Bow to Yoho Ski Traverse

The Bow to Yoho Traverse is a challenging but very fun and rewarding itinerary.

Day 1: Bow Lake to Bow Hut 

Elevation Gain: ~400m | Distance: ~8km 

After meeting in Canmore (7:00am) for a briefing and gear check, we drive to Bow Lake to begin our journey. The day starts with a scenic ski across the frozen lake and a gradual ascent through canyon terrain and forested moraines to reach the Bow Hut, nestled at the base of the Wapta Icefield. This hut serves as our launch point into the icefield and gives us time to review essential glacier travel and avalanche safety skills and our first ski descent if time permits. 

Day 2: Bow Hut to Guy Hut 

Elevation Gain: ~600m | Distance: ~12km 

Today we begin our journey across the heart of the Wapta Icefield. We ascend towards the Wapta Icefield and cross the glaciated terrain between Mt. Gordon and Mt. Collie. From there, we descend onto the Waputik Icefield and continue toward the remote and spectacularly situated Guy Hut, perched on a rocky outcrop below Mt. Des Poilus. This newer hut offers a cozy and modern backcountry experience deep in the wilderness. 

Day 3: Guy Hut to Stanley Mitchell Hut via Isolated Col 

Elevation Gain: ~500m | Distance: ~10km 

This is a highlight of the trip and one of the most scenic alpine traverses in the Rockies. After a hearty breakfast, we ascend toward Isolated Col, the high point of the day, with incredible views over the Des Poilus Glacier and surrounding peaks. A thrilling descent brings us into the Yoho Valley and down to the historic Stanley Mitchell Hut, tucked in a subalpine meadow and surrounded by towering peaks. This hut, built in the 1940s, offers a warm and atmospheric end to a big mountain day. 

Day 4: Ski Touring Day in the Little Yoho Valley 

Weather and conditions permitting, we spend the day exploring the endless ski terrain surrounding the Stanley Mitchell Hut. Classic objectives include the President and or Vice President, Mt. McArthur, Isolated Peak, or Yoho Peak, with plenty of glades, alpine bowls, and open slopes to choose from.  

 Day 5: Exit via Yoho Valley to Field, BC 

Elevation Loss: ~800m | Distance: ~23km 

We pack up and begin our ski out down the Yoho Valley. The descent takes us through beautiful, forested terrain and past frozen waterfalls and towering cliffs before reaching the valley bottom.  There are several options for skiing out, and your guide will choose the most appropriate option based on current conditions.  After high-fives we shuttle back to our vehicles and return to Canmore, wrapping up an unforgettable Rockies traverse. 

Why Choose the Bow to Yoho Ski Traverse?

• Spectacular Scenery: Immerse yourself in breathtaking vistas of towering peaks, serene alpine lakes, and ancient glaciers as you traverse from Bow Lake to the Yoho Valley.
• Challenging Terrain: Experience a variety of terrain from rolling alpine meadows to steep couloirs, perfect for intermediate to advanced skiers seeking adventure.
• Expert Guidance: Our certified guides bring extensive local knowledge and safety expertise, ensuring a rewarding journey through remote and rugged landscapes.
• Wilderness Experience: Disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with nature on this multi-day ski traverse that takes you deep into the pristine wilderness of the Rockies.
• Skill Development: Enhance your skiing techniques with tips and guidance from our experienced guides, whether you’re perfecting your turns or tackling new challenges.
• Memorable Experiences: From cozy evenings around campfires to exhilarating descents down untouched powder, every moment on the Bow to Yoho Ski Traverse promises to be unforgettable.

Instructors and 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 and a minimum of 4 guests on the trip.

Program Logistics

We will meet the group at 7:00 AM on the first day here at our classroom 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 of Calgary.

We rely on guests’ personal vehicles to reach program locations. We will assist with the vehicle shuttle at the end of the traverse. If renting a vehicle, we recommend requesting one equipped for winter driving conditions, including winter tires.

Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore.

Park Passes

Please note that program venues may be within National Parks and/or Kananaskis Country. For programs where transportation is not provided by Yamnuska/Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska, guests will be required to purchase their own pass.

