Mountain Skills & Guided Adventures…

Immersion in pristine wilderness can bring a lot of inner peace and appreciation for nature. Sometimes this is all that is needed on a mountain expedition. The goal of reaching the summit or climbing that one route can get in the way of our potential connection with nature. In our eyes, returning home safely is more important than reaching the summit. Similarly, living to tell the tales of an adventure regardless of the outcome keeps us dreaming about returning or planning the next one. Last August we were blessed with an opportunity to return to the Cirque of the unclimbable with a small group of capable climbers. That corner of the Northwest Territory boasts remarkable wilderness along with world class alpine rock climbing. We had high hopes of climbing the fabled Lotus Flower Tower however, the weather and the conditions dictated otherwise. The group was totally okay with this, they seemed so connected to the land and appreciative after their experience. This realization was more inspirational to me than the previous time I was there, even after a so called "successful" expedition. Feeling lucky to be able to share such experiences with guests that are appreciative regardless of the outcome. Namaste 🙏⁠
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What is your favorite alpine rock venue? This is ours!! The Bugaboos have the perfect blend of quality alpine rock routes, pristine glaciated backdrops, and relatively easy access. Summer 2022 is winding down and we are reminiscing about some exciting trips with adventurous guests. We feel very lucky to have the ability to share this little piece of paradise with our guests. Some of the climbing highlights this past summer include; an ascent of the famous Beckey-Chouinard on South Howser Tower (TD+ 5.10), the West ridge of Pigeon Spire (PD 5.4), and the Kain route on Bugaboo Spire (AD 5.6). We still have a few select alpine rock trips on the calendar before summer really end. Wishing you all a great rest of the season!⁠
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Without a doubt, the Mont Blanc Massif is the world greatest alpine center. What makes this area so great is the combination of some very key factors; easy access, innumerable climbing objectives and consistently good climbing conditions. Having lift access allows people from all ages to ⁠enjoy the alpine. Climbing objectives span more than a lifetime of opportunities and range from world class alpine rock to quality mix climbing objectives. The variety of climbing objectives means that there is always something in conditions for people to enjoy regardless of the season. This summer was particularly hot in the Alps as they were affected by a long-lasting heat dome which melted a lot of the winter snow and affected all of the mixed climbing and glacier routes. This meant that Alpine rock objectives were the thing to do. These photos show a collection of the routes that we got to climb this summer. Feel free to comment if you recognize which routes we were on. It was a real treat being back here this last July, our first time since Covid. As always, it was super inspiring to see so many people enjoying the high mountains together. ⁠
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After a slow start, Summer is finally here in the West Kootenays. We hope you have been taking advantage of it, we certainly have. We have already done a few alpine rock climbing trips to our beloved Valhalla's this month, here are some photos showing the current snow coverage and dryer areas. Summer snow coverage is higher than normal which is a good thing in our minds. This leads to easier mountain travel and better coverage on glacier. Perhaps some of the regional glaciers will gain a bit some volume this year, fingers crossed. Have a great summer and enjoy the sun, it seems it has finally arrived.⁠
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Despite a showery Spring, our youth rock climbing programs were very successful this year. We had to reschedule a few programs but thanks to the flexibility of our groups and guides, every one of them unfolded successfully before the end of the school year. Working with youth and school groups on outdoor rock programs is so inspiring! Most participants on these programs are first time climbers that may not have had the chance to try it otherwise. To see the youth surpass themselves and excel athletically is awesome. It is particularly gratifying to see them realize that it is a team sport requiring a lot of trust in both yourself and your teammates. Outdoor rock climbing is very safe when the risk is well framed with professional guides/instructors. We feel lucky to be able to provide this experience to so many local youths. Wishing everyone the best Summer holidays! ⁠
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Here is a selection from our recent Mount Logan ski-mountaineering expedition. Logan is the highest peak in Canada (5959m), it is located in the Southwest corner of Yukon Territory inside Kluane National Park. Kluane is home to some of the biggest non-polar glaciers in the world and a mecca for ski-mountaineering. This trip was our tenth expedition to Kluane in just over 20 years time, this time our ascent route was the classic King Trench. With some perseverance, a bit of luck with the weather, and good conditions, our strong team manage to make the main summit on May 31, 2022. It took 15 days spanning from May 18 to June 2 to complete our ascent/descent. The main challenges on Logan are; high elevation, higher latitude, complex glaciers, very cold temperatures, and big loads. Acclimatization (read: patience!) along with an expedition style ascent (carry high - sleep low) are required to be successful here. Despite the temperatures consistently dipping down to -25C overnight, our fluffy duvets and good group attitude kept us warm!⁠ For a complete trip report, click on this link: https://mountainconditions.ca/reports/king-trench-ski-mountaineering⁠
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The Stikine Icecap was wow!!! Here are a few photos from our recent adventures to this awe-inspiring landscape near Petersburg Alaska. This little slice of seldom visited paradise is tucked away in Coast Mountains on the BC-Alaska border. Glaciers, distances, and prominence are comparable to the near by St-Elias mountains without the high altitude. This area is known for alpine rock climbing on nearby Devil’s Thumb however, and as we found out, it is also very suitable for ski touring and ski mountaineering basecamps.⁠
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A winter that keeps on giving! April ski conditions in BC have been excellent. Like many of you, we have been taking advantage of it! Winter 2022 was busier than anticipated, thanks to all our guests for skiing and climbing with us! As we wind down our regular Winter programs, we are changing focus on Spring ski-mountaineering trips at higher latitudes and rock-climbing programs at valley crags in the Kootenays. Let us know if you would like to join an upcoming program or course, we still have room on summer 2022 and Winter 2023 trips. Wishing you all a fantastic Spring!⁠
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So nice to be sharing a backcountry lodges with a mixed group again. Here is a glimpse of our Dec 4-11 Carlyle Lodge ski week which was a mix of AST 2 skills and guided ski program. It was rejuvenating to have old and new guests sharing the backcountry experience under the same roof once again. Fingers cross that we can continue to do so as the pandemic evolves. It was visibly healthy both mentally and physically for everyone who joined. Thanks to our awesome groups and amazing staff who contributed to making the start of the season so memorable! @carolafond @sweetgrassp @pistol.pan @jazminerosalynn ⁠
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Coming soon to a mountain near you! We had a great start to the Winter 2022 ski season on the Farnham Glacier in the East Kootenays on Monday November 1st, 2021. So fun to be skinning and sliding on snow again! Here is a little bit of snowpack information from our day: There was about 20cm of snow on the ground where we drove to with a regular SUV at 1800m. We skinned up the road to the cabin at 2250m where there was about 50cm on the ground. We continued up the Farnham glacier to a summit at 2900m. We found 80-100cm of settled snow on the Glacier. The many open crevasses were easily detected, thanks to the good visibility. Still, we roped up in a few areas. A test profile at 2650m on the glacier (north aspect) showed some interesting layers but no significant shears. The snowpack consisted of 30cm of fist to 4 finger resistance snow over 50cm of 4 finger to 1 finger resistance snow overlying a 10-20cm complex of basal crusts and softer facet layers just above the glacier ice. Minor wind effect in specific terrain features in the Alpine was observed. Ski quality was good and weather excellent. Many lurking sharks below the glacier where we 'skied' gingerly. Overall, a fun way to start the season!⁠
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