Backcountry Ski Tours in the Canadian Rockies – Day Trips

Backcountry Skiing Canadian Rockies – Day Trips Itinerary

Ideas for single-day ski tours in the Canadian Rockies

Around Banff and Lake Louise: Surprise Pass, Crowfoot Mountain, Crowfoot Glades, Mt. Hector, Observation Peak, Mt. Jimmy Simpson, Bow Summit, Cirque Peak, Dolomite Circuit, Goat’s Eye, Quartz Ridge, Rock Isle Lake, Wawa Bowl

Highway 95 South (Kootenay National Park): Floe Lake, Chickadee Valley, Storm Creek, Vermillion Peak, Mt. Whymper, Mt. Storm, Tumbling Peak

Yoho National Park: Emerald Peak, Pope’s Shoulder, Narao Shoulder, Mt. Field, Cathedral Peak, Mt. Ogden, Paget Peak and Paget Glades

In Kananaskis Country: Black Prince, Hero’s Knob, Purple Knob, Miner’s Gully, Tent Ridge, Mt. Sparrowhawk, Tryst Lake, Rae Glacier, Murray Basin, Burstall Pass, French-Haig-Robertson Traverse, Engadine Burns, Middle Sister

In Jasper National Park: Bald Hills, Parker’s Ridge, Hilda Ridge, Shangri-La, Wilcox Pass, Marmot Basin backcountry, Mt. Athabasca, Mt. Columbia

Ask us about one of these tours, or simply give us the ingredients of your ideal trip and we will gladly prepare a customized itinerary at no cost or obligation to you. Here are a few things to consider:

• Do you want to ski amongst famous peaks or do you want a remote and secluded ski tour where there won’t be many other people?
• Do you want the best ski conditions possible or do you want to stand on top of a mountain? (sometimes we can have both, but not always!)
• What are the fitness and experience levels and age range of the people in your group?
• Are there split-boarders in the group?
• How many ski tours do you want to do in your given time frame?

The beauty of custom guiding is in its total flexibility. We can make adjustments along the way, even when we are already in the mountains.

Inclusions

Costs and What’s Included

Our base rates are for average single-day ski tours which are commonly eight hours door-to-door. Longer, more remote, or more difficult tours that require longer days may incur a premium.

Depending on the trip, there may be an additional cost for the guide’s travel.

*We offer discounts for groups of four or more clients signing up together.

Services included in the total price

• Avalanche safety equipment (transceiver, shovel, probe) for $10 / person / day
• Transport from Canmore, Banff, or Lake Louise to the trailhead and back. Please ask for a quote!
• Guide Driving expenses $60 / day unless you can provide transport in your car
• Calgary Airport pick up and drop off (CAD $110 / person return trip)
• Pre- and post-trip lodging in Canmore (from CAD $40 / person)
• Lunches and snacks
• Lift and/or gondola tickets (if necessary)
• Any additional cost due to changes in the itinerary, may they be caused by weather, mountain/avalanche conditions or personal preferences.

Trip Details

Best Season, Weather, Temperatures

Backcountry skiing in the Canadian Rockies starts in mid-December and goes until early June! Most years, the skiing, weather, temperatures, and conditions are best from early- to mid-February until mid-May. The snow is usually light and fluffy in December and January, but it can be cold (0°C / 32°F to -30° / -22°F), and there is a good chance of scratching your skis on rocks. February can be perfect with champagne powder, longer days, better snow coverage, and more stable conditions, but there is still a chance of a cold snap during the month. March to mid-May are the prime ski touring months, with spring skiing conditions normally beginning in mid-April.

While the interior ranges of B.C. are famous for endless amounts of snow, Alberta’s Rocky Mountains are famous for powder or corn-snow skiing under blue skies. Of course, the skies aren’t blue every day, but there are a lot of them, and the views from up high are simply spectacular!

Recommended accommodation in Canmore, AB:

• Coast Hotel
• Basecamp
• Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge
• Georgetown Inn
• HI Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse

Medical/Rescue and Trip Cancellation Insurance

We strongly recommend the purchase of a travel insurance package that does cover adventure travel. Common policies sold by travel agents or policies included in your credit card contract tend to exclude “mountaineering”  if you read through the fine print. We recommend an adventure travel policy on our website at http://ontopmountaineering.com/travel-insurance/  which our clients had good experiences with in the past. *NEW: we now recommend including covid-19/pandemic coverage with your insurance policy.

