Glacier Trekking
Glacier Treks are a fantastic way for friends or families to experience the mountains together. Most trips involve little or no real technical difficulty, so they're ideal for those new to glaciers or a group with varying abilities. You will learn how to rope up for glacier travel and perform basic team crevasse rescue. Crampons may be necessary on certain sections of hard snow or exposed ice. For those looking for a little more excitement, there are almost always short side trips that can be made to bag peaks along the way. In western Canada, we are very fortunate to have such easy access to a wide variety of glaciers, but with global warming the glaciers are changing and melting quickly. Come and experience these impressive expanses of ice while they still exist!
Roger's Pass - Glacier National Park
Famous for its winter ski touring, "The Pass" offers phenomenal Glacier Trekking and Mountaineering in the summer. A scenic hike up the Asulkan Valley brings us to an alpine hut with outstanding views of the surrounding peaks. The comfortable Asulkan Hut is the perfect base to launch out on day trips to Asulkan Pass and Sapphire Col. We may even climb Young's Peak! For the adventurous, looking to spend a night up high, the Sapphire Col Bivi Shelter is a great way to link up the Asulkan Hut and Pass in a 3-4 day circle tour of the Asulkan & Sapphire Glaciers.
Trip length: 2-4 days
Season: Mid-late June to mid-September
Kokanee Glacier Park
Rugged mountain wilderness, pristine glacier fed lakes and flower filled meadows. A hiker's paradise. The luxurious Kokanee Glacier Lodge is our base for this glacier Trek. Built in memory of Michel Trudeau, the lodge overlooks scenic Kaslo Lake and provides access to the glacier capped Kokanee massif. Options for side trips to climb various other peaks in the region are plentiful as there are many summits within range of the lodge.
Trip length: 2-4 days
Day Trip - For fit hikers it is possible to access the Kokanee Glacier via the "Keyhole" (a rock and snow trail with some easy scrambling). From here we can ascend Esmeralda Peak or potentially traverse the glacier to Kokanee Peak and descend the Kokanee-Grays Col back to the car. (1250m vertical gain + 10-12km round trip). ~12 hrs. round trip from Nelson
Season: Early July to mid-September
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Kokanee Glacier Park GRAND TRAVERSE! - New for 2012!
The MUST DO Alpine/Glacier traverse of the West Kootenays!! This amazing 4 day adventure connects the Silver Spray, Woodbury and Kokanee Cabins via peaks and glaciers in the pristine heart of Kokanee Glacier Park! Enjoy spectacular panoramas that only few will ever experience!
Prerequisites: You must be in very good hiking fitness with scrambling experience and capable of carrying a multiday pack over snow covered and rocky terrain for the stated distances and elevation gains. Glacier experience not required but you will be taught how to use a mountain axe and crampons.
ITINERARY
Day 1 – Shuttle vehicles to Gibson Lake and drive to Woodbury Crk parking lot. Hike the steep trail to Silver Spray Cabin. (5km + 1050m elevation gain).
Day 2 – High alpine traverse through steep rocky ridges and scenic alpine tarns to the Woodbury Hut. (5km + 400m elev.)
Day 3 – Alpine & Glacier traverse to Kokanee Lodge via Kane Glacier & Peak, Coffee Pass and Kokanee Glacier. (13km + 1250m elev.) This will be a LONG and demanding day.
Day 4 – Hike the trail down to Gibson Lake and retrieve vehicles from Woodbury Creek. (8km + 100m elev. gain + 480m loss)
Dates:
Aug. 3-6, 2012
$720/person (includes ACMG guide, accommodation and all technical gear)
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Bugaboos - Bugaboo Provincial Park
Touted as "One of the World's Great Alpine Climbing Centers" with its giant towering granite spires rising up through great sheets of ice. The Bugaboos are not just for highly skilled mountain climbers, its impressive glaciers make for great exploring!
The infamous Kain Hut makes a very comfortable base from which to venture out on the Bugaboo, Crescent and Vowell glaciers.
