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        <title><![CDATA[Rocky Mountains]]></title>
        <description>RSS of Rocky Mountains</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:47:51 -0700</pubDate>
        <link>https://www.backcountryskiingcanada.com</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Best Hut-to-Hut Ski Traverses]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Excellent synopsis of the ski traverses available in the Canadian Rockies - check out the video below for the whole run down!
&amp;nbsp;





&amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2021-12-21 08:15:35</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies-Ski-Traverses</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies-Ski-Traverses</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 30-Mar-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 30 March 17
&amp;nbsp;

Welcome to one of the first weekends without a big weather system hitting the Rockies. How does it feel?
&amp;nbsp;

Things are slowly getting warmer due to the longer days and that sun is packing a punch right now. All throughout the Rockies solar slopes are getting baked so factor that into your travel plans. Now is the time to start dragging your lazy butt out of bed a couple of hours earlier.
&amp;nbsp;

Kananaskis just got a bit more snow than forecast, up to 30cm in places, but it seemed to be bonding fairly well to the suncrust we observed on solar aspects at BTL and at TL. That will undoubtedly change as we were observing it on an overcast day. We did see evidence of natural activity on both SE and NW aspects, presumably from solar radiation and wind loading. Higher up in the alpine things were a different story, with wind loading of up to 50cms on lee areas on a slippery wind hammered base. This did not inspire confidence.
&amp;nbsp;



We pulled the pin after seeing how much wind loading there was. Our hand

pit block slid off the wind layer below with light pressure. Another party skied this after we bailed so it was probably fine.
&amp;nbsp;

The 93N also saw some snow last weekend and the light winds have been picking this moist stuff up and putting it on lee aspects. Reactive wind slabs were observed on E slopes and that warm sun was making things move on the S/SW aspects. The skiing was quite good the alpine and high TL provided things stayed cool and cloudy; as soon as the sun hit the snow it became a sticky situation. A small pulse of snow heading into the weekend is expected.
&amp;nbsp;



Warm temps are starting to make things move. Start and finish early if you&amp;rsquo;re skiing solar aspects and look out for cornices!

Variability is the word here with the oh so prolific facets seemingly present in some areas but not others. The forecast is advocating you give every slope the stink eye. Probe and dig to see what&amp;rsquo;s down there before committing to a line. A cornice falling on a slope above you could also ruin your day. &amp;nbsp;So get up early, bring your skin wax and have fun. Spring is just around the corner so make the most of the soft snow while it lasts.&amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-03-31 07:40:01</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2030-Mar-17</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2030-Mar-17</guid>
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                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Egypt Lakes Trip Report]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[
In the hopes to avoid some of those terrible conditions I headed out to the Great Divide at the start of the week.
&amp;nbsp;

The ski up Healy creek started with fresh little ice gibbets covering the skin track making for annoying but fast travel. Rain the previous night had set a nice luge track for the down sections meaning I made good time to the base of the slide paths. After poking my head out the trees I realised that the big red reset button hadn&amp;rsquo;t been pushed on any of the Healy slide paths so I ducked around them in the trees. Coming up to the alpine I was faced with a nice breakable crust below some new windslab which meant I was punching down twice with every step. I wasn&amp;rsquo;t too happy with this. Heading to the campsite was arguably the most difficult descent of my life with a heavy pack on my back and rain crust under my feet. 
&amp;nbsp;

I met the other guys at the campground and I learned that they slogged their way in through rain. I&amp;rsquo;m pretty sure I got off easy.
&amp;nbsp;

On Monday we headed out to Sphinx lake on the recommendation that the best snow was there. The best snow for the area. Not the best snow ever. Travel was good with the rain/melt crust disappearing at around 2250-2300m and giving way to nice soft snow. The chutes we looked at can only be described as a larger version of the ever popular Tryst lake, with some big cornices, steeper runs and tricky features to negotiate. Having not much confidence in the snowpack we skinned up the skyline ridge in the photo below and poked around a bit before declaring things good. Our entry points were well below the lee ridge, cornices and thinner top section. It was some 1-2m of harder wind compacted snow on facets with a nice wind buff on top. This made for good skiing and after arguing about who was going first we got a couple of laps in on the shoulder. 
&amp;nbsp;



Marcus dropping in first and pinning it. 



