Backcountry Lodges

What is included in my Lodge based Ski or Hiking trip?

Pre-trip planning: Routes, avalanche conditions, weather, and permits.  1-2 Guides, a Backcountry Chef, a Custodian, and all food, plus helicopter access to the lodge.  All bedding is provided (down duvet, pillow and sheets).

What’s not included in my trip?

Accommodation before and after your Lodge trip.  Transportation to staging/heli-port.  Touring equipment and avalanche safety equipment.

Wildroutes vs other guiding outfits

Wildroutes is a small boutique guiding operation that has been running trips since 2003.   We specialize in small, private groups on custom trips.  

How safe are the trips?

Safety is the number 1 priority.  Guides are certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and are Professional River Guides.  All guides are Avalanche professionals with with the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA), and hold Advanced  Wilderness First Aid. River Guides are certified  Swiftwater  Technicians.  

Travelling in the mountains and on the river is not without risk.  We will do our very best to mitigate and explain the conditions and risk so we can make proper decisions as a team.  Every participant will read and sign a waiver which highlight the risk of travelling in the backcountry, it is crucial everyone understands the waiver and risk involved. 

Is Wildroutes a good fit for me?

70% of our clients are returning customers with some touring and backcountry experience. We do host and teach new backcountry folks whom have a strong downhill background. Most guest have their own equipment and safety gear, although we can provide touring equipment and safety gear upon request.

How fit do I need to be?

Guest should be comfortable ascending 600m/2000 feet at a moderate rate. Most touring and hiking trips are 4-8hrs and ascend between 1000m-2000m. Good comfortable modern equipment goes a long way.

When is the best time to come in winter?

We start skiing in November around here, even late October some years, and ski until May!

December/January are the Powder months, expect fresh deeper snow and shorter days.  Most of the years snow falls in these months and conditions are often bottomless.  Although I have had many clear sky days, in the high alpine skiing, there are wind pressed snow during these months too. We are in the mountains!

February/March are prime time, expect a good mix of sun and snow.  Longer days and a better chance of sunny skies, means more likely to get into the alpine and ski some bigger peaks. It can also snow a lot, so the best of both worlds!

April/May is prime spring conditions, expect long sunny days and high summits.  Although we love skiing powder this is my favorite time to ski, I usually do more personal days in these months than any other.  Stable weather and generally more stable snow allow for more interesting tours.  Often we are climbing up in the sun in our base layers and skiing cold powder on the polar aspects. 

When do I need to book by?

Backcountry skiing and split boarding has had a massive boom in the last 5 years.  Maybe it’s the $200 lift passes or maybe folks just finally realized the freedom of touring.  Either way, plan in advanced. Most returning clients have planned 2 years in advance for Lodge based trips and a year in advance for town-based trips. 

Are all the trips private or do you mix and match groups?

We try to only run private groups on our trips and tend to avoid mixing groups.  These days it makes the most sense.  We do however mix groups of similar interest and abilities upon request, which generally is the start to new friendships and adventure partners. 

Should I purchase trip insurance?

YES, we highly recommend trip insurance.  Especially in these crazy times!  As we are a small company cancelling a trip can get complicated.  Trip planning has already began, cooks have been hired, food bought.  Finding a replacement for your trip can be difficult last minute.  Most lodges have their own policies which can vary from full refund to none at all so it is important to understand that.  Most prices are shared with other group members so prices may vary if a member of your group cannot make it.  See our cancellation page for more info.