What you get on this adventure:

• • Two experienced, certified ski guides with extensive knowledge of the area
  • A private chef and a custodian
  • Six days of backcountry ski touring
  • Helicopter transportation from Golden, BC, to the lodge and back
  • Lodge accommodations for the duration of the tour
  • All meals and non-alcoholic drinks for the duration of the tour

What’s not included:

• • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Transportation to Golden, BC
  • Accommodations in Golden before and after the trip
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Guide gratuities — optional

In order to enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to have an excellent level of fitness and prior ski touring experience. You will be skiing and touring for six full days on non-glaciated, but sometimes steep and challenging terrain. Your guide will choose the appropriate pace and terrain for your group, but you will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions and be able to skin uphill for a few hours at a time while carrying a loaded daypack.

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 and a vetting process.

This adventure is suited for intermediate to advanced skiers. If you’ve never backcountry skied before or you’re still starting out, we recommend checking out our beginner-friendly ski tours in Golden, BC.

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
  • Ski crampons

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Helmet
  • Head lamp with good batteries
  • Sunglasses or ski goggles
  • Gloves and hat
  • Long underwear top (synthetic or wool)
  • Light fleece or wool sweater
  • Lightweight wind jacket (nylon or ‘Schoeller’)
  • Waterproof – breathable shell jacket
  • Warm insulated jacket (down or synthetic)
  • Pair of wool or synthetic socks and liner socks
  • Pair wool or synthetic underwear
  • Long underwear bottoms (synthetic or wool)
  • Multipurpose stretch nylon or ‘Schoeller’ type pants
  • Waterproof breathable shell pants (full zip is best)
  • Handkerchief
  • Down or synthetic camp booties — optional
  • Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
  • Insulated water bottle and 1.5-2L of water
  • Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
  • Food you can eat on the go
  • First-aid kit
  • Sunscreen
  • Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L backpack)
  • Camera — optional
  • Duffle bag for flying into the lodge
  • Shoes or sandals
  • Winter boots for travel to the outhouse
  • Hut clothing
  • 1-2 towels and swimsuit for sauna
  • Personal medications and toiletries
  • Chargers for electronic devices (normal AC power is available via micro-hydro)

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 Higher Ground Sports.
  • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented from Higher Ground Sports.
  • Splitboards can be rented from Higher Ground Sports.

Ski rental locations are in Golden, BC, 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 prices:

• • Sentry Lodge can accommodate up to 12 skiers with a 6:1 guest-to-guide ratio.
  • The cost is per person and doesn’t decrease as the group grows. 

Backcountry skiing from British Columbia’s Sentry Lodge 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 Golden, BC, the starting point of this tour, most people fly into Calgary International Airport three hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a bus to Golden.

You will meet your guides at the Golden helipad on the morning of the trip, so plan to arrive a day early, especially if you’re renting equipment. After a quick briefing and check-in, a helicopter will take you and your guides to Sentry Lodge, marking the start of your adventure.

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 British Columbia, please refer to Canada’s COVID-19 travel guidelines and the BC Centre for Disease Control’s COVID-19 travel advisory.

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!