Icefall Lodge was built as a skier’s dream. Larry Dolecki’s dream to be exact. After years of guiding around British Columbia, the Alps, the Himalayas and the world, Larry Dolecki began trying to bring together the best aspects of the many different places he has guided. After years of searching, he found Icefall.
In 2005 and Icefall Lodge was created on a tenure of over 50,000 acres of spectacular terrain. According to Larry “We more or less just built a hut and worried about the business side afterward. We figured the worst-case scenario was that we had a ski hut in a cool location even if it didn’t make money.” The focus on skiing first, business second has continued, and Larry continues to guide many of the groups at Icefall personally.
Icefall Lodge features modern amenities including a sauna, a shower room, indoor pee toilets and double occupancy rooms. A drying room, large kitchen and living area to relax in, make it a perfect refuge after a long day of skiing. The lodge also boasts access to wifi via the lodge's computer.
On top of the comfortable accommodation, the Lodge's amazing chef takes away the burden of preparing meals. The chef prepares breakfast, dinner, snacks and a spread for lunch -all included aside from personal alcoholic drinks.
Daily ski trips will be guided by our group of 3 certified guides, ensuring that you ski in lower ratio groups so that you get more fresh tracks and have a better experience. Lodge trips are all about replacing the crowds and everyday grind with backcountry skiing in solitude and the simplicity of cabin life.
Amenities
- 9 bedrooms and 2 lofts can comfortably accommodate 18 guests in double or single rooms
- Drying room with propane heater
- Sauna and shower
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2 lodges, both with wood stoves, comfortable living rooms and glacier views out the front window
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Indoor pee toilets
- Satellite internet
- Hut shoes
- Smartphone speakers
- Yoga mats and plenty of room to stretch
Deposit: a $250 deposit secures your booking.
Balance due April 15, 2022.
Capacity: 18 guests
Difficulty:
- Lodge based day trips
- 3,000-5,500' vertical (1000-1700m) per day
- Open alpine bowls and treed runs
- Glaciated terrain
- 1000'/hr min pace & ability to skin for 1-1.5 hrs between breaks
Your Guides:
Zeb Blais, IFMGA Mountain Guide
Ryan Huetter, IFMGA Mountain Guide
Guide 3: TBD
Dates
Available Dates
Prices
Prices
See Sidebar for current pricing.
Conditions
- A $250 deposit secures your spot at the Lodge until the due date of the full program price (the trip fee).
- Trip fees are due well in advance of the trip dates due to the payment schedule of the lodge (see the overview section of the Trip Page).
- Travel Insurance is required for this trip and all international trips. Minimum limits:
- Evacuation and Repatriation Coverage of $250,000
- Medical Coverage $50,000
- Cancellations: See the Policies Page.
- Lodge Cancellations due to Covid Restrictions imposed by the border or the Canadian Government: if there are border closures due to Covid 19, the trip will be rescheduled to a future date.
- Guests who are unable to attend the trip due to Covid quarantine or testing positive for Covid will forfeit their trip fees minus the unused portion of the fees that go toward helicopter flights.
Itinerary
Coming Soon!
Equipment
Avalanche Gear
- Avalanche Transceiver
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe (Quick Draw Style)
- Avalanche Pack (with Avalanche Tools Compartment)
- Snow Saw (Optional)
Ski Touring/ Split-boarding Gear
- Skis with Alpine Touring Bindings OR Splitboard
- Alpine Touring Boots (compatible with your bindings)
- Skins (cut for your skis)
- Adjustable length ski poles
- Ski Helmet (optional)
Layers
Head Layers
- Sun Hat (baseball hat)
- Sun Glasses (IN ADDITION TO GOGGLES)
- Goggles
- Warm Hat
- 2x Buffs or face masks (These are for warmth and wind protection and are required for Covid-19 face coverings)
Upper Body Layers
- Long sleeve base layer top
- Fleece weight insulating top layers (Patgonia R1 or Nano Air are our favorites)
- Puffy - Mid Weight Down/synthetic, Patagonia Fitzroy or similar
- Waterproof Shell Jacket with Hood - Gore-Tex (or similar) - basic, lightweight shell, ideally NOT insulated
- Gloves-TWO pair
- one pair light/mid weight for skinning up and warm temps
- one mid/heavy weight for descending and colder temps
- Sports Bra - wool/synthetic
Lower Body Layers
- Underwear - wool/synthetic briefs/etc
- Long johns (weather dependent, we may choose not to use these depending on weather forecast)
- Socks - mid-weight wool/synthetic socks (Darntough are the best)
- Hardshell Pants - Gore-Tex or similar waterproof/breathable membrane pants that fit over your ski boots
- Softshell Pants (optional) - These offer a more breathable, but less weather resistant option for fair weather programs.
Other Essentials
- Sun Screen (SPF 30 minimum)
- Lip Balm (with SPF)
- Hand Sanitizer (Bring to use before eating or if suspected Covid-19 contamination)
Food and water
- Snacks for the day - we don't take an official lunch break, so be prepared to eat quickly on the go. Our days are jam packed with movement and learning so food must be quick and easy to eat.
- Water - bring two liters capacity. Bring a maximum of 2 Liters of water, more than that will be too much weight! Please bring at least one hard sided water bottle, but typically I bring a Nalgene and a Hydrapack or Camelback/Platypus/Etc. Hydration systems typically work well in Tahoe without freezing, but have a hard sided backup in case.
Optional
- First Aid/blister Kit
- Chemical hand warmers
- Hydration System (Camelback, etc). Please bring an additional hard sided water bottle if you choose to bring a hydration system.