I’ve done this tour so many times to reach areas accessory to the Connaught Valley that it’s not even worth writing about a specific trip report. Instead, I’m offering my knowledge and photographic evidence of the zone accumulated through a collection of days.

Related: Nicci’s Notch: Deep Pow and Cold Temps

The trip starts at the Rogers Pass Discovery Center, a flat parking lot next to the Trans-Canada Highway offering plenty of space to lay out your gear and get ready for the day. It’s also worth visiting the building itself, a tourist attraction where you can learn about the history of the park. It also offers an opportunity for the occasional ski tourer to get acquainted with the Rogers Pass Winter Permit System. While you’re at it, you can also practice avalanche rescue scenarios on the vast flat area adjacent to the parking lot.

And so, the trip kicks off with a gentle warm-up as you enter the Connaught Valley and tour along its peaceful creek that runs year-round. A few minutes in, you’ll find yourself at an intersection offering two options.

• Right: the more direct “winter route” that requires a solid snowpack to cover the brutal alders. This option crosses directly under the intimidating Grizzly Slidepath, a large southeast-facing avalanche path that runs every so often.
• Left: the summer trail, less direct, less exposed and clear of the early season brush.

I’ll leave it up to you to make the right call depending on snowpack and avalanche conditions.

Both paths link up right after the Grizzly Slidepath and continue as one all the way to Balu Pass. Next up is a busy avalanche path, aptly named the Frequent Flyer for good measure. Its start zone is reasonably wide, steep and wind-loaded slope perfect for harbouring large avalanches. Spacing out the group or going one at a time is our best defence against such hazards.

About 1km further, you’ll cross the Dispatchers Waterfall flowing out from the vastness of the Dispatchers Bowl. It’s a convoluted feature, part gulley, part waterfall. This path doesn’t avalanche frequently but it’s always best to err on the side of caution. To the climber’s left, there’s a sweet pillow field leading up to the Hospital Bowl, a popular ski touring area.

A few steps further, you’ll arrive at yet another intersection. This one veers to the climber’s right and makes a few switchbacks upslope before vanishing into the forest. It’s the common uptrack to Hospital Bowl, Video Peak, 8812 Bowl and the Ursus Trees. Early season, this uptrack is a little sporty.

Looking across the valley, You’ll find the Cheops north face harbouring the notorious STS Couloir (known for killing 7 high-school students), the classic Cheops North Bowl and Nicci’s Notch. It’s best to stay as high as you can on the north side of the Connaught Valley as you cross those avalanche paths. The clearing most people follow up the valley has been created by previous destructive avalanches.

After crossing under yet more slidepaths, the Hospital Gullies, you’ll arrive at the foot of a large alpine cirque, 8812 Bowl. It happens this is one of my favourite runs of all time. At this point, the valley widens granting you a clear view of skiers speeding down the bowl.

From here on out, it’s a straight shot to Balu Pass. Climb the moderately steep pitch and you’re on top of the world. After spending a couple of hours in the dire valley bottom cold, let that sunshine warm up your soul. Enjoy the view, it’s so worth it!

For some additional vertical gain, it’s possible to climb the mellow ridge of 8821 Peak to the climber’s right or continue onwards to the routes off Cheops Mountain. If you’re looking for some easy-access chute skiing, the looker’s left of Balu Pass has some half-decent lines – short but sweet.

The ski down is also straightforward. Simply follow your uptrack back to the car. Early in the season, the trail tends to be a little rugged with exposed rocks and alders. Take care down that bobsleigh track: the last thing you’d want is an injury in December! Also, watch out for folks ascending the valley – they have right of way. Now, it’s about time for that tailgate beer once you get to the Discovery Center parking lot.

Route Info

3-4 h	775m	5.1 km	1330-2075 m

The post Balu Pass, Rogers Pass: Old Faithful Ski Tour appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: Little Sifton Traverse: A Quality Alpine Stroll

Report from February 8, 2021

Note: This trip report is part of a bigger ensemble, which we now call the “Triple Crown”. The route starts with the Video Peak SE Face, followed by the 8812 Bowl through the Bruins Ridge, and finishes with a walk up the west ridge of Cheops Mt to ski Nicci’s Notch (report from 2020). Honestly, one of the better “big” days to be had at Rogers Pass.

Starting at the Rogers Pass Discovery Center, we bolted up the Connaught Creek, using an icy uptrack along its NW bank. It was -22C in the morning and the valley seemed even colder, probably due to a weak inversion lingering over Glacier National Park. The goal: keeping my previously frostbitten toes nice and toasty.

We veered right (off the Connaught uptrack) and up the sparse trees below Hospital Bowl. The ascent was quick and easy – in much better conditions than what I’ve encountered in November. By now, all the alders, usually the biggest hurdle at this elevation, were covered with a considerable snowpack.

