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    • Backcounty Newbie Advice

    BACKCOUNTRY NEWS AND FORUMS

    Welcome to your source for the latest news, conditions, and insights on backcountry skiing and adventuring. Explore reports, gear reviews, safety tips, and more to help you make the most of your time in the wild.

    If you sign up as a member this is your chance to tell everyone about everything and anything to do with backcountry skiing. Follow the simple steps to register and WHAMMY, you’re in. If you are pulling your hair out with frustration, have a look at the help forums for answers or take a pause and drop us an email at: info (at) backcountryskiingcanada.com. We’ll do our best to help out as soon as we can (but all bets are off on a powder day, obviously).  


    Backcounty Newbie Advice

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    • DirtyMike34
      2013-10-13 12:07:03

      Backcounty Newbie Advice

      My friend and I are just about to start our first season in the backcountry(we have all our recommended courses and gear). We are looking for some relatively mellow tours in in the K-Country/Canmore/Banff area to cut our teeth on. Both of us are very experienced riders with a fair amount of deep powder riding. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

    • Robin Hartikainen
      2013-10-16 01:48:51

      I know that we do have a guide book available but I do not have a contact in that area, the only resource I know of is a guide name Shaun King,  I can give you his contacts if you want take a course in that area, I think he's based in Canmore.  For the guide, let us know if you'd like one of the guides, it's quite good and because we write guides for people that are new to this activity it has some of the easier routes.  There is a link to a store on the top bar, the guides are available there.

      Thx for your question.

      If anyone is available on here who has a more direct answer please respond.


      Robin

    • dromo_mania
      2013-10-17 19:21:35

      Healy Pass, just outside the Sunshine base area has a tour for several kilometres into the Simpson & Healy Creek/ Valley. Fairly popular and even though is fairly flat for the first 6+ kilometres.. the ridge turns into some yo-yo skiing and is a local hit for the people who venture that way. It would be a full day to the ridge & back. It would suck if you were a Splitboarder..

      The other side of the ridge turns into a fairly gladed adventure to Egypt lake shelter..(http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/randonee-backpacking/egypt.aspx) which is spartan and an example of one of the few remaining Parks Canada huts. I reaffirm the word 'spartan'. The hut would make a full day in the right conditions for a novice. This is avalanche terrain. The excitement level of steep and deep turns, not so much.

      Note- the Simpson pass towards Sunshine takes specific route taking and is a terrain trap certain times of the season.

      In Kananaskis region, look through this website for Burstall & Black Prince areas. Burstal is a l-o-n-g walk/ approach in for so so rewards..

      Consider staying at the Ribbon Creek HI in K-country to save shuttling time or making the most of your weekend. Its a cheap place to stay, clean and the kitchen is well equiped. Hot showers and tidy..

    • TH
      2013-10-30 12:06:47

      If you drive a bit further up the 93 north, about 30 min past Lake Louise, there are a few great newbie options. Bow Summit can be a super short day but it is really popular and there is always a packed trail so you dont have to spend a lot of energy breaking trail. Runs are pretty short but it is a great place if you are learning. There are often AST courses happening on the weekends there so you can always eavesdrop. Crowfoot glades is a step up from that, there is plenty of terrain to choose from (short, mellow runs, glade skiing, a few avy shoots etc)  and it will allow you to evaluate terrain and make choices from really exposed to not so much. Super pretty up there also.

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