Steep chutes around Sphinx Lake. We rode the rightmost chute, ridge and tree triangle, entering just above&amp;nbsp;the top tree. &amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;

We were joined by another fella on Monday night and decided to see how things were in the morning before planning much. Tuesday came with high winds and widespread cloud cover so we toured out to Talc Lake, south of the campground. Here we saw some widespread activity which appeared to be a mix of full depth slides releasing at thin points and just surface snow, leaving the possibility for hangfire from above. This changed our plans somewhat as no one was really too excited to ski below the&amp;nbsp;crowns. We changed our plans yet again and toured down to Mummy Lake for a look. We decided to head back to the campground by way of the Giza couloir, which turned out to be a&amp;nbsp;wind sculpted run full of little berms and other wind features. Stability was quite good, however due to the lower elevation of this run the fan was horrendous with debris from slough and the crust lurking just below the surface. 
&amp;nbsp;



Heading back from the Giza couloir. Some cool wind features in there. 
&amp;nbsp;

This area hasn&amp;rsquo;t really experienced the big cycle that hit the rest of the Rockies last weekend, which means there&amp;rsquo;s still plenty of snow out there just waiting for the right trigger.&amp;nbsp;

All over the Rockies we&amp;rsquo;re in the low probability/high risk phase of winter. This means that things will probably run big if they do go. So stay away from thin spots which will step down and get away from big triggers like cornices, big wind slabs and slopes hit by solar radiation. Unfortunately this covers most aspects around here so it&amp;rsquo;s all down to working terrain in the particular zone you&amp;rsquo;re in. ]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-03-24 07:24:08</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Egypt%20Lakes%20TR</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Egypt%20Lakes%20TR</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 16-Mar-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[
Rockies Conditions 16-Mar-17 aka The Stern Talk
&amp;nbsp;

I&amp;rsquo;m not going to tell you what to do because I&amp;rsquo;m not your mum but just have a think about what you want to do this weekend. 
&amp;nbsp;



Kananaskis ain&amp;rsquo;t looking any better. 
&amp;nbsp;

There&amp;#39;s a big cycle happening right meow. The 93N is closed until Sundayish so scrap any plans for up that way. Many slides are running historic full paths. Be aware of when you&amp;rsquo;re in avalanche terrain and avoid even the most extreme runouts. Popular XC tracks such as the Lake O&amp;rsquo;hara access road have had slides run across them. Tent ridge in K-country ran full path last week and destroyed some old growth. The powder cloud from a slide that ran on Fairview almost reached a party climbing Louise Falls. Anyone skiing across the lake would have probably had a bad time.
&amp;nbsp;

I&amp;rsquo;m just trying to stress to everyone thinking about heading out this weekend to be absolutely sure that you&amp;rsquo;re travelling through the terrain safely. That meadow skip you had planned sounds like a smart option, but perhaps the approach crosses some slide paths. Maybe that XC trip you decided on instead is wise, but keep in mind that you&amp;rsquo;re going to want to be deep in the old growth to stay safe. 

Remember that simple terrain, by definition, MAY involve runout zones of infrequent avalanches. Those infrequent avalanches are probably happening this weekend (e.g. Lake O&amp;rsquo;Hara approach, Lake Louise shore). If you&amp;rsquo;ve got any doubts about your skills and judgement, hit the resorts. They got a lot of snow.

Update: Looks like the 93S is closed due to avalanche risk as well. Yeesh. &amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-03-17 06:49:03</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2016-Mar-17</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2016-Mar-17</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 09-Mar-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[

Another weekend, another weather system. Guess what, it&amp;rsquo;s going to snow and get warm and windy and then things are gonna slide. So I guess all I can do is just let all you 9-5ers know what I observed this week and make subtle jabs about how I get to ski more than you. 
&amp;nbsp;

I had some fun at the start of the week in some trees along the Divide. The skiing was fast and the snow was soft, but it was slabbing up in steeper areas and I did hear a couple of settlements when breaking trail. Approaching the alpine there was probably 20-40cms of soft cohesive snow on a strong midpack. I&amp;rsquo;ll not mention the base or lack thereof. Watching the avy control going on across the road was spooking me so I decided to rein in my plans for the day and head on home. 


