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.
Take on Lake Louise’s world-class alpine bowls and treeline runs
Phenomenal lift access gets you to the slopes in record time
First-rate terrain variety will satisfy newcomers and experts alike
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 Lake Louise, AB, please refer to Canada’s COVID-19 travel guidelines and Lake Louise travel information.
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 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.
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.
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.