National Park passes are available both online at https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission and in-person at National park gates and some information centres.

Accommodation and Meals

During the trip, we will be staying at the Alpine Club of Canada’s Bow, Guy, and Stanley Mitchell huts. 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.

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. For guests with dietary restrictions, we are able to modify the program food pack to meet your individual needs.  As food pricing and preparation for these diets is more costly, there is a surcharge.  Our kitchen staff will assess your restrictions to inform you if the diet can be accommodated and what surcharge would apply. Vegetarian meals will not be surcharged.

Accommodation in Canmore is not included. A variety of accommodation options exist in both Canmore and Banff. We recommend that you book your own pre and post-trip accommodations well in advance as all levels of accommodations in the Bow Valley fill quickly.

Weather and Conditions Note

This is a challenging program in complex terrain and as with any trip into the mountains, neither weather nor 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, and sleeping bag. 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, 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 the items listed. If unsure about anything please don’t hesitate to call and ask us!

Skis

Alpine Touring skis are essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding that 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 in downhill skiing.

Snowboards 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.

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. Please see the note under rental information if you are renting ski equipment.
• Climbing skins ‘Stick-on type’
• Ski Poles
• Ski Boots
• Ski Crampons (required for April departure)
• Climbing harness (lightweight if possible) loaners available
• Locking biners (2), non-locking biners (2) loaners available
• Prusik cord (1) loaners available
• 120cm sewn sling (1) loaners available
• Avalanche Transceiver – digital transceiver with triple antennae rentals available
• Collapsible Avalanche Probe rentals are available
• Avalanche Shovel (lightweight snow shovel designed for companion rescue) rentals are available
• Backpack (at least 65L, large enough for a sleeping bag, spare clothes, and your share of group food & equipment) rentals available
• Sunglasses and ski goggles
• Water bottle (at least 1-litre capacity), and a Thermos for Hot Drinks is optional
• Sunblock and lip cream
• Pocket knife
• Sleeping Bag. We recommend a three-season bag rated between -7 to -9 °C. Expect hut temperatures to be cool overnight. 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. Rentals available
• Headlamp with fresh batteries
• Small Blister and Personal First-Aid Kit
• Small repair kit for bindings, skis or split-board (this may include straps, nuts, bolts, and small Leatherman)
• Camera
• Personal toiletries including hand sanitizer (keep to a bare minimum)
• Ear Plugs for dorm sleeping (optional but recommended)
• Insulated Booties or Sandals

Additional gear info:

• Skis/split board:  There are two viable backcountry systems, Alpine Touring and Splitboard.
• Alpine Touring:  Essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding which allows the heel to lift when going uphill and then locks down to become an alpine binding for the downhill.
• Splitboard: If you are a rider and proficient on a snowboard, the backcountry touring version is called a splitboard. This is a snowboard that can be split to make two ski-type platforms for touring on the uphill ascent. The bindings have two positions and can be switched depending on whether you are climbing or descending. Split boards also use climbing skins for the ascent. For the downhill, the board is reassembled or joined to be in snowboard (ride) mode. If you are new to this system, you will need to practice the transitions of switching the board from touring to riding and back again. Your enjoyment will be vastly greater if you are efficient and practiced with this transition. For splitboarders, regular snowboard boots will work. A splitboard specific boot will give you more comfort when in touring mode and offer extra support to make sidehilling and traversing terrain easier to manage.
• Boots:  Backcountry boots are different from regular alpine ski boots. In the backcountry, boots need to have an uphill mode that allows a free range of motion in the upper part of the boot. You should not use your regular ski boots for touring and walking uphill.
• Climbing skins:  The glue on the base of the skin should be in good condition and the skins need to be properly fitted. Try the skins on your skis/splitboard to make sure they are the right length and width before you arrive.
• Ski poles:  Backcountry poles need powder baskets on the tips.
• Avalanche Transceiver:  A three antennae transceiver is required.
• Probe:  A minimum of 240 cm in length.
• Shovel:  A metal blade shovel is required.