We also headed up the 93S yesterday to see how the warm March sun was affecting southern slopes. Looks like things are cooking faster than a Brit on Bondi beach with lots of small point releases and some pinwheeling visible. We also observed many recent slides of what was probably storm snow, up to 2.5 on all points of the compass. The cornices on lee aspects are also getting yuuuuge and a couple spots had collapsed and triggered slides on slopes below. The snow was sticky on the way down but that could definitely been my lack of wax. Nevertheless we had some great turns on low angle stuff. As we were leaving at around 1pm it looked like the weather was moving in and things were getting warm. 
&amp;nbsp;

Kananaskis also got a lookin this week, I managed to cover all the bases. Things are pretty good there too ski wise, and stability seems to be coasting along in the sketchy-touchy fashion we all know and respect. A big cornice failure in the Tryst lake area really reminded many people that it&amp;rsquo;s not as safe as it may seem to be, you probably read about it on the MIN. I also managed to get a sweet photo of the post storm EEOR bombing so that was pretty sweet. 
Boom!
&amp;nbsp;
All of this is probably moot as the system moving in will load the reactive storm snow from last week and kick off another avy cycle. It looks like 10-20cm is forecast across the region, with strong winds and temps a bit below freezing. It seems like the sensible thing to do this weekend is to get out, minimise your overhead hazard and stick to some low angle slopes. 
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-03-10 08:36:40</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2009-Mar-17</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2009-Mar-17</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 03-Mar-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[
I swear every weekend a system moves in and ruins all my prepared handy terrain tips to find secret pow stashes.
&amp;nbsp;

The Banff region is expecting a short but intense storm today which should bring around a foot between now and Saturday morning. Sounds good huh? The avalanche risk has also spiked and will taper off whenever the storm does. SW aspects will be wind blasted as strong gusts are expected above 2000m. By all accounts the skiing was quite good before this system moved in so I can only expect that it&amp;rsquo;ll continue to be good afterwards. Sound logic if you ask me.&amp;nbsp;Reactive windslabs were reported in many areas so plan your routes carefully if you head out. 
&amp;nbsp;

Kananaskis will not bear the brunt of this system and are only expecting around half a foot. However this will be blown around by moderate to strong winds which will load up the N/NE aspects good and proper. Earlier this week I was poking around there and saw multiple incidents of cornice collapses. I can only expect that more will go with this wind and loading so it wouldn&amp;rsquo;t be wise to be scooting around under any. 

The weak base isn&amp;rsquo;t going away anywhere and the midpack seems to change in every area I go to. For those that are planning to rip sheltered areas below headwalls (such as Crowfoot Glades) this weekend; be aware that warm winds and lots of snow might make those cornices go pop.

Drop us a comment below if you end up heading out this weekend.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-03-03 07:45:13</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2003-Mar-17</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2003-Mar-17</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 17-Feb-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[
It rained yesterday, the perfect sting in the tail of a week of above freezing temps. Things are going to be tricky for a little while. 
&amp;nbsp;

Having not been up the Parkway for a few weeks and feeling lucky despite rain in the forecast I decided to risk a trip up there. It was drizzling in Banff and coming down hard from the 93S junction through to Lake Louise. As soon as we turned off the highway that rain turned to big heavy wet snowflakes. Skinning was tough without wax to keep the glob at bay. It was around 0 degrees all day and snowing hard. 
The trees sure are pretty right now
&amp;nbsp;
Ski quality was good to excellent at treeline and below, with very reactive wind slabs, shooting cracks, poor visibility and wind keeping us out of the alpine. We also heard three naturals run off a nearby wall and plenty of whumphing to keep us on our toes. I almost went for a swim when a settlement collapsed the snow bridge I was about to cross. 



Struggling in the heavy stuff on the Icefields Parkway&amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;

Kananaskis also appears to have gotten a fresh skiff of presumably heavy snow. We were out there early in the week suffering the warmth and experienced the usual decomposing stuff on an unsupportive base. Ski quality was average with heavy, wet snow being the real problem. 
&amp;nbsp;

With an overnight freeze forecast throughout the area ski quality should be pretty good north of Canmore, so long as you can get above the rain crust which is likely to form at lower elevations. Parks have also reported seeing loose wet avalanches running on Thursday, and a skier triggered 2.5 in the Lake Louise slack was reported on Wednesday. Super scary stuff. 

Let us know where you end up poking your nose!

