Ski mountaineering’s recent boom in popularity has led to more and more visitors leaving Alberta’s well-groomed ski resorts for its vast backcountry, and when it comes to backcountry adventures, the Canadian Rockies is the place to be. The ski season is long, the snow is world-class and the sheer breadth of terrain is breathtaking. While the remoteness and apparent inaccessibility of the objectives could be seen as a negative, it does come with many upsides—chances are that you’ll have Alberta’s stunning slopes all to yourself, and you’ll see what it’s like to truly be at one with nature! Also, nothing beats the experience of discovering a great fresh line in the untracked snow and riding it for the first time, especially with the Rockies’ stunning alpine wilderness as your backdrop. The Canadian Rockies are the perfect place to ski off the beaten track and experience a true winter wonderland.
Admire the untouched nature in the Canadian Rockies’ remote wilderness
The range’s weather conditions and snowpack are ideal in the springtime
Take on world-class objectives in some of Alberta’s finest ski mountaineering areas
On this ski tour based out of the Lake Louise Alpine Center, you will be spending the long weekend climbing and skiing some of the Rockies’ greatest peaks. In mid-to-late March, the days are long and warm and the snowpack is well-settled—conditions are perfect for climbing and skiing the high peaks in and around Lake Louise, Field B.C, and North towards Jasper on the 93N. If conditions allow it (and they usually do), ascend one of the Canadian Rockies’ superb objectives, such as Mt. Victoria’s north summit, Cathedral Peak, Mt Field, Cirque Peak, Crowfoot Mountain, or Mt. Hector.
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, 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:
In order to enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to have an advanced level of fitness and backcountry skiing experience. The terrain in the Canadian Rockies will be quite steep, ungroomed, and treed. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while hiking uphill for 4000-6000 vertical feet every day.
This adventure is suited for intermediate to advanced backcountry skiers with previous skiing and riding experience in the backcountry. In order to keep up with your guide’s pace, you should be comfortable hiking uphill for 4000-6000 vertical feet every day and navigating steep, ungroomed, and treed terrain. If you’re not an advanced skier, we recommend checking out these beginner-friendly backcountry ski tours in the Canadian Rockies.
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 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:
Ski mountaineering 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.
To get to Lake Louise, AB, the starting point of the tour, most people fly into Calgary International Airport 2 hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a bus or shuttle service.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, which will usually be at the Lake Louise Alpine Center. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.
