The legendary Lake Louise houses some of the best backcountry skiing and ski touring in Alberta. Though surrounded by some of the Rockies’ most renowned ski meccas, the area still stands out thanks to its stunning tree glades, alpine bowls, and light, dry powder. Despite the abundance of hotels and excellent lift coverage, Lake Louise manages to maintain an air of true backcountry isolation. When you’re conquering the complex alpine terrain of Surprise Pass, Chickadee Valley, or any of the area’s legendary bowls, you’ll truly find yourself at one with Canada’s vast wilderness. Whether you’re new to ski touring or are looking to cross some iconic objectives off your bucket list, you can’t go wrong with Lake Louise. Find out more about backcountry skiing in Lake Louise from Greg Hill, ACMG ski guide extraordinaire, and soon-to-be assistant rock climbing guide.
Included:
Not included:
To enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to be in good physical shape. You will be on your feet for one or two full days, managing 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.
For the enjoyment and safety of everyone involved, participants must be approved to participate in advanced backcountry skiing tours either through a previous trip with the guiding service or through recommendations.
Backcountry skiing isn’t just for pros looking for the ultimate thrill ride, it’s also beginner-friendly, meaning anyone with a solid blue-level resort experience can have fun in the backcountry. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, heading out with a guide is your best bet. They’ll take care of the planning, introduce you to the basics, like skinning uphill, and teach you how to manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training to keep you safe.
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.
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:
Ski rental locations are in Lake Louise and Banff, 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 Lake Louise 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.
Calgary International Airport is located around 1.5 hours from Banff and 2 hours from Lake Louise. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service providing hourly transport from the Calgary Airport to Lake Louise.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide shop or a predetermined location. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.
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!
Day Trips Cancellations
Fully refundable within the initial 48 hours from booking, unless the trip date is less than 7 days from the time of the booking.
Cancellations up to 7 days prior to the trip date are refundable 100%.
Cancellations within 7 days prior to the trip date are non-refundable.