From there, we ascended the gentle grade of Hospital Bowl to bag Video Peak, a beautiful summit granting us impressive views of our surroundings. This part of the trip is covered in Video Peak SE Face: A True Rogers Pass Classic. After our descent from the SE Face of Video Peak, we linked up with the base of the Bruins Ridge, which progressively narrows down to no more than one meter. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to head straight for 8812 Bowl, you can skin up the bottom of Hospital Bowl, wrapping around the Hospital Knob and traversing above the Hospital Gullies.

We put an uptrack through a large convex slope at the base of Bruins Ridge. This must be the sketchiest part of the route since our track traverses above a giant cliff: an avalanche here would definitely be fatal. Unfortunately, there’s no way around the convexity. We ascended the narrowing ridge with ease at no more than a 25-degree incline.

As the clouds parted, we reached a rocky outcrop, just time in time to soak up the sun. We wrapped around it and pressed on to the exposed section of the ridge. The section narrows down to about an uptrack’s width. On the right, there’s the steep E-facing slope of Bruins Bowl. On the left, there’s a steep roll into 8812 Bowl. As a precaution, Steph mounted her ski crampons – a smart move as the alpine ridge is usually swept clean by the drafty winds.

The top of Bruins Ridge was icy. With care, we managed the exposure. After a few minutes, we dropped 10 meters to gain the 8812 Col, marking the very top of our run. I stayed on the ridge, setting up for the shot. I watched a further party laying down some turns in pristine powder, nothing like the wind-affected crap off Video Peak. Freddy dropped first. Wow! In the shimmering light piercing through the rolling clouds, his line looked absolutely stunning.

I went last, after Rigel and Steph. Staying away from existing tracks, I slashed a large convexity. Here we go into the White Room! We reached the bottom of the bowl, veering off into the skier’s left trees below the Bruins Ridge cliffs. After a quick snack break – let’s remember it was frigid – we continued up the Cheops West Ridge to ski Nicci’s Notch. Usually, you would ski down Connaught Creek back to the Discovery Center.

Route Info

6-7 h	1200m	8.4 km	1330-2500 m

The post 8812 Bowl, Rogers Pass: Better Than Heli-Skiing appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: Ursus Minor SE Couloir: Bootpacks and Backtracks

Report from February 8, 2021

The crew consisting of Freddy, Rigel, and Steph, assembled at the Rogers Pass Discovery Center at a pretty comfortable 8 AM during a bout of high pressure. The goal: complete what Rigel comically calls the “Triple Crown”, shredding three classics in a day, all located within the Connaught Drainage: Video Peak SE, 8812 Bowl, Nicci’s Notch.

After a transceiver group check, we proceeded up Connaught Creek at a blazing pace, bolting past the dangerous Grizzly Slidepath. My thermometer was reading -22C, a painfully cold temperature for us coastal softies. We kept up the blazingly fast stride to stave off the cold weather until we reached the Hospital Bowl uptrack that veered left through the trees, winding up a mellow gully.

Early in the season, the frequently travelled Hospital Bowl uptrack is typically horrendous, requiring some alder acrobatics and a few tactical tree belays (TTBs). However, mid-winter, it’s an absolute dream to climb. It ascends a gentle gully and veers into sparse trees to the NE, circling the Hospital Knob, a forested hill. From there, it’s a beeline to the base of Video Peak or, heading NE to Ursus Trees.

After a brief duration, we were at the base of Hospital Bowl, still shrouded in the shadow of Cheops Mt. In the distance, we spotted a glimmer of light hitting the SE face of Video Peak. I’ve been feeling drowsy since the start but I was determined to climb higher. The thought of feeling the sun’s warmth, piercing through this dire cold, was my sole motivation.

The icy week-long drought, accompanied by strong SW and NE winds had thrashed the Hospital Bowl. The cold temps and harsh winds had formed slabs on the snow’s surface. Where it wasn’t slabby, it was wind-scoured. We navigated the terrain up to the base of Video Peak. The vast, planar face towered above us. What an imposing sight!

At the base of the SE face, we contoured from east to west under an imposing cliff band, now heated by the mid-winter sun. Here, I was mostly concerned by potential dry loose avalanches, triggered at the rocky features above. We consequently spaced out, minimizing our group’s exposure to the hazard. Having toured the valley for the past three years, I commonly see small avalanches starting from those cliffs.

We traversed under the cliff band without a hitch. Onto the Video Peak SE face, the real challenge. A couple of hand shear tests revealed that the face was most likely peppered with stiff wind slabs. After all, visual indications pointed toward that fact. We navigated the slab minefield, avoiding steep terrain and convex rolls as well as we could. It felt a little exposed.

