Bill Putnam (Fairy Meadow) Hut

The ACC operates the largest network of backcountry huts in North America. The Adamant Group of the Selkirk Mountains provides climbers and backcountry skiers with a wealth of fantastic opportunities, and Fairy Meadow Hut is the perfect home base. See all of our huts here. 

There is a very good reason why the ACC has held its General Mountaineering Camp in the Fairy Meadow area on four separate occasions since 1981 – the place is awesome! The Adamant Group of the Selkirk Mountains provides climbers and backcountry skiers with a wealth of fantastic opportunities. The peaks here are mainly granitic and there are several classic routes of various lengths and difficulty to challenge all types of climbers.

Built in 1965 by the ACC as a project proposed and largely overseen by William Putnam, the hut has since seen extensive renovations which have transformed the two-storey wooden building into a deluxe backcountry destination. With a complete propane system which includes an oven for baking, a very efficient wood stove and a fully stocked cooking area, comfort is guaranteed. There is sleeping space for 20 on the second level and a spacious common room with adequate space for hanging gear. A large and very hot wood-burning sauna is an absolute treat on those clear, cold winter nights!

In winter the snow comes early and in huge quantities, allowing for a myriad of touring and ski-mountaineering possibilities that are second to none. As Chic Scott writes in Summit & Icefields – Columbia Mountains: “The ski terrain at Fairy Meadow is superb and the snow in this part of the Selkirks is deep, so the area has become a favourite destination for backcountry skiers.”

The possible tours from the hut are numerous and include everything from tree skiing and quick moraine runs close to the hut to tours over glaciers, passes and around stunning peaks.

Note: Due to high demand, ski weeks at Fairy Meadow are booked through a lottery system. Applications are accepted in the spring for the following winter (see Bookings, below).

SUMMER BOOKINGS

HUT ONLY:

Summer bookings at the Fairy Meadow Hut are made by submitting a booking request form.

1. Know the hut rates
2. Check availability
3. Submit a request

The Great Cairn Hut is accessible overland from the Fairy Meadow Hut in both summer and winter. The trip is long, involved and requires mountaineering skills.

Access in summer and winter is via helicopter. Travel arrangements through Alpine Helicopters in Golden (250-344-7444).

Printable detailed approach description

The Hut Experience

Staying in a backcountry hut is a shared, rustic experience. Sleeping, kitchen and living areas are communal, and foam mattresses, cooking and eating utensils are provided. Guests area expected to bring their own sleeping bags, food and personal items.

All of our huts are user-maintained, meaning that the custodial work of keeping the hut clean, chopping firewood and shovelling snow is done by the guests. The ACC provides major service and renovations to all of our huts each year to ensure they are in good repair.

There are no transition days between bookings. Guests are responsible to sanitize before and after use of the huts.

Download our hut cleaning and sanitation guidelines here.