Edit: Yet another Special Public Avalanche Warning was issued today for the Rockies region. Play safe out there!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-02-17 07:30:51</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies-Conditions-17-Feb</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies-Conditions-17-Feb</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[I&amp;rsquo;m going to assume that no one&amp;rsquo;s heading out this weekend because of avalanches and stuff. There&amp;rsquo;s a Special Public Avalanche Warning out too, cos we got lots of snow and more on the way. This is all sitting on the terrible stuff we&amp;rsquo;ve been skiing for the past few months.

Lol
&amp;nbsp;

We headed out along the 93S this week in search of that powder that came down and we found it, and other things. On a NW alpine bowl feature we found a windslab sandwich of hard and soft snow. One lap was enough to convince us that skiing that was a waste of time so we skinned across the valley and rode S facing slopes of soft bliss. There was the occasional facet hole to contend with but overall it was one of the better days I&amp;rsquo;ve had this year. I&amp;rsquo;m not convinced that areas like Vermillion are ready to go yet, perhaps after this storm snow has a chance to build a better base. 
&amp;nbsp;

Always a good day out here. We didn&amp;rsquo;t ride this slope because of the massive overhead and evidence of recent naturals on this northern aspect. 
&amp;nbsp;

I decided not to head into Kananaskis this week because the forecast pretty much eliminated all objectives close to the road.
It seems like a bit of a risky weekend to be heading out, the forecasts are suggesting you stay inbounds for a change. ]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-02-10 07:21:39</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/10-Feb-17</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/10-Feb-17</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 3-Feb-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[

Rockies Conditions 03-02-17 
&amp;nbsp;

Looks like we had a bit of an avy cycle at the start of this week. Blowy winds scoured half the skiable slopes and loaded up the other half. There seems to have been a few near misses around the valley over the weekend, remember that red flags are generally bad things. 
&amp;nbsp;

We went out and poked our head around the Lake Louise slackcountry early this week and heard more than enough naturals and shots to keep our terrain choices very conservative (i.e. flat). What slopes we did ski (N-NE) were a slab sandwich of hard and soft windslabs all sitting on those pesky facets that we all know and love.The skiing was terrible in the alpine, terrible at treeline and terrible below treeline. 

Half decent skiing in the middle of nowhere
&amp;nbsp;
We did manage to find some half decent skiing along the 93S on a W aspect at treeline. Alpine was (surprisingly) wind hammered with boilerplate slab making for resort like turns. Sharpen those edges to 88 degrees if you&amp;rsquo;re heading up high before the snow hits. At treeline and below was waist deep pow and faceshots for days! Just kidding, but the snow was fairly soft and there were occasional bottomless facet pits to avoid. It was also pretty darn cold. &amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;

K-country is expecting the brunt of this storm and the forecasters there are thinking it may kick off another avalanche cycle. I&amp;rsquo;m not sure it&amp;rsquo;s worth heading out there this weekend but I&amp;rsquo;m not your mother so do what you want. 
&amp;nbsp;

There could be a fair whack of snow coming in this weekend so depending on the amounts this could mean risky travel. Keep an eye on the weather stations around the parks and keep your plans loose as a goose. 
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-02-03 07:55:59</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%203-Feb-17</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%203-Feb-17</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 27-Jan-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[
After the refresh last week it seems we&amp;rsquo;re back on track to the classic rockies rotten snowpack. Everywhere is reporting last week&amp;rsquo;s storm snow (40ish cm) sitting on a midpack of facets, making things nice and difficult to predict. There&amp;rsquo;s also widespread surface hoar developing, which isn&amp;rsquo;t a problem right meow but it will be in the future. 
&amp;nbsp;

The 93N and areas around the Divide are reporting decent skiing in all zones but there&amp;rsquo;s been plenty of 2+ naturals over the week to keep people out of the steeper alpine areas. A couple of parties have had some good skiing up on mellow alpine slopes. 
&amp;nbsp;

I haven&amp;rsquo;t heard much noise coming from Kananaskis lately so I went out there so you don&amp;rsquo;t have to. I encountered a snowpack with depths from around 80 to 15cm(!) at treeline. I guess it&amp;rsquo;s variable? The 20ish cm of recent storm snow is slabbing up nicely so keep an eye out for shallow areas if for some reason you decide to head out there. I heard a whumpf in a 30 degree open clearing at treeline on a S aspect. Ski pen was around 10-15cm which made for decent skinning. Beware facet holes. 

