to Yoho Advanced Ski Week

This is a challenging but very fun and rewarding itinerary.

Day 1: Meet us at our office in Canmore at 8:00am for introductions, trip review, equipment check and to pack gear. After distributing group food and gear amongst guests, we will drive 1.5 hours north to Bow Lake, where our journey begins! After an avalanche safety session, we commence the climb to Bow Hut which is located at 2300m on a shoulder adjacent to the toe of the Bow Glacier, this can take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours of skiing. We cross frozen Bow Lake then ski up the canyon which leads to the amphitheatre below Mounts Olive and St. Nicholas. After a final steep section we reach the welcome warmth of this spacious hut. We travel 6km and climb 610m. If time and energy permit we can head back out and get some powder turns on the headwall of the Bow glacier above the Hut.

Day 2: With an early start we will leave the comforts of the Bow hut behind and gain the Wapta Icefields Neve. We will continue traversing across the icefield under the beautiful Mt Collie and Mt des Poilus before an easy descent to the toe of the des Poilus glacier. This will be our home for the night. A winter bivi at the toe of the des Poilus glacier will be an excellent way to get a sense of our remote location and will be a great introduction to winter camping. Expect a full day with 13 km travelled and 600m gained.

Day 3: Crossing Isolated col is our objective today and is one of the cruxes of the trip. You have a good view of the col from the campsite and a short ski will put us under the 300m accent. Once we arrive at the col we will be treated to an amazing view into the Little Yoho Valley which is commanded by the President and Vice President peaks. An excellent ski descent will bring us to the historic Stanley Mitchell hut. There may be a chance to explore the area surrounding the hut if time and energy permits. Minimum travel will be 5 km and 300m of elevation gain.

Day 4 and 5: Our reward for the previous days of hard work will be to explore and enjoy this rarely visited area. In "Summits and Icefields", Chic Scott continues his description by saying: "The Little Yoho Valley in Yoho National Park offers some of the best backcountry skiing in the Canadian Rockies. The terrain is excellent - there are long and uniform descents and some bad weather glade skiing below treeline. Situated along the great divide in what is called the Yoho Snow Belt, the valley gets deep and consistent snowfalls. Finally, the presence of the beautiful Stanley Mitchell Hut makes for a perfect combination."  The Presidents and Mt McArthur will be on the tick list but many other options exist depending on conditions. Light packs, enjoying a beautiful area and looking for amazing powder turns are the goals of this part of the trip.

Day 6: We will be starting early in order to travel out to Field, BC and the end of a great trip. Expect a full day as we slide out the 25 km to the road and descend 760m past the famous Takakkaw Falls and the slopes of Mt Field.

Instructors & Group Size

Your guides are certified by the internationally recognized Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and also licensed by Parks Canada. There will be a maximum of 6 participants per guide. There will be a maximum of 12 guests, minimum 4.

Program Logistics

We will meet the group at 8:00 AM on the first day here at our office in Canmore (Map).  Please come prepared with all of your personal gear and clothing, but leave enough room in your pack for some additional group gear and food as well.

Transportation

Participants are responsible for their own transport to Canmore which is a 1 hour (100km) drive west from Calgary.

We rely on guest's personal vehicles to reach program locations. We will assist with the vehicle shuttle at the beginning or end of the traverse.

Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore. We can arrange airport shuttle for $50 one-way. Greyhound Bus Lines (1 800 661 8747) serves Canmore from points east and west along the Trans-Canada Highway.

Enjoying a Meal at the Hut

Accommodation and Meals

During the trip we will be staying and the Alpine Club of Canada's Bow and Stanley Mitchell huts as well as one night of winter camping in the des Poilus area. Sleeping areas in the huts are communal and facilities are basic. Cooking in the huts is done on propane stoves and all dishes are provided. When winter camping we will be in tents and cooking on camp stoves; basic dishes will be required.

All meals, snacks and drinks are supplied from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last. Meals are prepared by our in-house chef from fresh, nutritious ingredients and then dehydrated to make them suitable for backcountry travel. Please let us know, well in advance, if you have any dietary restrictions. For those who prefer vegetarian, vegan, or who require a special menu, there is a $72 surcharge.

Accommodation in Canmore is not included. For your convenience we can arrange pre and/or post trip hotel rooms at $160 per night. This accommodation can be booked with the trip online or by calling us. Hostel accommodation is also available for $30 per night. Subject to availability.

You can also make your own arrangements. Check our links page for a range of recommended Canmore accommodations. The Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse (403-678-3200) is a good hostel here in Canmore with good facilities and reasonable prices.

Weather and Conditions Note

This is a challenging program in complex terrain and as with any trip into the mountains neither weather or avalanche conditions can be guaranteed. Poor visibility or avalanche conditions on day 2 or 3 may require a change to the itinerary. This may involve an extra night at the Bow hut or the inability to reach the Stanley Mitchell hut due to avalanche danger. Regardless expect the trip to be a great adventure in a beautiful area.

