Private Ski Guiding & Splitboarding

Options and Program Ideas

Single-day or multi-day trips are all options available to you. We invite you to read some of our suggested trip ideas or bring your ‘To Do’ list with you!

Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding

Day tours in the Rockies:

The highways that traverse the Canadian Rockies provide easy access to a wonderful variety of terrain that makes rewarding day tours possible. From Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise you can book ski tours for one or several days. Kananaskis Country and the Rocky Mountain National Parks (Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho) are all possible day destinations. The Icefields Parkway or 93N (between Lake Louise and Bow Summit) is home to some of the best backcountry skiing Canada has to offer.  There is an endless amount of terrain from steep chutes, high glaciated terrain, gladed runs, and low-angle open slopes. These features and choices will appease intermediate to advanced skiers.  The views are world-class, and it will be a day you will remember for a lifetime.  

Private Day tours are easiest to organize and involve the fewest costs, typically just the guide fee plus gear rentals.

Lift-Assisted Backcountry Skiing at Lake Louise

Through our exclusive arrangement with Lake Louise Ski Resort, Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is offering a world-class lift-assisted backcountry skiing and splitboarding package.

A short distance from the crowded slopes and lift queues, often referred to as “side country” or “slack country” you’ll discover hidden bowls, open slopes, and forgotten valleys with acres of powder just waiting to be tracked.  Whether you are ready for your first turns in powder, an expert skier looking for a challenge, or simply want to get to know the area our guides will take you to safe and suitable runs with fresh snow.

Rogers Pass in the Selkirk Mountains (Glacier National Park)

Due to its heavy annual snowfall, challenging terrain and easy access from the Trans Canada Highway, Rogers Pass has justifiably become a world-class ski destination. If you are looking for steep terrain and lots of powder this is probably your best option from December to early March. Due to the travel time involved in getting there (3 hours from Canmore) we suggest you book for at least 2 days. We can do day trips from Revelstoke or Golden, BC or you can stay in the Alpine Club’s historic Wheeler Hut which is 2 flat kilometres from the road. We highly recommend Rogers Pass for experienced backcountry skiers and split boarders.

Rogers Pass, often synonymous with deep powder and long descents offers some of the most challenging and thrilling terrain in North America.  From high glaciers to beautiful open bowls, tree skiing/snowboarding to small chutes, and steep adrenalin-fueled couloirs, the list is endless.  Its proximity to the highway also gives you the flexibility to ski a range of different zones, aspects, and altitudes, providing a multitude of options for the intermediate to expert skier and splitboarder.

Multi-day Trips

There are several backcountry huts that we can use on private programs. Some are Alpine Club Huts with basic facilities and others are well-appointed chalets with running water, saunas etc. Let us discuss possibilities with you. These cabins are often booked months in advance so they must be booked very early. We would suggest this option for larger groups. Hut-based or backcountry winter camping are options for some of the famous ski traverses or winter mountaineering objectives in the Canadian Rockies.

Ski and Board Mountaineering

Day Tours

In late March, April and early May it is possible to ski high into the alpine zone in Kananaskis Country and off the highway near Lake Louise and Bow Lake.  Banff National Park offers some incredible ski mountaineering opportunities as day trips.

Wapta Icefields

With its linked huts this area is one of the best for glacier ski mountaineering in North America. Using these huts we can organize programs where you either stay based in the same hut or move between huts. We can organize a private Wapta Traverse for you and your group (see Wapta Traverse). This is perhaps one of the most popular private options and the best for beginners.

Clemenceau Glacier

Remote and accessed by helicopter, this area is fabulous for ski mountaineering. You can base from the Alpine Club’s Lawrence Grassi Hut or you can camp and move around onto the other nearby glaciers (Apex & Chaba Icefield).

Columbia Icefields

Easily reached from the Banff-Jasper Parkway or by helicopter, these vast icefields offer the possibility of high ascents of peaks such as Mt. Columbia (Highest point in Alberta), Mt. Kitchener, Snow Dome, Castleguard and the Twins. These are multi-day trips that involve lots of elevation gain, glacier travel and winter camping. For some, it is the experience of a lifetime.

