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Let experienced guides show you the best terrain in the Kootenays! Explore the terrain and the best ski slopes, try out tree skiing or simply enjoy the fresh powder and solitude of the Valhalla Mountains in the eponymous Provincial Park. Incredible terrain combined with epic snowfall and perfect temperatures results in nothing short of heavenly conditions! After a full day of enjoying deep powder, return to your luxurious and warm lodge for some recovering time in its cedar log sauna. Experience the perfect combo of adventure and relaxation, and make the most of your week on Kootenay pow!
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On Saturday morning, you’ll meet with your guides at 7 AM and head to the staging area. Then, it’s a helicopter ride to the mountain lodge, where you’ll get situated and have a safety briefing before heading out for your first day of ski touring in the Valhalla Mountain area. With miles upon miles of terrain, there will be plenty to explore over the coming week.
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Be prepared to spend whole days out with the group. The guides will make every effort to accommodate each member, but also try to set a pace and choose objectives that work for the whole group. Try to make an effort to accommodate the group’s needs and be as organized and punctual as possible. It’s best if everyone can get out the door on time and have a smooth day of touring the Valhalla Mountain slopes.
You will spend the next five days touring the surrounding Valhalla Mountain backcountry terrain. Your days will be customized to match the skill level and objectives of your group. Depending on the objectives, your days may start earlier and end later, but they will generally look like this:
You’ll wake up at 7:30 AM, have breakfast and get ready. Gear up, go over safety considerations, put on your climbing skins, and climb above the hut to the agreed-upon location. You’ll explore new terrain or revisit favorite runs from previous outings. Depending on the group, you will ski between 1,100 and 1,500 meters per day. At 11 AM, you should be at the skiing location for the day, where you’ll spend the day shredding powder and stopping for lunch and breaks as needed. Your guide will plan each day according to the weather and avalanche conditions in the backcountry, as well as the group’s wishes and goals for the day.
As the sun starts to set around 5 PM, you’ll go back to your lodge for a gourmet dinner prepared by a professional chef. Depending on the lodge, you could steam in the sauna, do some yoga, or just warm up next to the fireplace while admiring the starry sky from the deck. Enjoy your favorite beverage, discuss goals for the next day, get to know your group, and retreat to your bedroom for some well-deserved rest.
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After breakfast, pack up your gear and prepare for a helicopter ride back to the staging area, where your cars will be waiting. Say farewell to British Columbia and head back to civilization.
Not still ready to say goodbye to British Columbia? Check out some of our hand-curated backcountry ski huts in BC to satisfy your powder skiing lust!
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Included:
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- An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- A full week of backcountry ski touring
- Helicopter transportation to and from the lodge
- Accommodation at Valhalla Mountain Lodge
- An in-house chef and all meals at the lodge
- Sauna
Not included:
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- Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
- Trip insurance
- Dinner at Arrow Lakes Tavern on Friday evening
- Transportation to and from Nakusp and heli staging area
- Accommodation in Nakusp
- Alcoholic beverages
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In order to enjoy this Valhalla Mountain guided backcountry adventure, you need to have a very good level of fitness. You will be skinning for a few hours every day and skiing in variable terrain. You must be able to manage controlled descents in challenging conditions and have the stamina to ski tour for multiple days in a row. All participants should be very experienced on groomers and be able to carry a loaded daypack.
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This Valhalla Mountain ski touring adventure is reserved for solid intermediate to advanced skiers with previous experience in backcountry skiing. You should be happy with days in the 1300-1500 m range. Ski runs will be on average of intermediate difficulty but there will often be pitches of advanced difficulty as well as steeper tree runs and rugged alpine snow conditions involving hard and sastrugi surfaces. You have to be comfortable with multiple hours of skinning, steep descents, diving into deep powder and navigating between trees to fully enjoy the terrain. Days are customized to the experience level of the group, but backcountry experience is necessary.
For those looking to take their first foray into backcountry skiing, there is plenty of terrain in the surrounding area to spend the day at with a private guide and learn the fundamentals of backcountry skiing.
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Liability waivers are a standard part of all guided outdoor adventures. Recently, the requirements have become a bit more rigorous for ACMG guides—meaning that you’ll need to agree to the signing of the waiver at the time of booking.
Prior to booking, we ask you to review the waiver. During the checkout process, you’ll have to acknowledge the risks and agree to the signing of the waiver. You are required to bring a printed copy on the trip.