Transportation

Meeting Point

Your guide will arrange to meet you on the morning of the ski tour at a location which makes the most sense for the group.

Closest Airport / Transport options

Calgary International Airport is located about 1¼ hours from our base in Canmore, AB, 1½ hours from Banff and 2 hours from Lake Louise.

There are several private shuttle services providing hourly transport from the Calgary Airport to the Bow Valley – Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise. A convenient and popular airport shuttle service is Banffairporter.com, which stops centrally in both Canmore and Banff.

Rental cars are also available in Calgary, Banff, or Canmore.

FAQ

Do I need to sign a Release of Liability & Assumption of Risk Agreement (a.ka. liability waiver)?

Yes, you do. Mountaineering, skiing, climbing, hiking, via ferrata and all other wilderness and adventure travel activities are inherently risky with potential for injuries or even death.
It is very important to us that you are aware of those risks before you start the booking process, which includes filling out a booking form and paying a deposit.
With signing the liability waiver, you confirm that you understand the potential risks and hazards, and are willing to accept the risks, which includes giving up legal rights you may have.
This would also be the time to ask questions or address concerns before you book.
For your reference here is a link to our Liability Waiver. Our booking terms & cancellation policy with more details can be found here

Can I Do It?

Almost everyone who can ski at a ski area can also ski in the backcountry! You need to have a little bit of fitness (or you can have a lot), and a little sense of adventure (or you can have a big one). We can cater your ski tour to your group’s ability.  To really enjoy your day, you should be mentally and physically prepared to ski steadily uphill in mountainous terrain while carrying a backpack weighing 5-7 kg/11-15 lb. You must use specialized backcountry ski equipment which can be rented if you do not already have.

You should be able to downhill ski at a minimum level of intermediate at ski areas.

Splitboarders are also welcome, but not all destinations are splitboard-friendly. Please let us know in advance if there are splitboarders in your groups so that we can plan accordingly.

A ski tour usually lasts 4-7 hours plus driving time, with 10-15 km / 6-10 miles distance and a vertical gain of 700-1,500 metres / 2,300-5,000 ft. Longer or shorter ski tours can be arranged.

Feedback

From our Wapta Ski Traverse

References of prior guests: We will gladly put potential clients in touch with willing previous participants of each trip in order for interested guests to get more personalized references and their questions answered from a more objective point of view than what our office could provide.

“Guide: Great. Mike and Jen were approachable and full of knowledge and experience and were totally helpful. Mike’s judgement allowed us to safely complete the WAPTA – hoorah!
 Itinerary: Spot on.
Lodging/Food quantity and quality: The huts are in a great location and much better than camping.
10/10″ Guy S., Australia

“The Wapta trip was pretty much everything I hoped it would be (except for the blisters); challenging, scenic and enlightening. Overall, a memorable experience. I’d definitely recommend it to someone who is looking to complete a real journey through the mountains.
Guide: Mike was excellent. Very cautious and set a reasonable pace on the hill. He was happy to share his knowledge and was a great leader throughout.
Itinerary: The Wapta is what it is – a traverse and I appreciate that is the overall objective – decent downhill skiing is only a bonus so I wasn’t bothered that we didn’t get too much of that on this route. We didn’t seem to have the time or weather to make as many of the side trips as the online itinerary suggests. Reflecting on that itinerary, seems to me you’d have to have a very fast group and perfect conditions to get it all done.
I am definitely keen to do more trips with OnTop. If I have any friends looking for a genuine Canadian Rockies experience I will be strongly recommending you. Say an 8/9 out of 10.” Steve T., Hong Kong

“Thanks so much. It was a wonderful trip. Jordy and Leanne did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed them and the other guests. Food was great. Thanks for making it happen. I would definitely recommend On top. 10/10! ”
—Eric S., ID, USA

“Dave’s performance was Excellent. Dave clearly knows his stuff with respect to both the technical aspects of his job and how to work with people. He is one of the most capable leaders, backcountry or otherwise, that I have had the pleasure to engage with in the past 30 years or so. Trip organization and communication was generally excellent and no complaints.
One suggestion: let people know they may be carrying up to 50-60 lbs of stuff at some point in the trip. It wasn’t a problem for me (except for all the huffing and puffing) as I have been training for activities like this, but others may be in for a rude surprise. Itinerary was perfect. Lodging and food quality was excellent. Thanks for arranging the night in the Coast for me. The ‘meat-etarian’ in me was well satisfied! 10/10. Already bragging about you to others.”
—Richard E., BC, Canada