First Summites Winter Mountaineering :: Alpine Club of Canada Mountain Activities

First Summits Ski Mountaineering

Dates & Price
March 11 (eve) - March 15, 2010
Cost per person is $995 + GST

Arc'teryx is a supportive sponsor of the First Summits Winter Mountain Adventure and we thank them for their assistance.

When you don’t have a lot of time, but want a complete winter mountaineering experience, our First Summits Ski Mountaineering camp is your best bet! We pack a lot into this 4-day weekend camp up on the world-renowned and camera-worthy Wapta Icefields.

Beginning at Bow Lake, we’ll make our way onto the Wapta Icefield staying first at the Alpine Club of Canada’s Bow Hut and then moving to Peyto Hut. During the traverse and en route to summits (such as Rhondda North, Rhondda South, Gordon, and Olive), emphasis will be placed on instruction of snow safety and terrain evaluation, route selection, decision-making in avalanche terrain, glacier skiing and navigation, crevasse rescue systems and more. You will sleep in warmth and packs will be relatively light going from hut to hut. A great adventure!

The First Summits Ski Mountaineering camp is one of our more popular camps that consistently fills up every year. Register early to avoid disappointment!

Level of Difficulty

This hut-based camp caters to people with little or no previous ski mountaineering experience and offers those looking for a refresher a chance to get back to the basics. You must have a good level of fitness, be able to comfortably ski the equivalent of blue/intermediate runs at downhill ski areas, and be able to ski with a 16 – 18kg (35 – 40lb) pack for several hours. Porters will be used to transport the majority of food to Bow Hut, however participants will be expected to share in the carrying of any other group food and gear so please leave room in your pack.

Information package:
Information Package

Gear List

Info on sign up process

Photo: © Greg Rowe

2009 Planned Itinerary*

March 11 – meet at 8:00pm at the CAC in Lake Louise
March 12– start Bow Lake; stay at Bow Hut
March 13– traverse to Peyto Hut; Stay at Peyto Hut
March 14 – Stay at Peyto Hut
March 15– exit via Peyto lake, camp ends back in Lake Louise
*Subject to change

Included

Guiding throughout the camp
Accommodation at the CAC in Lake Louise on the first night
Accommodation at Alpine Club Huts for the remainder of the camp
All meals starting with dinner on March 12 and ending with lunch on March 13.
Breakfast at Laggan's on March 12
All group gear

Not Included

Transportation to/from Peyto Lake (Participants will be expected to use their own vehicles and carpool to Peyto Lake)
Lunch on March 12 (please bring a bag lunch with you)
Dinner on March 11 or March 15
Accommodation on March 15
Personal gear (see equipment list)

Staff:

ACMG Mountain Guide Ferdl Taxbock		Camp Manager - To Be Determined

An avid climber, hiker, and skier, Ferdl started climbing in his native Austria, where he originally became a mountain guide. After immigrating to Canada he was initially employed by Canadian Mountain Holidays and is a past instructor for the ACMG. He first guided for the Alpine Club of Canada at our GMC at Lake O'Hara in 1968. Fluent in English, German and Spanish, his guiding career has taken him to Europe, Canada and Mexico. He has a variety of first ascents to his credit in both Austria and the Canadian Rockies. In addition to being a guide, he is also a geologist - he likes to study rock formations from near and far and explain the geology of the area to interested guests.

Other great winter trips offered by the Alpine Club of Canada:

	Banff Mountain Film Festival - Ice Climbing November 9 - November 13, 2009		Wapta Traverse - Week 1 March 20 (eve) - March 27, 2010
	Rockies Ice February 14 - February 19, 2010		Balu to Bostock Ski Traverse April 1 - April 4, 2010
	Marmot Women's Ski Camp March 5 - March 9, 2010		Wapta Traverse - Week 2 April 3 (eve)- April 10, 2010
	First Summits Winter Mountaineering March 11 (eve)- March 15 (eve), 2010		Butters Lake Ski Traverse April 9 (eve)- April 17, 2010
	Kokanee Powder Week March 13 - March 20, 2010		Peakbagging on the Columbia Icefield May 1 (eve) - May 8, 2010

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