Ski Mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies

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:

• • An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • Three days of backcountry ski touring

What’s not included:

• • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Transportation
  • Accommodations
  • Food and snacks

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:

• • Alpine touring skis, telemark skis, or splitboard with skins (can be rented)
  • Touring boots and poles (can be rented)
  • Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
    • Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
    • Lightweight snow shovel
    • Avalanche probe
    • Lightweight climbing harness for glacier travel

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Helmet
  • Sunglasses and ski goggles
  • Wool or fleece hat
  • Waterproof ski gloves or mitts
  • Neck tube or balaclava
  • Sun hat
  • Casual clothing to wear to the hut or hostel
  • Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Light insulated jacket or vest
  • Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear, and socks
  • Medium weight fleece sweater
  • Fleece jacket
  • Three conventional locking carabiners and two non-locking carabiners
  • Two 4-6m long 6mm cords and one sewn sling
  • Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
  • Water bottle and 1L of water
  • Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
  • Food you can eat on-the-go
  • First aid kit and small blister kit
  • Sleeping bag (if staying in hut or hostel)
  • Toiletries
  • Sunscreen and lip balm
  • Headlamp with fresh batteries
  • Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L backpack)
  • Camera — optional

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 from Ski Louise
  • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented from Ski Louise

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:

• • This tour is not private. For the group tour, the max guest-to-guide ratio is 7:1.
  • If joining alone, you’ll be placed with peers that share a similar level of experience.
  • Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

Ski mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis.

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.