What is included in my day tour?
Pre-trip planning is done and logistics like routes, road conditions, weather, avalanche conditions, and permits. Trips always include a Lead Guide and a second guide if the group is larger than 6.
What’s not included in my trip?
Accommodation before and after your Lodge trip and all accommodation during town-based trips and food on town-based trips, transportation, lift passes, and National Parks passes. Touring equipment and avalanche safety equipment are available to rent.
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, Avalanche professionals with the Canadian Avalanche Association CAA and hold Advanced Wilderness First Aid.
Traveling in the mountains and on rivers comes with inherent risks. Your guide will explain the conditions and potential hazards involved in your trip. As professionals, we specialize in risk management and mitigation. We conduct daily client orientations where we communicate the hazards and associated risks of participation, as well as current weather conditions and avalanche risks.
Is Wildroutes a good fit for me?
Seventy percent of our clients are returning customers, and many have experience with touring and backcountry activities. We also welcome newcomers to the backcountry who possess a strong background in downhill skiing. Most of our guests bring their own equipment and safety gear; however, 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 4-8 hours and ascend between 1000m-2000m. Good comfortable modern equipment goes a long way.
When is the best time to come in winter?
In Revelstoke, we start skiing in November and go until May!
December and January are fantastic for powder skiing! Expect fresh, deep snow and shorter days, with most of the snowfall happening during this time. Clear skies occasionally allow for high alpine exploration. Most days are spent skiing around Treeline and below.
February and March are excellent for skiing, offering a mix of sun and snow. Longer days provide more time for exploring the alpine and tackling bigger peaks. You may also encounter significant snowfall between sunny spells, making it ideal for skiing from high alpine to below treeline.
April/May is prime spring conditions, expect long sunny days and high summits. Although we love skiing powder this is our favorite time to ski, most guides do more personal days in these months than any other. Stable weather and more stable snow allow for exciting tours. Most days are spent in the high alpine.
When do I need to book?
Backcountry skiing and split boarding have 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 advance. 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 interests 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 begun, cooks have been hired, and food bought. Finding a replacement for your trip can be difficult last minute. Lodges have their 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. Evacuation Insurance is always provided by Wildroutes with your booking. See our Booking Page for more info.