This valley is a solid choice if you&amp;#39;ve only got a couple of hours to spare

Ski quality was quite nice high up at treeline/alpine but degraded quickly as the trees thickened. Below the trees was a facet fest but we&amp;rsquo;ve all probably got enough experience skiing them by now to make it a good time.
&amp;nbsp;

If you&amp;rsquo;ve got time this weekend you might as well head to Rogers. If not, good luck finding some good snow and let us know where you end up!

&amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-01-27 08:48:12</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/RockiesConditions</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/RockiesConditions</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions 20-Jan-17]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It snowed! Praise Ullr! We encountered 30+cms of fresh white stuff along the Divide but I&amp;rsquo;m sure more fell in other regions.

Freshies!

We got out and skied some very loaded trees on a NE aspect on the 93N as well as some glades in Little Yoho. Things on the down were fantastic provided you ski fast and don&amp;rsquo;t punch through to the facets, otherwise you may get stuck and find yourself pulling the old double eject (not speaking from experience or anything). You&amp;rsquo;d better find an old skin track for the up otherwise you&amp;rsquo;re gonna have a bad time. We did manage to set a bit of slough running in a steep open glade so there are definitely instabilities below treeline.&amp;nbsp;

In other areas, there&amp;rsquo;s marginally semi decent turns to be had along the 93S if you&amp;rsquo;re into a bit of suffering and Kananaskis is just keepin on, with variable ski quality reported throughout the week.
With all this in mind, temps were hovering around freezing early this week so this fresh snow came down heavy. It&amp;rsquo;s also sitting on very unsupportive facets (I&amp;rsquo;m getting tired of typing that phrase) which means you should be wary this weekend. That SPAW might be worth reading about if you haven&amp;rsquo;t already. There&amp;rsquo;s been a couple of skier accidentals and plenty of naturals up to 2.5 reported around the Rockies. Don&amp;rsquo;t get overconfident. Stick to treeline and below (where the skiing&amp;rsquo;s good) and cautiously give&amp;rsquo;r.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-01-20 17:25:07</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2020-Jan-17</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions%2020-Jan-17</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Rockies Conditions]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It was cold. It&amp;rsquo;s not so cold anymore, but it was definitely pretty cold. The skiing was good if you like frostnip and facets. I don&amp;rsquo;t, but to each their own.

A little gander up the Lake Louise slack earlier in the week revealed a 15-20cm soft slab on top of a collapsing layer of facets below treeline. Double penetration skinning was so disgusting that we didn&amp;rsquo;t even bother skiing any lines. Ski patrol are reporting touchy conditions in the alpine there and are getting good results with shots, so if you head out be on your toes.

The 93N is by all reports half decent but the south faces on the highway still don&amp;rsquo;t really have enough supportive snow to cover the bigger sharks. Mellow spots have about 60-80cm coverage with; you guessed it; facets under a somewhat supportive slab.


The team checking out all the lines they can&amp;#39;t ski on a recent AST2 



A MIN report in Little Yoho reports a touch over a meter of snow with facets all the way down. Super sugary stuff, that. I didn&amp;rsquo;t get out to the 93S this week but there&amp;rsquo;s no stoke wafting up that way so take that how you will. &amp;nbsp;

K Country is like, right out man. Don&amp;rsquo;t bother unless you&amp;rsquo;re just taking your skis for a walk.

