What you get in this adventure:

• • An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • Three days of backcountry ski touring
  • Camping and park fees
  • All group equipment (first aid kits, cooking stove, pots, rope, utensils)

What’s not included:

• • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Personal camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat)
  • Transportation
  • Accommodation
  • Food and snacks
  • Lift ticket (available for purchase at Whistler Blackcomb resort)

In order to enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to have very good fitness levels and some touring experience. The terrain in the Spearhead range is quite steep, ungroomed, and demanding. 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 strong intermediate or above skiers with previous ski touring experience and good physical condition. 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 are an advanced skier but you have no experience in the backcountry, we recommend joining a guide for a day of beginner-friendly backcountry skiing in Whistler, 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)
  • Ski crampons (can be rented)
  • Ice ax (can be rented)
  • Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
    • Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
    • Lightweight snow shovel
    • Avalanche probe
    • Harness for glacier travel
  • Crevasse rescue kit — optional

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Helmet
  • Sunglasses
  • Ski goggles
  • Gloves and hat
  • Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Down jacket or vest
  • Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear, and socks
  • Two conventional locking carabiners
  • 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
  • Sunscreen
  • Sleeping bag and mat
  • Tent or tarp
  • Headlamp with fresh batteries
  • Backpack large enough to carry all items listed (45L or more)
  • Camera — optional

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:

• • Ice ax and ski crampons can be rented from Climb On Eqipment
  • Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel, and probe can be rented from evo Backckountry
  • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented from evo Backcountry
  • Splitboards can be rented from evo Backcountry

If you aren’t familiar with using the crevasse rescue kit, your guide urges you to bring two locking carabiners instead.
Ski rentals 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:

• • For these tours, the max client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
  • For the group tour, the cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.
  • For the private tour, costs per person decrease as the group grows, so it’s the perfect opportunity to tour with friends and family.

Ski touring in the Spearhead range 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 ski tourers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to the Spearhead Traverse, most people fly into Vancouver International Airport 1.5 hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service to Whistler, BC.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, usually at the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ability of the group.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.

Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors 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.