We eventually bagged Video Peak under a partial cloud cover. It wasn’t as cold as we expected, partly due to a weak inversion lingering in the valley. We skied down the SE face, one by one, in boot-top, blower powder. The face must have been sheltered from the brunt of the S-SW winds as well as the reverse loading from the NE. The wind-swept bowl, however, wasn’t so great, offering a mix of crusty slabs and grabby snow.

After some half-decent skiing, we pressed on to the Bruins Ridge, towards the 8812 Bowl and, later, Nicci’s Notch. That’s the perfect link-up for those in search of a little more vertical… and a ton more powder. For the trip report, here’s how you get back to the Discovery Center after skiing the Video Peak SE Face.

I typically descend the skier’s right of the face, bolt through Hospital Bowl and connect with one of Hospital Gullies. I prefer the #2 gully, for it is narrower and steeper. The #1 gully is a mellower descent. As an alternative, you can ski the south face and link up with slightly more technical gullies. The possibilities are endless! From there, it’s a bobsleigh run along the Connaught Creek and back to the Discovery Center.

Note: The south face of Video Peak requires a short bootpack down from the summit to access. Early in the season, it can be quite exposed. The route offers more direct vertical and better fall-line skiing to Hospital Gullies #3 and #4.

Route Info

This information is based on the descent from the SE face of Video Peak through the Hospital Gully #2 – my favourite variant of the line. After skiing the SE face, we continued to ski 8812 Bowl and Nicci’s Notch. It’s an awesome link-up if you’ve got the legs for it (2100+ vertical meters and 22km round-trip).

6-7 h	1300m	8.5 km	1330-2550 m

The post Video Peak SE Face: A True Rogers Pass Classic appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: Skiing Avalanche Crest: Rogers Pass’ Top Run?

Note on Winter Permit System: The route is located within the East Rogers Winter Restricted Area (WRA) and also borders the Macdonald West Winter Prohibited Area (WPA), a permanently closed area through which backcountry skiers and snowboarders cannot travel. The zone has been poached many times before, resulting in lasting closures of the East Rogers WRA. Please understand and observe the Winter Permit System, orchestrated by Parks Canada so that backcountry users can have fun on government land.

Report from January 31, 2021

Kaitlin, Freddy, Laurent, and I left the Mortar Restricted parking lot at 9 AM, a late start by Roger Pass’ standard. We knew this would be a short day on the Macdonald West Shoulder. To be honest, we were all exhausted for various reasons – the group’s energy was at an all-time low. In fact, a breezy ascent up the Shoulder followed by a descent full of face shots was the perfect remedy for tired souls.

We dove into the forest on a bee-line for the highest point on the shoulder, located at an elevation of 2530m. Following a mellow uptrack, we emerged from the forest, bordering the main slope, and zipped up the looker’s right through sparse trees, naturally gladed by avalanches over the years. Occasionally, we would veer off course from the existing uptrack to bypass ridiculously steep sections, perhaps laid by inexperienced ski tourers.

Once we got below a large pillow field – a dangerous descent in the early season – we left the main slope and ducked into a thick band of trees, the divide between the Macdonald West Shoulder #4 slide path and the NRC Gully (also a major slide path). To my knowledge, this is the best way to gain the bench. We poked through the band of trees and proceeded up the gully’s north flank. From there, the path was clear.

From the north flank of the NRC Gully, we tracked up a sparsely forested ridge, gaining the bench in the process. Following this ridge gets you to the highest skiable elevation (2530m) on the Macdonald West Shoulder. Fortunately, most folks stop right below the bench. What a shame: the best skiing is up there!

After a few easy switchbacks, expertly placed by Kaitlin, we were at the base of the ridge, on top of the sacred bench. As a reference, we were standing on the upper edge of the pillow field. We continued along the ridge, sticking to another band of smaller trees in order to minimize our exposure to the avalanche hazard. As we got higher, the winds kicked in high gear, steadily blowing from the SW.

Eventually, the alpine snow started showing some severe slab properties. With shooting cracks and whumpfs spanning from our skis, it was time to turn back. We hurried towards a safe spot to transition for the descent. From our perch, a party decided to drop right above our heads, triggering a size 1 wind slab avalanche in the process. Damn fools! How careless… the Macdonald West Shoulder is a busy touring zone where the uptrack is right under the descent. Please wait for ascending parties below to get out of the way before skiing your line.

The avoidable incident did not tarnish our descent. It was simply epic! Deep powder was on the menu… and we were hungry. The wind-affected snow up top faded into cold smoke down below. Conditions below treeline were absolutely, positively blower. That’s pretty common here. With such a wide skiable slope, there’s always good snow to be had. It is however facing west which means the sun might ruin things on a clear, warm day. As an alternative to the main face, you could even seek the fresh stuff down the NRC gully to the south where some features don’t see much sun.