Trip length: 3-4 days
Season: Early July to mid-September
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Starbird Traverse - Purcell Mountains
Located high in the Purcells, west of Radium, BC, this highly glaciated playgound sees little traffic, but offers up an abundance of neat terrain, fun summits and gracious views. The trek traverses the Catamount and North Star glaciers past the remote Olive Hut and the pristine Welsh lakes. Options exist to climb peaks along the way like Mt. Harmon, Griffith, Black Fang, Gwendoline, North Star and others.
Trip length: 3-5 days
Season: Early July to mid-September
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Wapta Traverse - Banff National Park
The Wapta Traverse is the classic "Haute Route" of Canada. It is located in the Rocky Mountains west of the Icefields Parkway (which connects Jasper and Lake Louise). With 4 huts in succession, and a multitude of easy to moderate peaks along the way there are several options to make the traverse short and sweet or highly adventurous. The Wapta huts are very comfortable and assume majestic positions along this vast expanse of icy high ground. A must-do!
The Classic Wapta traverse is usually done north to south passing the Peyto, Bow, Balfour, and Scott Duncan huts along the way and takes 4-6 days.
The Mini Wapta usually starts at Bow Lake, running north from the Bow to Peyto huts and takes 3-4 days.
Trip length: 3-6 days
Season: Mid-late June to late-September
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Valley of the Ten Peaks - Banff National Park
This is a mind-blowing circuit, linking the finest new ACC Fay Hut with Canada's highest - the Neil Colgan Hut. The hike up Prospector's Valley is filled with colorful fireweed (after the fires of 2003 that burned down the old Fay Hut) and leads to some fixed rope which negotiates a steep headwall to access the palatial Fay Hut with expansive views over the entire valley. The next leg winds cleverly through steep terrain to gain high moraines among the famous "Ten Peaks" and the glacier leading to the Neil Colgan Hut. After a night at over 9600 ft. we descend the glacier and the "Perren Route" (climber's access to the Neil Colgan) via a series of roped lowers over 3 rock cliffs. The exposure may be a bit daunting, but the task is really quite basic and all the while you enjoy stellar views over Moraine Lake and across to Mt. Temple.
Trip length: 3-4 days
Season: Early July to mid-September
Note: This trip may be combined with the Abbot Pass Traverse by spending a night at the Moraine Lake Lodge or other accommodation in Lake Louise to make for a 5 day (continuing from Lk. O'Hara) or 6 day (continuing from Moraine Lk.) trip!
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Abbot Pass Traverse - Banff National Park
Nestled high between Mounts Victoria and Lefroy, the Abbot Pass is a magical place, riddled with a century of mountaineering history. 95% of the people that ever go there via the brilliant stone path of Lawrence Grassi, come back down the same way. But we will go over the top and on to Lake Louise via the "Death Trap" of the upper Victoria Glacier (early season) or the masterfully clever Fuhrmann rock ledges (late season).
The trip begins at Moraine Lake, images of which adorn many postcards with its azure blue lakes and glaciated peaks. From here we cross over Wenkchemna Pass to reach the hidden valley which accesses Opabin Pass via small glaciers on either side. Eventually, easy hiking trails lead us to pristine Lake O'Hara and the Elizabeth Parker Hut for a good night's rest before tackling the ascent to Abbot Pass.
Day 1 - Moraine Lake to Lake O'Hara & Elizabeth Parker hut (1200m vertical gain + 18km)
Day 2 - Lake O'Hara to Abbot Pass (900m vertical gain + 6km)
Day 3 - Abbot Pass to Lake Louise (1200m vertical loss + 9km)
Trip length: 3 days
Season: Late June to mid-September
Note: This trip may be combined with the Valley of the Ten Peaks by spending a night at the Moraine Lake Lodge or other accommodation in Lake Louise to make for a 5 day (continuing from Lk. O'Hara) or 6 day (continuing from Moraine Lk.) trip!
View Abbot Pass Traverse in a larger map
