The Canadian Rockies aren’t necessarily known for incredible ski quality. Most years it ranges from mediocre to abysmal. Facets, persistent weak layers, and long periods without any precipitation mean that the snowpack is usually not very inspiring, and often downright terrifying. What is inspiring is the terrain. Few places in the world offer as much…
Cathedral Peak is a magnificent massif located in Yoho National Park near Lake Louise. The Cathedral Massif is comprised of several summits, the tallest main summit rising to a towering 3,189m (10,462′), one of the loftier peaks in what is already a large and prominent range (Lake Louise Group). While Cathedral Peak is a classic…
The Grand Daddy Couloir on Bow Peak in Banff National Park is a line I’ve been staring at for as long as i’ve been driving up and down the Icefields Parkway. Dozens of ski trips have had me staring across the highway at this thing, and every time it has called me to come and…
relatively chill North-facing line sitting above the south end of Boom lake in Banff National Park. We had the couloir on our list for the season as it gets a reputation for being a straight-forward Rockies Classic.
Hero’s knob is a feature located in Kananaskis country offering a wide range of good quality skiing and open alpine terrain. Kananaskis has a variety of reputations ranging from “trash” to “incredible”, depending on who you ask and where you go (and when!). While conditions certainly can warrant a negative reputation at times, there is…
Surprise Pass ski tour, near Lake Louise Alberta, is one of those iconic backcountry tours that deserves a revisit at least once per year when conditions are good. This classic ski tour requires a solid 3-6 hours to complete the approximately 900m of elevation gain over roughly 6km from the parking lot. The first 2-3km…
Mt. Whymper avalanche and accident report. Sometimes things go a bit differently than expected in the mountains. Mt Whymper was a great day that was a bit closer to the edge than we planned for.
It’s a great experience to explore a new zone that has seen little, or possibly no traffic in the past. This is especially true. when the zone is as perfect and feature-rich as the Apollo Bowl on the west rib of the imposing Mt. Hector on the Icefields Parkway. Apollo bowl ski touring should be…
The Sugar Cube is an awesome day tour located near Helen Lake. A short Couloir, and a number of relatively long slopes offer lots of opportunities for ski touring.
Mount Field is a classic backcountry ski tour located in Little Yoho just west of Lake Louise and Banff National Park. Now… the word “classic” gets thrown around a lot. So lets get one thing clear – Mount Field is definitely a true Canadian Rockies Ski Tour. What makes it a classic? It has all…