Got something to add? Seen something different? Let us know!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-01-06 06:23:22</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/Rockies%20Conditions</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Any peaks skiable this time of year?]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[This past weekend, a buddy of mine and I saw a peak that looked like it had pretty deep snow and started joking that we would ski it this weekend. We&amp;#39;re new to the area, but one of the local guys we were with said there&amp;#39;s probably about a foot. Was wondering if some peaks actually did have good snow pack to hike/climb up to this time of year. Looking for something in the Banff area, maybe a little over the border into Jasper.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-10-04 09:27:58</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/October%20Skiing%3F</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/October%20Skiing%3F</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[New 7 pitch 5.7 route established in the Bow Valley]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[
Looking for some something new to do in the Bow Valley this weekend? A brand new 7 pitch bolted route has just gone up on Mt Cascade&amp;#39;s buffalo crag in Banff national park. The route goes at 5.7 and was established by Brandon Pullan and Gaby James just this July. The beta goes like this according to Gripped Magazine. http://gripped.com/news/wheat-.....n-rockies/
&amp;nbsp;
Photo: Gripped Magazine
&amp;ldquo;Wheat Kings 5.7 225 meters
Approach: Park at Cascade Falls parking area on the Lake Minnewanka Road. Take trail south past air strip into a forest heading west past one path up a slope. After 15 minutes take a faint trail right past a rock with a cairn that is flagged with orange tape. Follow the trail up a slope rising left to a big boulder on the left of the trail after about five minutes. Follow the flagged path up to the base of the wall. There is no trail, but the flagging tape follows the easiest way to the start of the route. About 45 minutes from the car. Some pitches are between 30 and 35 meters, but they are rounded up to 35. The route is new for July 2016 and has dirty sections. Beware of loose rock. Gear: Eight quickdraws, two extendable draws, and 70-metre rope.
Pitch One: Climb up and left past two bolts and follow a foot rail up and right past a third bolt. Climb the corner to a bolted belay at a tree. (5.5 30 meters, four bolts)
Pitch Two: Climb good rock left of the corner past two bolts and up and left avoiding dirty rock on the right. Angle up and right to a fourth bolt. Follow a crack up and right to a break in the rock and left to a ledge with a tree and belay. (5.6 35 meters, seven bolts)
Pitch Three: Step up and left and then follow fun features to a ledge. Take a faint crack right up to a belay. (5.7 35 meters, eight bolts) Note: There is an endangered whitebark pine far left of the second bolt, don&amp;rsquo;t damage or remove.
Pitch Four: Step up and left to a bolt. Continue up to a ledge and head left to a belay. (5.4 20 meters, two bolts)
Pitch Five: Up two short walls past two bolts to a ledge. Up and right to a corner that you climb for a few moves and then step left onto a pillar. Up pillar to a bolt and then right on low-angle rib to belay. This is the Pretty Things belay ledge where you can see Mount Louis and most of the Bow Valley. (5.6 40 meters, five bolts)
Pitch Six: Up a steep move to a ledge and up the corner above past a hard-to-see bolt. Continue up easy ground to a belay near a tree. (5.6 30 meters, four bolts)
Pitch Seven: Up the rib past bolts to a break in the rock on the left. Up easy climbing to the final anchor. (5.5 35 meters, five bolts)
Descent: Rappel route with 70-metre rope using a rappel-only anchor between the top of pitch five and three. Alternatively, walk off a flagged trail by heading up about 100 meters after the route and then left over small rock steps until you take the forest down. &amp;ldquo;

Photo: Gripped Magazine

Personally, I think routes like these are something the climbing community is asking for. It&amp;#39;s a great introduction to big routes without the commitment of a stiff grade or having to place your own protection. This is something that is currently lacking here in Revelstoke, again just my opinion and I suppose maybe I should do something about it or stop whining. So grab a friend and your climbing shoes and show this new route come love and let us know when you do!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-08-03 02:16:46</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/new-7-pitch-5-7-route-established-in-the-bow-valley</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Adventure Dispatch -- bikepacking, fly-in, climb and raft --VIDEO]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Who thought fatbiking was just for snow? We watch a lot of videos here and the best ones always feature trips and adventures we&amp;#39;d want to go on, with people we&amp;#39;d want to be with.
This multisport adventure through the &quot;red deserts of the American West&quot; is hosted by Steve Fassbinder and includes great footage of humble guys having fun while achieving some pretty daunting objectives. Makes ya want to get out there, eh?&amp;nbsp;There&amp;#39;s even a Depends reference&amp;hellip;










]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-05-12 05:33:21</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/adventure-dispatch-bikepacking-fly-in-climb-and-raft-video</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/adventure-dispatch-bikepacking-fly-in-climb-and-raft-video</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Murchison and Trevor Sexsmith]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Yet another Trevor Sexmsith post worthy of all those who stumble across it. For those who might not know Trevor has been slowly? No pretty damn quickly etching his way to whispering legend status to those who care about this sort of thing. Ski mountaineering some pretty serious objectives and a creative eye for finding possible first descents he continues to &amp;ldquo;wow&amp;rdquo; the small part of the internet that actively seeks out his endeavors.
&amp;nbsp;
Now what did he do this time? In typical fashion a soul crushing approach (for most of us ) followed by some steep boot packing maybe a solo mixed climbing and an exciting ski descent that probably goes? I could summerize the ascent of Murchison but it&amp;#39;s well worth your time to pop over to Trevor&amp;#39;s blog and  hear it from the horses mouth. Well written, lots of photos and a video that will have your coffee cup slipping out your hand with those sweaty palms! Read about it here. &amp;nbsp;

