 
mountain adventures
MOUNTAINEERING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
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Mountaineering, Climbing, and Skiing In The Canadian Rockies
Join us for an exciting week of backcountry skiing at the very nice Campbell Icefields Chalet. Glaciers, peaks, glades, huge basins and trees … great skiing whatever the weather! The Campbell Icefields are located on the western slopes of the Rockies, 40km north of Golden, British Columbia. The Chalet is surrounded by the Campbell Icefield and several glaciers and lies between the Freshfield Massif and the Waitabit Mountains. The emphasis of the week will be to get out and ski as much as possible. March is a good month for ski mountaineering and we'll be trying to get up high amongst the spectacular peaks surrounding the Icefields. So come and join us for a week of fun, hopefully sun and great mountain skiing! PROGRAM DETAILSDates2009: April 11 - 18 Price$2000 CDN includes guiding, accommodations, cook, meals and helicopter flights. Cancellation insurance is available for $104. GST is extra.
Currency Exchange Calculator Meeting Time and PlaceNew information, effective Feb. 25th/08. For the March 8th/08 Departure: We will meet everyone at 10am (MST) at the staging area in Donald which is 30km west of Golden just off the Trans Canada Highway. They have recently moved the staging area location and the new map is here: Click here for directions to staging area. Most clients spend Friday night in Golden and meet the group at the staging area. Info on Golden Accommodation. Program AgendaSaturday: Meet us at at 10am (MST) at the staging area in Donald which is 30km west of Golden just off the Trans Canada Highway. We will check gear then shuttle into the Chalet by helicopter (a 15 minute flight). The Chalet is just below treeline at 2040m / 6,700ft.above sea level. On arrival we move our gear into the Chalet then head back outside for an avalanche safety briefing and beacon practice. We'll then be ready to try out the snow until it's time for supper.
Sunday to Friday: The varied terrain surrounding the Chalet will give us plenty of scope for daily ski tours. Weather and snow conditions dictate where we head each day. Good weather will allow us to get above treeline and onto the glaciers, if it's snowing and the visibility poor we can head for the trees and glades where the best is snow is found anyway!
Saturday: After packing most of our gear we'll use the last of our time to get in a few more turns before the helicopter returns to shuttle us down from this memorable week of snow, skiing, mountains and fun. We will be back in Canmore by early evening. IMPORTANT NOTE: As always in the mountains safety is our biggest concern and where we ski each day will be governed by weather and snow stability. Guides & Group SizeThe program will be lead by a fully-certified Yamnuska Ski or Mountain Guide plus other guides depending on group size. There will be a minimum of 8 participants, a maximum of 15. Difficulty & Prerequisites
'Advanced intermediate' means that you are comfortable making parallel turns on most terrain at a ski hill and that you have enough ski skills to deal safely with all but the most extreme terrain found at a ski hill (that is to say you can stop, turn around then traverse out of areas you can't handle). You also need to be in good aerobic shape, as you will have to "skin" up everything you ski down. You will get a good workout each day so need to be ready. You will be skiing with a daypack containing your lunch, water and spare clothing. No prior ski mountaineering experience needed. TrainingAny training you can do will greatly enhance your experience. The ideal would be to do some ski touring or X-C skiing in your own area. Don't try to go too fast but concentrate on even breathing and pacing. The hillier the terrain the better and if you can carry a moderate day pack then better still. Running or cycling is also good training.
Transportation
Canmore is a 1hour (100km) drive west from Calgary. Golden is a further 1.5 hours drive west. Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore. Greyhound Bus Lines (1 800 661 8747) serves Canmore from points east and west along the Trans-Canada Highway. Call 609 0300, 609 1490 or 609 8897 for taxis in Canmore. Accommodation
For accommodation in Canmore before and after the trip there are lots of options available including hostels, B'n'Bs, motels and hotels! Check accommodation options on our links page for our recommendations. The Alpine Club Clubhouse (403 678 3200) is a good hostel here in Canmore with good facilities and reasonable prices. MealsMeals at the lodge will be great! These will be prepared by a cook who will accompany the group. Your occasional assistance with household chores would be appreciated however. All out-trip meals, snacks and drinks are supplied. We will be flying in regular food items (no freeze dry foods etc). We do cater to regular vegetarians (no meat, dairy OK); let us know if you need vegetarian meals. Please let us know, well in advance, if you have any dietary restrictions. Equipment & ClothingYou will need to bring your own clothing, avalanche beacon, snow shovel, probe, skis, poles, climbing skins and daypack. We have many of these items available to rent and if not can pre-arrange them for you. We supply other group safety items (ropes, harnesses, crevasse rescue gear etc). Rental Gear You will be able to leave excess gear in Canmore whilst on the trip The equipment and clothing you bring will have a big impact upon the quality of your experience. Please be sure to bring all items listed. If unsure about anything please don't hesitate to call and ask us! SkisThere are two ski systems you can use: System 1 '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. System 2 '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 other. 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 should you bring 'Telemark' gear. Both types of gear can be rented in Calgary or Canmore prior to the trip Equipment ListYou need to bring:
Optional EquipmentYamnuska supplies but feel free to bring anyway:
Clothing ListWe suggest bringing light clothing of varying thicknesses that can be 'layered' to achieve comfort and versatility. The most important consideration for clothing is the ability to regulate temperature as you change from periods of activity to periods of rest and from the ascent to the descent.
Rental InformationSkis, Boots, Skins & poles can be rented from:
Yamnuska has avalanche beacons, shovels, probes, sleeping bags and backpacks for rent Rental Gear InsuranceShould you need to be evacuated you may be liable for this cost. It is wise, to ensure that your health plan will cover you in this case or in case of illness or accident whilst here. Obtain extra coverage if necessary. Booking InformationPlease book as early as practical to avoid
disappointment. We require a $724 CDN deposit including taxes with the balance due 8
weeks in advance, after that, full payment is required. To avoid
unnecessary cancellation penalties we suggest you take our cancellation
insurance for an extra non-refundable $104, this must accompany your
deposit.
PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO
CONTACT US IF
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Participants should be able to ski in
the backcountry at least to an advanced intermediate level as the terrain
may be tight in the trees and snow conditions variable (it's often great
powder but much as we'd like to guarantee that, that would taking nature
for granted … not a good thing to do). 
Participants
are responsible for their own transport to Canmore and to the helipad near
Golden B.C. We will help coordinate a carpool and with extra transport
should that not suffice. Let us know if you give someone a ride or if you
will need one.
This is one of the best back country
lodges in B.C. Beautifully built by some of the best hut-builders around.
It is well insulated and heated and doesn't feel much different from home!
We will be sharing double occupancy rooms with beds that can be joined to
make a double. 
After
a good day of skiing you'll really enjoy the sauna and will also be able
to take a shower too.
Yamnuska Mountain
Adventures
