Guided ski touring

Guided Ski touring Week  This is the ultimate ski touring holiday.  Deep powder, comfortable lodge, local guide, cook, and gourmet meals; all you have to do is show up and ski.  You will be sharing the lodge with a small group of friends in a remote wilderness setting. Having a guide will ensure that you get the best ski week possible. Their familiarity with the area will allow you to comfortably travel to some of the farther corners of Icefall's huge area.

Guides

Ski guides at Icefall are certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides ACMG and/or the International Federation of Mountain Guides IFMGA. They are familiar with the complex terrain at Icefall and will get you the best skiing for your uphill effort. In addition to snowpack analysis and avalanche safety, they are familiar with glacier travel and crevasse rescue. This opens up a new world of skiing in the high alpine. Safety is the primary concern of your guides and their knowledge of the terrain and conditions will help you get the best ski week possible. Below are just a couple fo the options possible.

 

Mt Kemmel 3150m, 10,300 feet

This is a classic ski touring objective that can be skied in most conditions and offers outstanding views in all directions. The normal line skis up Home Run, traverses the Kemmel Glacier, and then ascends the south east ridge to the summit. Although skis can be worn to the summit, the final traverse of the summit ridge has more of a ski mountaineering feel to it, as you want to stay well back from the cornice on the right hand side. After you have finished taking in the views of the Columbia Icefield to the north, the Selkirk Mountains to the west, and Mt Forbes to the south you are treated to 1200m (4000 feet) of skiing back down to the lodge. Descent options vary from the relatively safe line that you ski toured up, to the more committing couloirs on the East face. Some of these lines are up to 45 degrees and offer over 600m vertical before reaching the Kemmel Glacier.

Mt La Clytte 2900m, 9500 feet

The north east facing glacier on La Clytte was made for skiing; long consistent fall line slopes, sheltered snow, and enough room to spend a couple of days. The ski summit offers superb views, while the true summit (50m higher) requires rope and crampons to ascend. The approach from Icefall lodge follows the summer trail for a couple hundred meters through the forest before breaking out into the open. A broad treeline ridge is followed to Keffi Pass at 2350m (7800 feet). From here there is a 200m run down the east slopes, before climbing up to the icefall at the toe of the La Clytte Glacier. The La Clytte Glacier starts flat getting steeper as you approach the summit. Some of the steeper shoulders on La Clytte offer pitches up to 45 degrees. Returning to the lodge is by the same route or several options including a skin up to Espresso Ridge and a steep ski straight down to the lodge. In good stability the Groove Tube, a broad chute up to 45 degrees, offers the most direct decent off the south west side of the summit ridge.

Tempest Glacier

This is a long loop tour that takes you under the dramatic East Face of Rostrum Peak and all the way down to Icefall Brook. From the high point of Porcupine Saddle, it is a 1600m (5,000 ft) ski to the valley bottom. This tour takes you through some of the most impressive glacier landscape that you will see anywhere in the world. The variety is huge with everything from tree skiing, to glaciers and unforgettable rock features. There is almost 2200m of skiing (and skinning) on this day.

Mount Lyell (peak5), Christian Peak, 3390 meters, 11,122 feet

This is the furthest south of the 5 Lyell peaks, all over 11, 000 feet. Although there are several steep sections both on the approach and on the final summit headwall, you can ski tour right from the summit of this peak. From the hut you ski up and over Keffi Pass, as you would to approach La Clytte. From the Toe of La Clytte Glacier you head west onto the Lens Glacier which is ringed by steep red striped rock bands. There is a steep climb of 100m from the glacier to Crampon Col 2800m (9200 feet). From here you get your first view of the vast Lyell Glaciers, which span over 30 square km and join the Alexandria Glacier to the north and the Mons Glacier to the south. Both sides of this Col are steep. The south west side is narrow and normally requires a boot pack to ascend, while the north east side is wider and can normally be skied up and down although there is a Bergschrund on the skiers right (southeast) side that must be avoided. After the initial steep section there is a more gradual descent of the east facing slopes for a 200m run.

After traversing the flat sea of ice for a kilometer the route gets steeper as you approach the flanks of Christian Peak. The broad lower flanks offer a vast amount of skiing with pitches of various steepness. A broad bench and a rare rock outcropping offer a good rest spot before the final 150m (500 foot) summit headwall. This is climbed close to the ridge on the left, while lines further climbers right offer steep options for ski descents. From here it is a long ski, with 2000m (6600 feet) vertical of descent. This is a big day and is more often done in the spring when travel conditions are faster.

Tree Skiing:

The sun doesn't always shine. When the snow comes, skiing in the trees offers better visibility and the deepest powder skiing. The Lodge is situated in Kemmel valley, just below tree line and accesses open glades right outside the door. The Kemmel valley has all aspect for tree skiing. The valley alternates between wide open slide paths or more protected trees. The elevation range for the tree skiing is generally from 3500- 7000 feet.

Across an alpine pass to the west lies Rostrum Valley, an entirely separate valley for tree skiing. It is often possible to access this valley in marginal weather, making the bad weather options seem endless.

 

Groups

There will normally be 2 guides at the lodge and the group will be split up to go on different tours each day. These groups are not rigid and you can switch back an forth between group or choose an easier or bigger day depending on how you feel. Sometimes both groups will start out in the same direction and split up part way into the day. There is often one group that stays closer to the lodge allowing the option to return early if you want an easier day. Every effort will be made to make sure that you are with a group that matches your ability.

Ability

To ski tour with a guide at Icefall Lodge you must be an advanced skier. Previous backcountry experience is helpful, but everybody has a first time. At a ski hill you should be comfortable skiing black diamond runs, although if you can ski powder better than piste this may not be a problem.
Either telemark or randonee gear is fine. If you are on telemark equipment you should have stiff boots and short fat skis. If you are on randonee, the boots are stiff and it is still good to have short fat powder skis. Your boots should be broken in and not giving you blisters. Snowboarders should be using a split board setup and should be experienced with their equipment.