Knowing the slope like the inside of our pocket, we sped down its center. The slide path spat us right by the highway, merely five minutes from our car. It’s just that easy! Along with the Avalanche Crest and Rogers Run, the Macdonald West Shoulder and the NRC Gully are some of the best bang for your buck runs at Rogers Pass.

Route Info

5-6 h	1200m	5.8 km	1330-2530 m

The post Macdonald West Shoulder & NRC Gully: Epic Fall Line appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: Rogers Run On Grizzly Shoulder: Deep Days

Report from January 11, 2021

Kaitlin, Guillaume, and I left the Loop Brook parking lot at 8 AM, ready to make the most of our day. We planned on skiing two laps on the moraines, something that’s totally achievable given how short its access is. We followed the glacier-fed Loop Brook, now buried under sizable white pillows. Compared to my previous outing in the early season, crossing the creek was an absolute breeze. A snow bridge had conveniently formed just before the Elephant Trunk, a deep canyon separating the Lily from the Bonney Valleys. This allowed us to easily skin over the fast-moving water. From there, we climbed alongside the slot canyon until we reached a tree island.

Once we reached the tree island, the single uptrack splits into two options:

• Veer left which puts us at the bottom of the forested hill crowned by the Bonney Moraines
• Veer right and continue along the Loop Brook towards Ross Pass which would lead us up Mt Green or Parsons Peak.

After taking a left, we climbed through the trees, spaced almost perfectly for a brisk ascent.

After no more than an hour of easy touring, we poked out of the dense forest into the alpine. The moraines stood, high above us but well within our reach. Since the avalanche hazard was forecasted at “moderate” at all elevations, we put up a conservative uptrack, keeping to the high ground when possible. We followed a gentle ridge that terminated at the top of the eastmost moraines.

As soon as we reached the alpine, the winds picked up from the SW. We started seeing evidence of snow transport, loading our skiable terrain which was lee of the prevailing wind. It wasn’t an immediate concern but still something to consider in the future. It’s worth noting the north-facing slopes of the Bonney Moraines are typically wind-loaded by the prevailing SW winds. Always access your slope stability before committing to the ascent (and descent).

After a quick transition, we dropped into the north slope of the eastern moraine. As expected, the snow quality was excellent: boot-top powder with a firm base – just the right-side-up snow we had hoped for. One thing to note: the last storm cycle had come in rather warm and moist, dumping loads of dense snow. The current conditions reminded Guillaume of the coastal pow he used to ski in Whistler. We zig-zagged down the playful terrain, jumping off buried stumps as much as we could.

After commenting on how good the snow was (and how different from our usual it was), we proceeded through the trees, following a hidden creek bed. Our progress halted once we reached the top of a frozen waterfall. Kaitlin took the skier’s left around the steep pitch while Guillaume and I scoped out the waterfall/pillows below: totally skiable but pretty big. As tasty as it looked, we kept our conservative approach and skied around the feature. I shredded a smaller pillow line to the left. After all, this is the backcountry, not the resort.

Stoked on lap #1, we had a brisk lunch. Our hunger satiated, we toured up the eastern flank of the Bonney Moraines and followed an endless, lateral moraine, from which spanned a series of epic Alaskan spine lines. What a striking sight, from what we could see. As clouds were rolling in and out of the valley, our visibility was waning.

The moment we gained the alpine, a dense cloud blanketed the valley. The flat light made it almost impossible to discern the terrain ahead. After a quick discussion, we settled on climbing back moraine we had initially skied from since we were already familiar with the arrangement. We planned on skiing the NE slope below.

As we gained the moraine, the winds intensified into strong gusts from the SW (probably 80 km/h) that almost blew us off the top. Strange mountain weather! The snow was visibly accumulating on the lee slope. We wasted no time and transitioned for our second lap.

The first 100 meters of the descent were difficult. Some snow had blown into both Kaitlin’s and my googles; the cold had instantly rimed the inside of our lens. With poor visibility and icy googles, we literally felt our way down, to a point where we couldn’t differentiate up from down. After some blind skiing, the ice had finally thawed. We continued along the fall line, on a gentle slope, now peppered with small trees. After a good bit of easy skiing, we connected with our uptrack at the bottom of the forested hill, which we followed down back to the car. All in all, it was an incredible day, albeit with mildly challenging weather conditions. Just another walk in the park (pun intended)!

Route Info

5-6 h	975m	10 km	1100-2095 m

The post Bonney Moraines: Playful, Coastal Pow Laps appeared first on The Uptrack.