$3,200 USD/Person
Snowfall Lodge BC 2024
One of the newest backcountry ski lodges in BC, Snowfall Lodge is perched at treeline in the Battle Range, a remote subrange of the Selkirks. The lodge’s location, just south of Rogers Pass, provides amazing access to steep tree skiing, ski mountaineering objectives, and a plethora of 4,000' long glaciated ski runs.
Overview
Itinerary
Prerequisites
Inclusions
Gear
We'll tackle the following objectives and skills:
- Ski the best zone in the area that day, based on weather and snow conditions
- Refresh gear and technique skills
- Avalanche safety skills review throughout the day
- Enjoy delicious meals, great company, and living that backcountry hut life!
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 1 - Arrival & Transportation to the Hut - Upon arrival we'll unpack our small overnight kits and get out for a tour before dinner. After we've had our fill of riding for the day, we'll settle back into the huts and prepare for dinner.
- Days 2-6 - Ski Touring from the Huts - We'll get an early start on the day, with a hot breakfast, fresh coffee, and tea. Next, we'll prepare food for the day before gearing up and heading out. We'll spend full days ski touring, covering roughly 3,000-5,000' vertical each day with lunch eaten in the field. After skiing to our hearts content, we'll regroup at the huts, set our gear out to dry and prepare for dinner.
- Day 7 - Departure from Huts We'll enjoy breakfast, pack up, and travel out.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Advanced Resort Riding Skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions.
- Intermediate Touring Experience - Including efficient gear management and skinning, transition technique, with 20+ days of backcountry experience.
- Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 2,500 - 3,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week
Pricing
- Secure your spot with a deposit. The final Balance is due 6 months before the trip start date and can be paid by Check, Zelle or Credit Card with a service charge.
$3,200 USD per person
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Modern, comfortable sleeping accommodations in double occupancy rooms
- Deluxe breakfast, appetizers, dinner and desert prepared by a professional cook. Food to prepare your own lunch.
- Experienced IFMGA/AMGA/ACMG Trained Guide
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools, first aid kit, rescue equipment, etc
- Transportation to the helicopter staging area
- Hotels before and after the trip
- Alcohol - Should be purchased beforehand and brought into the huts.
- Gratuities for guides, cooks and caretaker
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Headlamp
- Lodge Slippers Clothing & Accessories
- Technical Outerwear (jacket, bibs/pants)
- Multiple Midlayer Options
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Goggles
- Beanie
- Baseball Cap
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Water Bottle / Hydration Pack (2L)
- Lunch and Snacks
Know Before you go
Price
$250.00
Private Programs
Duration: 7 Days, 6 Nights
View Full Itinerary
Private Programs
Blackbird Mountain Guides offers both scheduled group programs and private programs.
Private programs are simply above and beyond what Blackbird Mountain Guides currently has scheduled. Scheduled courses are not always less expensive. Before booking a trip with Blackbird Mountain Guides, clients are encouraged to review the differences between these types of programs, and to decide what works best for them.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
Scheduled Programs have fixed dates, itineraries, objectives, curriculum, and costs. They typically appeal to solo individuals or small groups or who are looking to share the cost of their program with a larger group. Correspondingly, scheduled programs are less expensive for smaller groups (1-2), and they provide the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. If you have a large group (3+), Scheduled programs will often be more expensive. They can fill up quickly, and scheduling flexibility is obviously limited.
Scheduled programs will have advertised dates. All scheduled programs can be run as private programs with private dates/rates as well.
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
Private programs have scheduling freedom. They typically appeal to those who would like some flexibility in planning their own trip or course. In this regard, Itineraries and objectives can be tailored to suit current conditions as well as client goals. Private programs are normally less expensive for larger groups (3+). If you have a small group (1-2) private programs will be more expensive.
Full Itinerary
Jan 19: Arrive in Nakusp, BC for pre-trip meeting and gear check. For those flying, it is best to use Spokane, WA (GEG) then drive north via Nelson to Nakusp. An alternative is to fly into Kelowna and drive directly to Nakusp or stop and ski in Revelstoke. Inquire about adding a day or two of guided skiing at Revelstoke or Rogers Pass to the beginning or your trip!