If you are looking for the video. It can be viewed here.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-05-11 18:33:33</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/murchison-and-trevor-sexsmith</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/murchison-and-trevor-sexsmith</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Teammate backcountry, touring skiing, split boarding Rockies]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[hello everybody, I&amp;#39;m looking for people to do some nice backcountry ski tours with! I&amp;#39;ll stay in Canada until the 26th April and all the time I&amp;#39;m looking for the best snow and the best areas to go. I would be glad to find someone to stay with for some days, maybe a week or even longer if it fits. I got lots of experiences in the European alps and now I&amp;#39;d like to do some little &quot;expeditions&quot; in the Canadian Rockies. I&amp;#39;m well prepared for all this stuff in general, and I even got an avalanche rescue system. So led me know if you are interested to join me! It&amp;#39;s so much more fun to experience new powder areas together! All the best! Max]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-03-11 13:27:27</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/teammate-backcountry-touring-skiing-split-boarding-rockies</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/teammate-backcountry-touring-skiing-split-boarding-rockies</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Teammate touring ski Banff National Park]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Hi,
I come spend one week in Canmore and expect to go earn my turns in touring ski. I arrive on Tuedsay 23th and plan to go discover some traces in Banff National Park. I don&amp;#39;t know the place and that&amp;#39;s why I write to know if others riders would like to show me the area and ride with me.&amp;nbsp;
If you want to sweat and enjoy powder with me let me know ]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-02-21 23:44:31</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/teammate-touring-ski-banff-national-park</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/teammate-touring-ski-banff-national-park</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Early Season Stoke]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Well, I haven&amp;#39;t ski toured much lately and it seems more and more photos are making their way to instagram. Here are some pictures from some great days I had in November, December, and January.


]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-01-30 15:49:27</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/early-season-stoke</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/early-season-stoke</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Alpine Club of Canada ski touring Hut to open in Waterton Lakes National Park]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Big news for backcountry skiers looking to explore Waterton Lakes National Park this winter, there will now be an Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) hut in the park. The powers that be have approved the ACC&amp;rsquo;s bid to restore the Cameron Lakes Cabin which is an old warden cabin in Water Lakes National Park.
&amp;nbsp;
Winter enthusiasts will soon be able to use a cabin near Cameron Lake in Waterton Lakes National Park as a base for their snow-filled adventures.
&amp;nbsp;
The federal government approved the Alpine Club of Canada&amp;rsquo;s bid to run the site as part of its national network of backcountry huts that gives overnight shelter to hikers and mountaineers.
&amp;nbsp;
The ACC, registered as an amateur athletic association, already operates 30 alpine huts and promotes Canada&amp;rsquo;s mountaineering society.
&amp;nbsp;
&amp;ldquo;The Alpine Club of Canada is excited to work with Waterton Lakes National Park to offer a unique winter experience in rustic accommodation at the Waterton Lakes Cabin,&amp;rdquo; Lawrence White, executive director of the Alpine Club of Canada, said in a press release. &amp;ldquo;This world class destination compliments our world class operation of backcountry huts and cabins.&amp;rdquo;
&amp;nbsp;
As an ACC hut, the Cameron Lakes Cabin will host up to six people at a time. It is the oldest surviving cabin in Waterton. The alpine club is funding the renovations of the cabin.
&amp;nbsp;
The cabin is located just off the Akamina Parkway which is closed to vehicles during the winter months. According to Parks Canada, results from public consultations favoured the project.
&amp;nbsp;
The ACC will fix up the cabin this summer. Once ready it will only host guests - up to six at a time - during the winter months.
&amp;nbsp;
That area of the park can receive up to four metres of snow each winter and is a popular destination for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
&amp;nbsp;
While not a designated heritage building the backcountry cabin is the oldest surviving structure of it&amp;#39;s kind in the park. It was built in 1929.
&amp;nbsp;
A background release from Parks Canada stated, &quot;In addition to providing opportunities for winter lovers of all skill sets to enjoy the natural setting of the Cameron Lake area, the cabin will also provide an excellent base for experienced backcountry enthusiasts to access the exceptional skiing opportunities in the southwestern corner of Waterton Lakes National Park and in the immediately adjacent Akamina Kishinena Provincial Park in British Columbia.&quot;
&amp;nbsp;
Once in operation this winter the overnight fee will range from $25 to $36 per person. Kids will receive a half-price discount. To reserve space in ACC huts go to their website a&amp;nbsp;www.alpineclubofcanada.ca
&amp;nbsp;
(Story and photo from the Pincher Creek Echo)]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-06-20 10:25:12</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/alpine-club-of-canada-to-run-a-ski-touring-hut-in-waterton-lakes-national-park</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/alpine-club-of-canada-to-run-a-ski-touring-hut-in-waterton-lakes-national-park</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Conditions in the spray valley?]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Someone was wondering all winter what conditions were like in the Spray Valley. To be honest, I have no idea, but a month or two ago, they were pretty good. They were also good around Lake Louise