Freshfields Icefields

If you are in search of that gravity-defying feeling of skiing through bottomless untracked powder you are in the right place!  This ultimate backcountry ski camp will be the journey of a lifetime. This is expedition skiing at its finest, without the suffering.  Access to this seldom visited ski mountaineer’s paradise starts with a short flight to an ultra-remote base camp situated in a rugged corner of the Freshfields Icefields in Banff National Park.

Ski Traverses

There are several major multi-day traverses in the Rockies and Interior Mountains of British Columbia that we can organize on a private basis. They include the Cariboo Traverse, Wapta Traverse, the Bugaboos to Rogers Pass Traverse and the Clemenceau to Columbia Icefields Traverse. These are multi-day high camp-based trips that are best suited for experienced ski-mountaineers.

Avalanche Skills

Avalanche skills training can be incorporated into any of our backcountry ski or split-board programs. We suggest basing an avalanche program in either Canmore or Lake Louise where we can use classroom facilities with field trips to nearby mountains. This type of program lends itself to private groups or individuals with a specific schedule.

Costs:

Yamnuska’s ski guides are some of the best in the industry.  Our standards are very high and we are totally committed to providing you with the best possible experience.  Our ski guiding team benefits from staff training, peer and client review, daily conditions reports, and support from senior staff. 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.

When you arrange a private or custom ski program we will quote you 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 will we not be able to offer refunds since resources would have been fully committed by this time.

For your convenience and information, we offer an outline of the sample costs involved.

These costs do not include Goods & Services Tax (GST) which is 5%. Gratuities are not included.

Guide’s Expenses

Your quote will contain reasonable and modest guide expenses during your program. These include driving costs (unless you drive the guide), accommodation and meals (doesn’t apply to day tours), rental equipment, helicopter costs, etc.

Miscellaneous Expenses

Other charges that may apply to a private program are:

Park Entry Fees: If we ski in Banff or the other National or Provincial Parks entry fees apply (c. $16/day/person) and if we overnight in a hut or camp a further c. $13/night/person Wilderness Fee applies.

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.

Kananaskis Country conservation passes are available online at https://www.alberta.ca/kananaskis-conservation-pass.aspx

Helicopter Access: Some backcountry huts (e.g. Fairy Meadows) or areas (Mt. Assiniboine) are accessed by helicopter. Where the fee is fixed, we can include it in our package price.  In some cases, this fee can vary and we will give you our best estimate and arrange for you to pay the helicopter pilot or company directly.

Porters: We can arrange for a porter to help on the climb up to a hut to lessen your loads. We may recommend this when accessing Bow Hut in the Wapta Icefields depending on your fitness and experience.

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

 

Transportation

You can either provide the transportation for you and the guide or, should the guide need to drive him/herself to the program area then a charge, based on distance will apply. This ranges from $20 on up depending upon where you go. Once we know whether you will be able to drive the guide or where you will be going we will include transport costs in your quote.

Yamnuska has several commercial vehicles and in some cases, we may be able to supply transportation for your group. We can quote you a cost for this which will also depend upon how far you are driving and how much the vehicle will be used.

Accommodation

There are a number of accommodation options in the Canadian Rockies and we recommend you do your homework to find appropriate lodging. During peak seasons, all accommodations are usually booked. We may be able to recommend an option for you.

For overnight ski trips, the cost of backcountry and mountain huts varies. The simplest huts are those operated by the Alpine Club of Canada, their hut fees average $30/night/person. More elaborate private huts cost proportionately more. In constructing your private program we will include the cost of these huts for you. The actual costs will be outlined in the quote.

Meals

Yamnuska can supply all your out-trip meals. Should you choose to supply your own we charge you only for the cost of your guide’s food for multi-day trips.

In planning your menu we will need to know of any special dietary restrictions or preferences you may have (e.g. vegetarian) and of any allergies you may have (e.g. shellfish).

Food charges will be prorated where less than 3 meals are supplied in a day. Included in the charge is the supply of group cooking gear (stoves, pots & pans). There is also a daily surcharge for special dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, food allergies, etc.).

For larger groups, we can also arrange for a cook when requested and appropriate (backcountry huts).

Definitions

Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding we think of as mainly happening in the zone just above treeline and below. Objectives would typically be interesting ski tours or in finding good quality skiing. The challenges tend to be in the areas of route finding and in avoiding avalanche hazards. We can adjust the focus of your program towards finding good snow and making lots of turns at whatever level of difficulty you prefer or towards making tours that cover lots of distance and interesting scenery. We can do this on day trips from the highway or we can base ourselves in backcountry camps or huts.

