You should be an advanced to expert skier or rider, comfortable in variable off-piste snow at an “all-day” pace while wearing a pack. At a minimum, you should be able to gain 600m of vertical in winter conditions — think a full resort day plus 2-5 hours of moderate cardio.  Not sure where you land? Tell us about your background when you reach out, and we’ll help match you to the right trip.

While single-day trips are gladly offered, three days is where the real value shows up. It takes a day just to dial in your gear, for me to understand how you move and where your comfort zone sits. Hopefully, by day 2, we’re getting into better terrain, bigger objectives, and truly tailoring the experience to your dreams. Day 3 is usually the best skiing of the trip, because by then we’ve built trust, camaraderie, and rhythm.

The best time is all the time! Jokes aside, the ski touring and splitboarding season runs from November to April.

Early season (November–mid-December) is stormy and unpredictable — high snowfall, low visibility, and a base that’s still building. It’s quiet out there, and you’ll find good powder between storms, but the coverage isn’t fully in yet.

Mid-season (mid-December–mid-March) is the sweet spot, and it’s when I run the majority of my trips. You get a solid mix of storm cycles and bluebird days, and by January the snowpack is deep enough that rock hazard isn’t as big an issue. Push past mid-February, and you’ll often find more sun and settled conditions — ideal for bigger alpine objectives.

Late season (mid-March–late April) shifts into spring ski mountaineering mode: firm mornings, ski crampons, and glacier travel under bluebird skies. The lower-elevation trees lose their shine by then, but the high alpine more than makes up for it.

For more information, see Ski Touring In Rogers Pass: All You Need To Know. If you’re not sure which window fits your goals and experience, tell me what you’re after, and I’ll help you pick the right time to book.

Flying: You can either fly into Kelowna, BC or Calgary, AB, both having well-established airports. If staying in Revelstoke, I recommend Kelowna as it shortens the drive and avoids road closures when catching your flight back home. If Golden is the destination, the Calgary airport offers a shorter drive and frequent flights.

Driving: Nestled in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Revelstoke is accessible via the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1). It’s approximately a 4.5-hour drive from Calgary, AB and a 2.5-hour drive from Kelowna, BC. Remember that the drive may be longer due to poor road conditions, common during the winter months.

• An experienced ACMG-certified ski or mountain guide
• Group gear (radios, rescue equipment, satellite communication device)
• Glacier National Park Group Winter Permit (if ski touring in Rogers Pass)

• Your food/water
• Transportation to the meeting point or trailhead
• Ski or splitboard gear and avalanche equipment (transceiver, shovel and probe).
• National park pass
• Backcountry lift ticket at the Revelstoke Mountain Resort
• Trip insurance

Guiding is as much about delivering an amazing experience as it is about the risk management process. Each morning, we review current and forecasted weather and avalanche conditions. Using those inputs, we produce an avalanche forecast, outlining other hazards possibly encountered throughout the day. Combined with the guest goals/requirements and ski quality, we then decide on a few interesting objectives. In the field, your guide will be constantly evaluating the snowpack using hand shears, ski cuts, snow profiles, and checking it against what he expected. If something doesn’t match, the plan adjusts. At day’s end, we debrief what we actually observed, which feeds directly into the next day’s plan. Our process-based decision-making in tandem with a decade of experience navigating avalanche terrain is what keeps the margin where it needs to be.

Please consult our packing list for ski touring and splitboarding for an exhaustive list of required equipment. Don’t hesitate to contact us with additional questions.

You can rent backcountry skiing and splitboarding gear (including avalanche equipment) at the following locations:

Revelstoke: Powder Rental

Golden: Selkirk Ski + Bike, Avalanche Safety Solutions (avalanche gear only)

Uptrack Guiding recommends purchasing cancellation insurance before the start of your trip. While we do not sell insurance or are affiliated with a specific company, Acera Insurance is a great option, tailored to backcountry skiers and riders.

Please see our terms and conditions for more details.