Pig&amp;#39;s back looking tight!

Good conditions near the Storm Firebreak.

North faces looking scraped by the wind!

Settled snow on top of facets on top of ice in the Storm Firebreak. No bueno

Late winter storms are good for whiteout slabby powder skiing at Black Prince I guess?

Alright, back to the spray valley.

Finally on something steep. The legs are quivering in fear!

Burstall Pass delivers! Admiring my handiwork.

You don&amp;#39;t know until you go.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-06-06 12:53:43</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/conditions-in-the-spray-valley</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/conditions-in-the-spray-valley</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Spring guidebook lines]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The life of the weekend warrior was a litle tough this spring, with consistent blue-bird weather not appearing until later.

Chick-a-boom traverse. A beautiful ski up the Chickadee valley, the south facing options at the end of the valley present great corn descents on their own right, but we continued. The steepness on the north side was short lived and slog continued along the top of the cliffbands above Boom Lake before climbing up to the Boom Mt. col for a forgetable descent through breakable suncrust!

Popes col is a great ski and one that I wish to return to with better views and snow depth so that I can lap both lobes of the glacier. Visibility was in and mostly out, so we moved towards landmarks as they appeared through the fog. The climb through the larches to regain Narao shoulder was one of the most pleasant parts of the day before an isothermal bash back to the road.


Pumpkin traverse is a classic with some suprisingly steep slopes to kick it off, both ascending and descending. A little disheartening to center punch a steep and exposed&amp;nbsp;south facing slope only to find miles of flat terrain as the reward.

The &quot;cross country&quot; skiing guidebook warned of a long and hard day for the Opabin-Wenkchemna circuit. A hard pace was set up to Lake O&amp;#39;hara and onto the Opabin glacier. After a short descent, we were center punching up to Wenkchemna pass, wondering if the traverse would be more fun in the opposite direction (there would be longer, lower angle approaches to the cols though). Nobody had much interest of heading over Wastache pass, which was for the better as we all suffered skating out Moraine lake road.


I have really underappreaciated the Cirque Peak- Observation Peak&amp;nbsp;area for ski mountaineering. From the road and earlier in the season, they appear windblasted, but both shelter small glaciers on their northern aspects. Later in the spring, corn can be skied on all aspects!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-06-03 12:19:17</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/spring-guidebook-lines</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/spring-guidebook-lines</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Low Avi Risk Yoyo&#039;ing Areas in Banff/Jasper]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Hi everyone,&amp;nbsp;

I&amp;#39;m just getting into back country skiing, and im looking for some low risk/low angle places to practice in the Banff/Jasper area. Does anyone have any good places they would be willing to share?

Ideally these would be places I could go out by myself or with other skiers of similar experience level and not have to worry to much about avalanche risk.

Thanks!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-01-14 13:07:36</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/low-avi-risk-yoyoing-areas-in-banffjasper</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/low-avi-risk-yoyoing-areas-in-banffjasper</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Banff area conditions and suggestions]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Hi all, looking to head out in the Rockies tomorrow most likely above Sunshine around Rock Isle Lake or Twin Cairns if conditions allow. Anyone been there largely to comment on conditions or suggest somewhere else between Banff and Lake Louise or K Country. We are in Canmore and don&amp;#39;t want to travel too far. Thanks!!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-12-28 18:13:50</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/banff-area-conditions-and-suggestions-1</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/banff-area-conditions-and-suggestions-1</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Wise Man]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Five minutes of humble.

 



]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-11-22 16:06:23</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/the-wise-man</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/rocky-mountains/topic/the-wise-man</guid>
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