Jan 20-26, 2024: We will drive to Beaton, BC where the helicopter staging area is located. Once we've sorted our gear and prepped for takeoff, a series of helicopter flights will shuttle our group to the lodge.
After arrival, we'll settle our gear in the lodge and split into groups to refresh avalanche rescue skills and learn glacier travel skills.
The rest of the week will be spent exploring the expansive terrain that makes Snowfall incredible. Each day we'll wake to hot coffee and a large breakfast, pack lunch and ski tour 3k' to 6k'. We'll return to the lodge for a sauna, appetizers and apres ski on the deck.
January 27: We pack up and helicopter back to the staging area by mid-day.
We'll tackle the following objectives and skills:
- Ski the best zone in the area that day, based on weather and snow conditions
- Refresh gear and technique skills
- Avalanche safety skills review throughout the day
- Enjoy delicious meals, great company, and living that backcountry hut life!
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 1 - Arrival & Transportation to the Hut - Upon arrival we'll unpack our small overnight kits and get out for a tour before dinner. After we've had our fill of riding for the day, we'll settle back into the huts and prepare for dinner.
- Days 2-6 - Ski Touring from the Huts - We'll get an early start on the day, with a hot breakfast, fresh coffee, and tea. Next, we'll prepare food for the day before gearing up and heading out. We'll spend full days ski touring, covering roughly 3,000-5,000' vertical each day with lunch eaten in the field. After skiing to our hearts content, we'll regroup at the huts, set our gear out to dry and prepare for dinner.
- Day 7 - Departure from Huts We'll enjoy breakfast, pack up, and travel out.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Advanced Resort Riding Skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions.
- Intermediate Touring Experience - Including efficient gear management and skinning, transition technique, with 20+ days of backcountry experience.
- Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 2,500 - 3,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week
Pricing
- Secure your spot with a deposit. The final Balance is due 6 months before the trip start date and can be paid by Check, Zelle or Credit Card with a service charge.
$3,200 USD per person
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Modern, comfortable sleeping accommodations in double occupancy rooms
- Deluxe breakfast, appetizers, dinner and desert prepared by a professional cook. Food to prepare your own lunch.
- Experienced IFMGA/AMGA/ACMG Trained Guide
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools, first aid kit, rescue equipment, etc
- Transportation to the helicopter staging area
- Hotels before and after the trip
- Alcohol - Should be purchased beforehand and brought into the huts.
- Gratuities for guides, cooks and caretaker
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Headlamp
- Lodge Slippers Clothing & Accessories
- Technical Outerwear (jacket, bibs/pants)
- Multiple Midlayer Options
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Goggles
- Beanie
- Baseball Cap
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Water Bottle / Hydration Pack (2L)
- Lunch and Snacks
Backcountry skiing in powder in front of a glacier at the Snowfall Lodge in British Columbia
Helicopter ready for liftoff at Snowfall Lodge, British Columbia
Skiers touring towards a steep face at Snowfall Lodge in BC during a typical day of backcountry skiing in British Columbia
Skier making a pow turn during Blackbird Guides Snowfall Lodge BC Ski Week
Skier skinning up a slope at Snowfall Lodge, British Columbia
Shadow of skiers on a ridge at Snowfall Lodge in British Columbia
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epic reviews from adventurers
View Reviews
Awesome Experience
Steve, California
“Taking this course with Zeb was the best decision! He was extremely friendly, relaxed and knowledgeable and answered all our questions with great patience.
An Exceptional Course
Ellen, New York
“I took an AIARE 1 with Blackbird and couldn't recommend it more. The knowledge gained was well-worth every penny, and then some."
Too Good For Words
Andrew, Washington
Just took the "lift-assisted" Avalanche Rescue course, and it was a fantastic opportunity to act out more realistic rescue scenarios. It was a great refresher and learning experience. Our instructor Evan was knowledgeable and a lot of fun. Highly recommended!
An Incredible Weekend!
Jenna, California
Completed AIARE 1 w/ Blackbird. Instructors were very knowledgeable, experienced, patient, attentive, and down-to-earth in relating to clients across a wide spectrum of ability. Highly recommended. Great group of people!
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