Remote and committing, a rewarding ski traverse through Valhalla Provincial Park…
The Valhalla traverse is the ultimate West Kootenay traverse. This committing, 7 day, tent-based ski traverse is a challenging trip with big ascents and descents over rugged and remote alpine terrain in the famous Selkirk mountain.
Our itinerary will take you through the heart of Valhalla Provincial Park from the majestic Mulvey Basin along the height of land all the way to Shannon creek near Hills, BC. It is available in March or April when the days are longer, warmer and the snowpack is more stable.
The weather and conditions will have a direct effect on our exact itinerary. This tour is particularly far from any escape routes and travels through steep exposed terrain. The conditions and weather have to be optimal for this committing trip to unfold as planned. Here is a sample itinerary:
- Pre-Trip meeting; Participants will meet the guide(s) at 4pm in Nelson, BC before the trip starts. We will go over last minute changes (weather & avalanche conditions) and logistics for the following days. We will also sign a liability waiver and do an avalanche beacon exercise
- Day 1; We will fly in from Nelson to our starting point at 07:00 AM. Our first day will involve touring up to the Wolf’s Ears Col and skiing down into Mulvey Basin. We will establish camp 1 on a high shelf on the north side of the upper Mulvey Lakes
- Day 2; We will travel in a Westerly direction over 3 mountain passes from Mulvey Basin to Gwillim lakes where we will establish our camp 2
- Day 3; From Gwillim Lakes, we will start traveling Northward over Lucifer col, Hird Lakes and Urd col to the Ice creek valley where we will pick up our food cache and set up camp 3
- Day 4; After replenishing with fresh food we will continue North and East by ascending to a high col at the headwaters of Beatrice creek. From the col we will ski down to an alpine basin near Avis Lakes and establish camp 4
- Day 5; From Avis Lakes, we will follow the top of a ridge system eastward and eventually ski to the North into the headwaters of Snow Creek. A short climb Eastward to a col will lead to the headwaters of Nemo creek. A fun ski down to an alpine bench with unnamed lakes leads to camp 5
- Day 6; A big ascent over Mount Meers leads to a fantastic run down to Wee Sandy Lake. A Northward traverse across the headwaters of Wee Sandy creek will take us to our last camp near an unnamed lake Northeast of Mount Niord
- Day 7; On our last day we will ascend Northwest to the committing Nerthus-Skadi col. We will then travel Northward along a ridge at the headwaters of Wragge creek and eventually to the Vingolf col. From here we will enjoy our last descent down Shanon creek and eventually the small village of Hills
- We will travel from Hills back to Nelson by vehicle just in time for a well-earned shower and social evening
This is an advanced ski traverse. Prior overnight backcountry ski touring experience, preferably winter camping, and a minimum of advanced downhill skiing skills are required.
Guests are responsible to self evaluate their skills as groups need to be matched together based on prior experience and ability. Please contact us to discuss your background and options.
This trip is located in Valhalla Provincial Park in the Southeastern British Columbia. You will be meeting with your guide the evening before the trip starts in Nelson for a final gear check. We will go over last minute changes (weather & avalanche conditions) and logistics for the following days. We will also sign a liability waiver.
This tour is particularly far from any escape routes and travels through steep exposed terrain. The conditions and weather have to be optimal for this committing trip to unfold as planned. The West Kootenay weather can vary drastically, especially in the Springtime. In Winter you can expect temperatures to be from -15C to –5C in the day while in Spring daily temperatures could rise well above zero. Overnight temperatures will often dip below 20C, even in the Spring. Visibility may be poor or whiteout conditions when snowing heavily or clear on bluebird days. Ensure you are dressed and equipped for all variations as temperatures, wind and precipitation can change rapidly.
How to pack your gear
The best way to pack for the flight in is to have your backpack ready for a ski touring day, wearing your ski boots and ski clothing, have skis & poles strapped together with ice axe separated. Shovels should be inside your pack.
How much can I bring
Your luggage will be weighed and cannot be heavier than 25kg (45 lb.) excluding skis, snowboard, and boots.
Final gear check
Check your gear before departure. Boots must fit bindings, skins must fit skis etc. Please do not buy new boots just for the trip!
Tents and cooking equipment
We provide tents and cooking equipment on all our ski traverses. If you would like to bring your own winter tent, contact us.
Food
We provide lightweight and locally packaged freeze-dried food for breakfasts & dinners.
Group gear
Expect to carry part of a tent and a small amount of group gear every day.
Alcohol
We do not provide any alcoholic beverages; some folks will want to bring a small amount. A flask of alcohol is ideal. Beer cans can be compressed but must be carried out. Boxed wine may work but must also be carried out.
Where can I rent Ski touring and safety equipment?
Here are a few outdoor stores in Nelson that supply good service and quality outdoor equipment and gear rental, please ensure you rent gear well in advance.
Rivers Oceans and Mountains phone 250-354-2056
Valhalla Pure Outfitters phone 250-354-1006
Gericks phone 250-354-4622
Sacred Ride phone 250-354-3831
What transceiver should I use?
What kind of transceiver can I use? If you are interested in touring in the back country with friends or take one of our courses, it is very important to get a modern “triple antenna digital beacon” with a marking function. For recreational skiers and boarders, we suggest the following beacons: Mammut-Baryvox “Element”, Ortovox “Zoom” or the Tracker “3” or BD “Recon”. For people that moving towards working in the ski industry a more professional “more advanced” beacons is recommended, such as Mammut-Baryvox “S”, Ortovox “3+” or BD “Guide”.
Skis, Telemark or Split Boards?
Which should you use? If you are a downhill skier then you should use Alpine Touring gear. Only if you are already an advanced Telemark skier or Snowboarder should you bring Telemark or Split Board gear. All types of gear can be rented in Nelson prior to your day trip. There are three types of backcountry systems you can use:
Alpine Touring skis are essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding which allows the heel to lift whilst going uphill or across the flats and then ‘locks down’ to become a regular downhill safety binding. We recommend this system to anyone with a background of downhill skiing who is not already an advanced telemark skier.
Telemark skis. These should only be used for this program if you are at least an advanced-intermediate telemark skier with some backcountry experience. This system is more difficult and less forgiving than the others.
Snowboarding with a Split Board is the most effective way to snowboard in the back country. We recommend this system to advanced snowboarder over snowshoeing.
