Alternative Wapta Traverse, 4 Days, Skiing from Bow to Yoho
Experience an alternate Bow - Yoho ski touring adventure in the Wapta ice field area in the Rockies of British Columbia, Canada with IFMGA certified guide Brent.
Private
Rockies
+1 Days
Jan, Dec
High
Intermediate
Highlights
- Spend 4 days traversing the famed Wapta ice field in British Columbia, Canada.
- Spend the night in a different hut, including the Bow, Guy and Stanley Mitchell.
- Enjoy a number of amazing descents and views throughout the trip.
Description
A lesser known version of the Wapta ice field traverse, the Bow – Yoho route goes from east to west, and is full of tremendous highlights.
Located in the Rockies of British Columbia, Canada, the Wapta ice field is an incredible spot definitely worth a visit. The collection of glaciers and cols will give any visitor a clear view as to what makes the area so enchanting. Moreover, there are a number of amazing ski mountaineering summits that you can enjoy. Some of those peaks include Mont des Poilus, Mount Gordon, Mount St. Nicolas and the Presidents. Thus making this trip ideal for those looking for a great ski touring opportunity.
Another great aspect to this trip is that you will be staying in a different, mountain hut along the way. Those huts include the Bow hut, the Guy hut and the historic Stanley Mitchell hut, which was built back in 1940. Each one of these huts will give you a comfortable place to rest and recuperate. Also, the areas around the huts are full of fantastic descends that you can enjoy to your heart’s content.
Due to the rugged nature of the Wapta ice field, and the distances we will cover during this trip, it is important that participants are in good physical condition. It is also necessary that participants are able to ski tour at an intermediate or higher level.
A must for anybody who loves the winter landscape of the Canadian west, the Wapta ice field is unforgettable. And the lesser known Bow – Yoho route is a wonderful way to enjoy it. To experience it for yourself, just send me a request.
I can also lead you on the Peyto hut to Scott Duncan hut 5 day Wapta traverse as well.
Price includes
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Permit and entrance fees
Price details
- The price includes the guiding fee, hut fees, backcountry entrance fees, meals and glacier travel equipment, including harness, ropes, crampons and more.
Meeting point
Itinerary
Day 1: Bow Hut
We will drive to the Num-ti jah lodge at Bow lake. From there, we will cross the frozen lake and venture up the canyon toward the Wapta ice field, until we reach the Bow hut, where we will spend the night. For those who have the extra energy, there is the opportunity to summit peaks like Mount Gordon or Mount Nicolas. We will be travelling for approximately 3-5 hours, covering a distance of 7 kilometers with an ascent of 450 meters.
Day 2: Guy Hut
We will traverse the Wapta ice field by way of the Gordon – Rhonda pass on our way to the Guy hut, where we will spend the night. We will be travelling for approximately 6-8 hours, covering a distance of 11 kilometers with an ascent of 950 meters.
Day 3: Stanley Mitchell hut
Today we will pass through Isolated col, before enjoying a great descent to the Stanley Mitchell hut, where we will spend the night. There are also several peaks you can ascend and descend if you have the energy. Those peaks include Mount des Poilus, Isolated peak and Mount MacArthur. We will be covering a distance of 8 kilometers with an ascent of 350 meters.
Day 4: Emerald Lake or Takakkaw Falls
After skiing on the slopes around the Stanley Mitchell hut, we will make our way to either Emerald lake or Takakkaw falls.
About the guide
Brent
4.8
(28)
Mountain Guide
Based in Canmore, Alberta, I am an IFMGA- and ACMG-certified mountain guide. I also serve in the Canadian Armed Forces and am a founding partner of the Outward Bound Veterans Program.
My mission is for you to learn the skills to be competent and independent in the backcountry. I will break down complex skill sets into individual building blocks for you to learn progressively and confidently. After learning the skills, you will get to practice them in the backcountry with my guidance or that of one of the ACMG-certified guides in my team.
Languages
English
Certificates
ACMG
What people are saying about Brent
Tim
Brent guided us on an 8 pitch adventure and three single pitch climbs, all of which he'd bolted himself, accommodating our preferences of leading vs top roping. We learnt a lot of new skills as this was our first experience of multi-pitch. None of this was too hard, but he pointed out a couple of areas of much harder climbing. Brent is a great person to contact if you are travelling to Exshaw/Canmore. He's bolted a lot of the routes, is building a via ferrata and has lots of outdoor equipment available to hire.
Iris
Jeff was an amazing climbing guide and covered a lot of multi-pitch climbing in a day. I’ve learned everything I needed to do multi-pitch i.e. all the gotchas and safety and now I feel confident doing all of that autonomously. It was just a day but managed to cover all the basics and even do a climb as lead and follower in a very nice crag. Will definitely get their help again when I’m back in Canada with friends. Thanks again!
Joanne
We had an amazing time with Brent and it was the highlight of our trip. It was perfectly suited for us and a great way for us to try multi-pitch climbing. Brent was very knowledgeable and we felt that we were in safe hands the whole time. We would definitely do this again if we were in Canmore again.
Daniel
Jeff was such an amazing guide! Very easy to talk to, learn from, and adventure with. He really made our climbing adventure so great! He was also very experienced and knowledgeable, so our safety (and fun) was never a concern.
Emily
Jeff McKeough from PeakStratagem was our guide for a full day of climbing. He was excellent - very professional, friendly and enthusiastic. Thanks so much Jeff, we had a super fun day out on Chocolate Frog!
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