Equipment and Clothing

You will need to bring your own clothing, skis, poles, climbing skins, avalanche gear, backpack, sleeping bag and sleeping pad. We have many of these items available to rent and can pre-arrange them for you. We supply group items (ropes, harnesses, crevasse rescue gear, tents, stoves, etc).

You will be able to leave excess gear in Canmore while on the trip.

The equipment and clothing you bring will have a big impact on the quality of your experience. Please be sure to bring all items listed. If unsure about anything please don't hesitate to call and ask us!

Skis

There are two ski systems you can use: System 1: Alpine Touring skis are essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding which allows the heel to lift when going uphill or across the flats and then locks down to become a regular downhill safety binding. We recommend this system to anyone with a background of downhill skiing who is not already an advanced telemark skier. System 2: Telemark skis. These should only be used for this program if you are at least an advanced-intermediate telemark skier with some backcountry experience. This system is more difficult and less forgiving than the other.

Which should you use? If you are a downhill skier then you should use Alpine Touring gear. Only if you are already an advanced Telemark skier should you bring Telemark gear.

Snow Boards can be used on this program however, due to the number of flat areas you are better off on skis. If 'boarding' you need to be an advanced backcountry boarder and you need to be on a split board. Don't bring a board if you've never boarded in the backcountry before.

Skis, boots, poles, and boards can be rented in Calgary and Canmore prior to the trip.

Equipment List

You need to bring:

• Skis. We recommend a short (160 - 185cm) wide ski designed for powder
• Climbing skins 'Stick-on type'
• Ski Poles
• Ski Boots
• Climbing harness (light weight if possible) loaners available
• Locking biners (2), non-locking biners (2) loaners available
• Prussick cord (1) loaners available
• 120cm sewn sling (1) loaners available
• Avalanche Beacon rentals available
• Collapsible Avalanche Probe rentals available
• Shovel (lightweight snow shovel) rentals available
• Backpack (at least 65L, large enough for sleeping bag, spare clothes, and your share of group food & equipment) rentals available
• Sunglasses and ski goggles
• Water bottle (at least 1 liter capacity), a Thermos for Hot Drinks is optional
• Bowl, Large Mug and Cutlery - Un-breakable plastic or light metal set works best. No glass or ceramics.
• Sun block and lip cream
• Pocket knife
• Sleeping Bag, must be warm as we will be doing one night of winter camping. We recommend a bag with a -20C rating or lower that is down filled. Make sure you bring a stuff sac that will reduce your bag to its minimum size (i.e. one with compression straps) so you don't use up all the room in your pack.
• Sleeping pad, full length and inflatable
• Headlamp with fresh batteries
• Small Blister & 1ST-Aid Kit
• Camera
• Personal Toilet Items (keep to a bare minimum)
• Ear Plugs for dorm sleeping (optional but recommended)
• Insulated Booties

Clothing List

We suggest layers of light, easily carried clothing that allow for fast and easy adjustment to best suit fast changing temperature conditions. We discourage cotton clothing as it causes rapid heat loss when wet. Feel free to call us if you have any questions about what to bring.

• Polypro underwear (top & bottom)
• Extra warm shirt (not cotton)
• Medium weight fleece sweater
• Soft shell or fleece jacket
• Soft shell pants
• Insulated jacket (down preferred)
• Insulated pants (fleece or other synthetic)
• Waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
• Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex or equivalent, with side zippers)
• Socks (wool or synthetic) - 2 to 3 pairs
• Wool or fleece hat
• Waterproof ski mountaineering gloves or mitts
• Light weight ski gloves
• Gaiters, only needed if your ski pants are not elasticized at the ankle
• Neck tube or balaclava
• Sun hat

Rental Information

Skis, Boots, Boards, Skins & Poles can be rented from:

• Calgary: Mountain Equipment Co-op. - 830-10 Ave. S.W. Calgary (Tel: 403 269-2420)
• Canmore: Gear Up - 1302 Bow Valley Trail (403 678-1636)

Yamnuska has avalanche equipment, sleeping bags, sleeping mats and backpacks for rent. Rental Gear

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. We require a 35% deposit on booking.

It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident while here. Obtain extra coverage if necessary. There is no charge for rescue so long as you have a valid National Park Entry Pass which you can obtain on entry to Banff National Park.

We ask that you familiarize yourself with our detailed booking instructions and conditions.

Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the program. Please view our sample waiver copy.

There is no charge for rescue so long as you have a valid National Park Entry Pass (included in cost). However, it is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident while here.

Yamnuska offers an "Adventure Travel Protection Plan" through Travel Guard insurance. This plan offers comprehensive coverage for all your travel needs including trip cancellation/interruption, emergency medical expenses, and personal effects loss. For more information and to purchase this coverage visit Travel Guard's website.