A very remote traverse through rarely visited Canadian wilderness…
The Waddington Range is a sub-range of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in southwestern British Columbia. It is the highest area of the Pacific Ranges, being crowned by its namesake Mount Waddington 4,019 m
This 8 day heli-access ski traverse follows the height of land across the Icefield from East to West over roughly 50km. Along the way we will have many opportunities to ascend stunning ski peaks including; Mount Agur, Mount Munday, Mount Jester, Cavalier Mountain, Regal Dome, Finality Mountain and Jubilee Mountain.
The weather and conditions will have a direct effect on our exact itinerary, please note that we can not guarantee specific timing and objectives due to the unpredictability of weather and flying into the mountains. Below is a sample itinerary. The group will meet at a hotel in Williams Lake BC the evening before the trip starts. There, we will have a group dinner and do a final gear check and review weather conditions.
- Day 1 We will wake up very early and drive West along HWY 20 to Bluff Lake (3.5hrs) where we will meet our pilot at White Saddle Helicopters. After a helicopter briefing, we will fly-in to the starting point of our ski traverse near Waddington Glacier.
- Days 2-7 We will complete our ski traverse across the Waddington Icefield from East to West. The full traverse length is relatively short: 50km. This will allow us to attempt multiple ski peaks as day trips from various camp locations along the way. Some of the possible ski peaks include: Mount Agur, Mount Munday, Mount Jester, Cavalier Mountain, Regal Dome and Finality Mountain.
- Day 8 Depending on the weather, conditions and participants, we will do a morning attempt to ski Mount Jubilee before flying back out to Bluff Lake and beginning our separate journeys homes
This is an advance 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.
The Waddington Icefield is located in the Coast Mountains of Southwestern British Columbia. We will access this pristine and remote mountain wilderness area by helicopter from Bluff Lake. Bluff Lake is a 3.5hrs drive West along HWY 20 from our meeting point in Willliams Lake BC. Getting to Williams Lake by vehicle from either Vancouver or Calgary could take up to 10 hours. Air Canada has daily flights into Williams Lake from Vancouver. There is also an airstrip at Anaheim Lake from where it is a 1.5 hour drive to Bluff Lake, transportation can be arranged depending on group size.
The weather in Southwestern BC can vary drastically, specially in the Spring time. In Winter you can expect day time temperatures ranging from -20C to –10C while in Spring daily temperatures could rise above freezing.
Overnight temperatures will often dip to -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.
Where can I rent Ski touring and safety equipment?
Summit Mountain Guides has a limited amount of winter safety equipment available for rental. Contact us for availability. There is unfortunately no gear rental available at our meeting location in Williams Lake or our starting point in Bluff Lake. You equipment rental needs must be attended to prior to the trip in a larger center. Contact us for more info.
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.