Ski Mountaineering happens on glaciers at higher elevations and is often oriented to climbing suitable peaks. Considerations include safe glacier travel, whiteout navigation, and basic mountaineering skills. Because we need to get higher up we tend to base ourselves in high huts (e.g. those on the Wapta Icefields) or camps. It is also possible to do high ski mountaineering traverses that go hut to hut or camp to camp. For clients with a very high level of physical fitness, we can do certain ski mountaineering objectives in a single day.

Avalanche Skills programs focus on teaching you the knowledge and practical skills to avoid avalanche hazards and deal with emergencies. Instruction combines classroom sessions with backcountry field trips. Courses can include certification or just be general avalanche awareness or companion rescue training.

What is the season?

Backcountry skiing can happen any time from when the snow first begins to settle (typically early December right through to early May). When the weather is bad the skiing is often great in the trees. When the weather is good we can often get into the open bowls above treeline.

Ski Mountaineering is best done later in the winter and in spring when the crevasses on the glacier are largely filled in and covered by snow. In March, April and early May the days are longer, warmer and the weather often better. These are the best months for Ski Mountaineering.

Avalanche Skills Training is best taught in the winter months, December through March when the snowpack is less stable and there is more instability to study.

Equipment & Clothing Lists

You will need to bring your own clothing and personal gear (skis/splitboard, poles, climbing skins, backpack, sleeping bag, etc). We have many of these items available to rent and if not can pre-arrange them for you.

Gear

Group safety and technical gear (e.g. ropes, rescue gear) are included in the guide fee. You will need to supply personal clothing and gear (e.g. skis, avalanche beacons), see Gear & Clothing Lists for an idea of what you’ll need to bring. Some of these items can be rented and the cost included in your package price.

Yamnuska has these items for rent: avalanche beacons, probes, snow shovels, backpacks, daypacks, harnesses, sleeping bags, sleeping mats (‘Thermarest’) & tents. Rental Price Lists

Skis, boots, skins, poles & snowboards can be rented locally.

What Gear To Use?

Alpine Touring or Splitboard?

Skis

Alpine Touring skis are essentially ‘downhill skis’ with a special touring binding that allows the heel to lift whilst 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.

Splitboards

Often used in the backcountry or for “board mountaineering”. It is important though to choose an area with terrain that is board friendly: reasonably steep with not too many flat areas and with easy access.

If ‘boarding’ you need to be an advanced boarder and you need to be on a splitboard. Don’t bring a board if you’ve never boarded in the backcountry before. We highly recommend you have experience transitioning your gear from skiing to walking.

We will supply you with a quote that will include all expenses such as meals, accommodation, and rental gear when we know your requirements. Registration requires a deposit of 35% of the quote or, for trips of three days or less, full payment.

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 balance of payment is required eight weeks before trip commencement. Should you cancel more than eight weeks in advance of the trip, a $105 cancellation fee will apply. Cancellation between six and eight weeks before trip commencement will mean a loss of your deposit. Cancellation less than six weeks before trip commencement will result in a loss of all payments made.

In most areas, there is no fee for rescue. In the National Parks, you must have a valid entry pass to qualify for free rescue. You can obtain this on entry to the Parks. In Assiniboine and other British Columbia Parks, you may be liable for the cost of the rescue. In this case, you need insurance to cover rescue. If in doubt consult us to check whether or not you will need this.

There are two basic types of insurance that most travellers need to consider: Medical and Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance. We offer our guests coverage for both and highly recommend you purchase it.

Emergency Medical Expenses Insurance:

It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident during your trip. Obtain extra coverage if necessary. There is no charge for rescue in the national and provincial parks, however, costs such as air or ground transportation, long-term care, and other services are not covered.

Cancellation/Trip 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.

For all your travel insurance requirements we recommend the Simpson Group. This agency offers a wide range of travel insurance options including Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Travel Medical, and Personal Effect Loss for Canadian Travelers.

Please note that this coverage is for Canadian residents only. For guests who are not from Canada and who are interested in the ‘Visitors to Canada’ insurance package please contact the Simpson Group directly at JSimpson@simpson-group.com and reference your Yamnuska Mountain Adventure trip.