Welcome to the Canadian Rockies’ ultimate hut-to-hut glacier adventure—Wapta Traverse is easy to access, but wild enough to keep things exciting! Go for the fast-paced 3-day blitz or the classic 4-day adventure—either way, it’s time to check this iconic ski traverse off your bucket list. The Wapta Icefields serve up a perfect blend of adventure and comfort, with endless chances to bag summits and carve unforgettable descents from high alpine terrain. With a seasoned mountain guide leading the way, everything from food to permits and cozy hut stays is taken care of.
Tour your way from Bow Lake to the Great Divide Lodge in 4 action-packed ski days! Enjoy the ultimate Canadian Rockies hut-to-hut ski tour at a more direct, quicker pace, with an expert local guide leading the way.
We will meet up at the Lake Louise Alpine Center, review gear, and pack group gear. Then we’ll head for the trail mid-morning. The first night will be spent at the Bow Hut in the beautiful Bow Glacier Cirque with many peaks to climb and ski.
We will spend the entirety of Day 2 traversing to the Balfour Hut via the Bow & Vulture glaciers and climbing a peak or two along the way.
Today we will tackle the crux of the traverse as we go up and over the Balfour High Col. If the weather cooperates, we can make an attempt on Mt Balfour (3285 m/10,778 ft), before proceeding onward to the Scott Duncan Hut for our final night in the Canadian Rockies.
We’ll end the tour by skiing one of two exit options: the scenic Bath Glacier or the Sherbrooke Lake exit. Both offer some fun skiing enroute to the Trans Canada and Great Divide Lodge!
I had an excellent time on the Wapta with Jeff and Jason learning how to safely ascend glaciated peaks on a splitboard. They are knowledgeable guides, and they are also great teachers.
Thanks for the great time Jeff and Jason! I learned a lot over the weekend and had an awesome time on the Wapta. Cheers!
Had a great time skiing on the Wapta with Jeff! What a great experience, found some awesome snow, a fun peak, great people and made it home safe and sound. Thanks Jeff!
Included:
Not included:
To enjoy this Wapta Traverse, you need to be in great physical shape. Previous backcountry skiing experience and ski mountaineering experience is also a requirement.
You will be on your feet for 5-7 hours a day for 3 to 4 full days, covering 6-10 miles (10-15 km) or more of terrain every day. Hut elevations are approximately 7,200 ft (2,200 m), with 2,300 ft (700 m) vertical, and you will be doing your hut-to-hut traverse carrying up to 45lbs (20kg) of equipment. 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.
For more backcountry skiing adventures in British Columbia, click here!
To participate in this Wapta Traverse, you need to have previous powder skiing and ski mountaineering experience. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 5-7 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.
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.
You need to bring all of the following personal equipment for the Wapta Traverse. Please don’t bring extra equipment. If you have any questions at all about gear please do not hesitate to contact us.
Ski crampons are a must for spring ski touring, and they can make a big difference even on a powder skiing week at times. If you have any difficulty obtaining these please let me know. We have some spares and can likely set you up with a pair. If you have telemark bindings, G3 crampons have an attachment system that works well for most tele bindings.
Clothing:
Snow safety equipment:
Snow touring equipment:
Personal equipment:
Personal belongings:
All mandatory gear can be rented for this Wapta Traverse if you don’t have your own. In Lake Louise, you can rent…
If you plan on using alternate touring systems such as telemark skis, frame-style AT bindings, or splitboards, please contact us in advance.
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 touring in the Wapta Traverse can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has ski tourers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to the Wapta Traverse adventure, most people fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC) 2 hours away by car.
The starting point is Lake Louise on Day 1 of the tour—make sure to fly in at least a day prior to the start of the tour, as you’ll start the traverse on Day 1. You’ll meet your guide at the Lake Louise Alpine Center in the morning.
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!
Deposits
Secure your spot with a 30% deposit upon booking! The remaining 70% of the trip price must be paid 90 days prior to departure at the latest. If booking within 90 days of departure, the full amount is required at the time of booking.
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable after a 48-hour grace period. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options—Basic, Flexible, or Super Flexible. Depending on which one you choose, a different cancellation policy will apply to your booking.
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
Early Bird booking
Want to be the first one to know when we publish new dates or secure your spot well in advance? Select a future month that suits you best and lock in your Early Bird spot in time with just a 10% deposit.
As soon as our guides publish new tour dates, you’ll be the first one to know. We’ll hold your spot for 2 weeks until you choose the date that suits you best.
More about how Early Bird bookings work below:
I had an excellent time on the Wapta with Jeff and Jason learning how to safely ascend glaciated peaks on a splitboard. They are knowledgeable guides, and they are also great teachers.