Year after year, Western Canada draws tens of thousands of alpine adventurers to their snow-capped slopes in Alberta and British Columbia. To aviod the crowds, the craftier skiers have taken to the backcountry to explore the finest terrain, ride the freshest powder, and enjoy the greatest views. Canada’s National Parks – such as Baniff’s famous Highway 93N or Yoho’s Emerald Lake – give easy access to alpine and treeline tours in the Canadian Rockies. The Kootenays offers top-notch treeline skiing on dry powder. Revelstoke boasts North America’s longest vertical slope. Whistler Blackcomb houses some of the most complex and challenging glacier descents and couloirs in Canada. Wherever you turn, you see a deep chute, an alpine bowl, or a scenic glading route just begging to be skied. Beginner or veteran, adrenaline junkie or calm crusier – the Canadian Rockies can accommodate just about anyone. Find out more about the best backcountry skiing locations in Canada from Greg Hill, ACMG ski guide extraordinaire.
Enjoy Lake Louise’s family-friendly tree skiing and alpine bowls
Challenge yourself on Golden’s deep chutes and pillow lines
Find refuge from the resort crowds in Canada’s breathtaking backcountry
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Alberta’s Canadian Rockies, please refer to Alberta’s COVID-19 travel requirements.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get in this adventure:
What’s not included:
To enjoy these backcountry adventures, you need to be in excellent physical shape. You will be on your feet for 4-8 hours a day, covering miles upon miles of terrain. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
To participate in this tour, you need to have previous powder skiing experience. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 4-8 hours every day. Your guide will take care of the planning, oversee your technique, and teach you how to better manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training necessary to keep you safe.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
Some more advanced outings may require the use of ski crampons, carabiners, and glacier travel gear. Your guide will provide a more detailed gear list before the trip.
Ski rental locations are in Canmore, AB, 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.
Group sizes and pricing:
Backcountry skiing in the Canadian Rockies can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