Glacier gear: The key with the glacier travel kit is minimizing weight and bulk

• Harness – Ski Randonee harness is strongly suggested to cut back on both weight and bulk.
• 2 Lightweight Locking Carabineers
• 1 Lightweight Pear Shape Locking Munter Carabiner
• 2 Lightweight Non-Locking Carabineers
• 2 x 6mm x 5 m Cordelette/Accessory Cord – minimum breaking strength 10KN
• 1 x 120cm Sewn Sling (double length sling)
• 1 x 19cm Ice Screw
• Aluminum Ice Axe – The shorter and lighter the better.

Clothing List

We suggest layers of light, easily carried clothing that allows for fast and easy adjustment to best suit fast-changing temperature conditions. Cotton clothing is not appropriate as it causes rapid heat loss when wet. Feel free to call us if you have any questions about what to bring.

• Long underwear top and bottoms (lightweight synthetic or wool)
• Extra warm shirt (synthetic or wool)
• Medium weight fleece sweater
• Softshell or fleece jacket
• Softshell pants
• Insulated jacket (down preferred)
• Insulated pants (fleece or other synthetic) (optional)
• Waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
• Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex or equivalent, with side zippers)
• Socks  – ski socks (wool or synthetic) – 2 to 3 pairs
• Wool or fleece hat
• Waterproof ski mountaineering gloves or mitts
• Lightweight ski gloves
• Neck tube or balaclava
• Sun hat

Rental Information

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

• Canmore: Gear Up – 1302 Bow Valley Trail (403 678-1636)
• Lake Louise: Wilson Mountain Sports  – (1-866-929-3636)

*Please note that your ‘DIN’ or ‘Release Value’ settings on your ski bindings are critical to your safety while skiing.  Our expectation is that everyone arrives on programs with their ski binding’s release value correctly set. We have noted that some ski rental shops will not set release values on touring bindings. We advise you to rent from a shop that will set release values on your ski touring bindings unless you are proficient and comfortable setting your own DIN/release value. Failure to have Release Values correctly set could result in a serious injury.

Yamnuska has equipment as noted above for rent should you require it. Please advise as early as possible.

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 a 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.

Risk is an inherent part of all mountain activities. We strive to manage and reduce it however, it is impossible to totally eliminate. Learn more about our safety and risk management approach here.  Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the program. Please view our sample waiver copy.

The Simpson Group offers a wide range of travel insurance options including Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Travel Medical, and Personal Effect Loss for both Canadian and International Travelers. Other providers offer similar services and we encourage you to select an appropriate level of coverage. We highly recommend purchasing this insurance to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. The two basic types of insurance that most travellers need to consider are Medical and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance.

Insurance Risk 
One of the ways to mitigate risk is by purchasing appropriate insurance. Simpson Group Insurance Services who are travel & health risk specialists, work with technical and high-risk insurance solutions both in medical and non-medical spheres.  We highly recommend that you review your insurance needs to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident during your trip. Simpson Group have a team standing by to answer any of your questions.

Emergency Medical Evacuation
While there is typically no charge for search & rescue in the National and Provincial Parks for active pass holders, costs such as air & ground ambulance after the rescue are not covered by your park pass. The chance of a large bill associated with this risk is a real possibility.

For Canadians
A common myth is that healthcare across provinces is fully covered. There are many things which do not carry interprovincial agreements. Ambulance services, medical evacuation, and some services which one province charges more than another you’d be responsible to pay the difference.

For Internationals
A common myth is that healthcare in Canada is free. Although it is less expensive than US healthcare, charges for non-residents can still be very high. Proper medical health insurance is essential if you were to get injured. Most coverages exclude rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and the like. Simpson Group can make sure all those risks are well covered.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
We recognize that our guests’ schedules may change for many reasons, business, family, flight delays, injuries, and other unplanned events.  For these eventualities, Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance is a great way to protect your investment. We can assure you that circumstances do arise that prevent guests from participating in trips or courses and trip cancellation & interruption insurance is a relatively easy way to manage your level of risk of unforeseen events.

For all your travel insurance requirements we recommend Simpson Group Insurance Services.  For more information and to purchase a plan, visit Simpson Group’s website.