Please note that signing and agreeing to the terms of the waiver is required in order to join this adventure. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us prior to booking.
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Snow safety gear (can be rented):
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- Digital avalanche beacon with good batteries (and spares)
- Shovel
- Probe (2.4m or longer preferred)
Ski touring gear (can be rented):
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- Skis or split board
- Ski strap
- Ski or snowboard boots
- Poles
- Climbing skins
- Skin wax (or a candle)
- Any binding repair items to fix your specific travel setup
- Ski helmet (optional)
Glacier gear:
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- Harness – fitted for over your ski clothing (Cilao, BD, Petzl and Camp make some good lightweight ski touring harnesses)
- Locking carabiners (x2)
- Non locking carabiners (x2)
- 6mm by 5m prusik cord (optional)
- 120cm sewn climbing sling (optional)
Personal Items:
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- Wool or synthetic ski socks and liner socks
- Long underwear top – synthetic or wool
- Light fleece or wool sweater
- Wind shell – nylon or ‘Schoeller’ type jacket
- Waterproof breathable jacket (i.e. Gore-Tex)
- Warm insulated jacket – down or synthetic
- Long underwear bottoms – synthetic or wool
- Multipurpose stretch nylon or ‘Schoeller’ type pants
- Waterproof breathable pants (i.e. Gore-Tex)
- Warm hat – wool or synthetic
- Brimmed cap for sun protection
- Face warmer – scarf, neck tube or balaclava (optional)
- Light gloves – wool, synthetic or leather
- Insulated gloves or mitts with waterproof outer shell Spare gloves or mitts
- Handkerchief for blocking the sun (optional)
- Ski pack (30-40 litres)
- Sunglasses (having both orange and dark lenses helps for travel in all conditions)
- Goggles (orange lenses)
- Sunscreen and lip cream (SPF 30+)
- Head lamp with good batteries
- Insulated water bottle or thermos (1-2 L) (if you bring a hydration system bring a regular water bottle as a spare)
- Lunch bag or container
- Personal blister kit (i.e: Leukotape-P and Bandaid or Second Skin blister pads)
- Pocket knife (optional)
- Camera (optional)
Hut gear:
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- 30-40 L small duffle bag for flying into the lodge
- Shoes for inside the hut
- Winter boots for travel around outside of the hut
- Hut clothing
- Towel for the shower
- Personal medications and toiletries
- Ear plugs
- Reading material
- Chargers for electronic devices (normal AC power is available for charging devices).
Please Note: All bedding, pillows and duvets are supplied by the lodge
Group Gear (supplied by the guides):
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- Altimeter
- Map and compass
- GPS
- Snow study kit
- Snow and/or bush saw
- First aid kit
- Emergency tarp
- Emergency toboggan
- Group repair kit
- Radio & satellite phone or inReach device
- Ropes for glacier travel
Note: Make sure your equipment doesn’t weigh over 45 pounds per person. If you are over the allowable gear weight, the helicopter will have to make an extra flight. The cost for this is $400.00 CAD (cash only) and payable prior to the flight.
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All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
- Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe can be rented from ROAM
- Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from ROAM
- Splitboards can be rented from ROAM
Ski rental locations are in Nelson, BC, and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
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Group sizes and pricing:
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- The Valhalla Mountain Lodge can accommodate up to 11 guests at a time with certified two backcountry guides leading groups on daily ski tours from the hut each day.
- All pricing is per person.
Min. age requirements:
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- Everybody over the age of 18 is welcome to book this backcountry skiing adventure.
- Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis.
If you plan to ski with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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Most people fly into Kelowna International Airport 3.5 hours away. From there, you need to rent a car to Nakusp, the meeting point for your Valhalla adventure.
The evening before your Valhalla Mountain ski trip, you’ll have dinner with your guides at the Arrow Lakes Tavern at 6:30 pm on Saturday night. At that time, you’ll discuss the logistics of the next day in detail.
There’s plenty of options for an overnight stay in Nakusp. Here’s a few that we can recommend:
On Saturday morning you must be present at Arrow Lakes Tavern for breakfast and a pre-trip meeting at 7:00 am sharp. During this meeting, your group will be given waivers to sign. The guides will guide you to the heli staging area, in nearby Burton, a 30-minute drive south of Nakusp on Highway 23. Your group is expected to be at the heli staging by 09:00 am. The guides will organize the helicopter logistics. Once you arrive at the lodge you will be given an orientation in regards to the use of the facilities.
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We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
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