backcountry huts Archives - The Uptrack https://theuptrack.com/tag/backcountry-huts/ Seek The Unknown Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:51:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://theuptrack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cropped-Logo-The-Uptrack-Icon-Square-e1722044732301-32x32.png backcountry huts Archives - The Uptrack https://theuptrack.com/tag/backcountry-huts/ 32 32 Packing For A Backcountry Hut Trip: Tips For A Great Ski Tour https://theuptrack.com/packing-for-backcountry-hut-trip-tips-for-great-ski-tour/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=packing-for-backcountry-hut-trip-tips-for-great-ski-tour https://theuptrack.com/packing-for-backcountry-hut-trip-tips-for-great-ski-tour/#respond Mon, 28 Jul 2025 22:25:57 +0000 https://theuptrack.com/?p=72595 Overnight ski touring or splitboarding hut trips can seem like a daunting endeavour, but they are so worth it. Think for a second about waking up in a heated hut in the middle of an...

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]]> Overnight ski touring or splitboarding hut trips can seem like a daunting endeavour, but they are so worth it. Think for a second about waking up in a heated hut in the middle of an icefield with the sun casually rising above the 3000m peaks in the distance. It’s an amazing feeling! Packing for a backcountry hut trip such as the Wapta Traverse in the Canadian Rockies requires planning your gear, transport logistics, food and water intake while taking into account the glaciated route, weather and avalanche considerations. Look no further! The Uptrack has listed useful tips when it comes to packing for a backcountry hut trip, specifically geared toward the ski touring and splitboarding crowds. After years of roughing it out in a tent, I’ve come to truly enjoy the comfort of backcountry huts. You’ll find some juicy details on key gear and food planning. Supplemental to the equipment needs for a hut trip, see the link below for the essential equipment for a day tour.

Related: What To Pack For A Ski Tour: A Comprehensive Guide

splitboarder glacier up the balfour glacier
Laurent, staying warm by moving fast on the Balfour Glacier. Photo: The Uptrack

The Dream Hut Trip Backpack

A large 50-60L backpack with features specific to ski touring. Most manufacturers advertise their multi-day packs for the mountaineering crowd. Thankfully, you’ll find many cross-over features that work for both ski touring, splitboarding and mountaineering. In a perfect world, I dream of a pack with the following features:

  • Rope carry system (usually sandwiched between the top lid and the pack body)
  • A-frame and diagonal ski carry with reinforced side straps for ski edges
  • A helmet carry system that doesn’t interfere with the lid buckles
  • Secure crampon and ice axe attachments
  • A padded hip belt with a side pocket on one side and a gear loop on the other
  • A main compartment to swallow most of the bulky gear and a large top lid for knick-knacks
ski mountaineering hiking up the east shoulder of mt baker with crampons
Finding a backpack that can swallow all your gear while carrying skis, crampons, and a helmet takes some research effort. Photo: The Uptrack

Choosing the right size backpack for your body is crucial. Manufacturers often release gendered options in S-M and M-L based on your torso length. It’s best to try out different backpacks fully loaded at the store. I’ve got a slender figure with virtually no hips and a long torso. Finding a pack with a small hip belt but a long torso length has proven to be a challenge over the years.

The Overnight Hut Essentials

The way I see it: ski touring hut trips are demanding – accumulated fatigue and poor sleep affect my backcountry mental game. Having all the hut essentials to maximize comfort after hours will stack the odds in my favour when making life-saving decisions at 3000m. Before packing for your backcountry hut trip, research the backcountry huts you’ll be visiting. Nowadays, most huts are equipped with a wood or propane stove for boiling water and heating the interior space. You’ll still come across the oddball one, which is essentially a bare metal box anchored to a rocky cliff, somewhere up high in the alpine. Their location and amenities will determine the insulation requirement for hut-specific gear such as your sleeping bag and baselayers.

splitboarder at the sapphire hut
The Saphire Col Hut, a metal box in the alpine. Photo: The Uptrack

Sleeping bag: A lofty sleeping bag rated to at least -10C filled with down or synthetic insulation works wonders for ski touring hut trips. I prefer down insulation since it’s lighter and more compressible than synthetic insulation, keeping your pack weight and size down. On the flipside, down loses its loft and insulation potential when wet. Not much of a problem when you’ve got access to a heated hut.

Most huts are poorly insulated, with temperatures hovering close to freezing overnight. You’ll need a little more insulation than what you would find in a summer sleeping bag to stay warm. It’s also important to consider what the warmth rating stands for. A -10C sleeping bag is rated for a lower limit of -10C, where you’ll make it through the night, but not without a few shivers. The “comfort” limit for those bags is often closer to -3C depending on the bag’s insulation and design. You’ll find more information on winter sleeping bags in the post, Backcountry Winter Camping Gear For Alpine Touring.

Spare hut clothes: There’s nothing more satisfying than taking your drenched ski boots off and slipping into a fresh pair of socks. I recommend a spare set of merino baselayers and socks to wear in the hut and in bed. Merino wool is pure magic. It wicks moisture away from your skin and doesn’t hold on to odour – for the sake of everyone around you.

Hut shoes or booties: Insulated hut booties are key. I feel for the folks who keep their ski boots on in the hut after forgetting to pack their hut booties. It’s worth mentioning that keeping ski boots in the hut is bad etiquette – you’ll leave a wet mess all over the wood floors. I always bring insulated booties with integrated gaiters and a grippy sole, especially useful for shovelling a path to the outhouses. To keep the smell at bay, outhouses are often separate from the sleeping and cooking quarters.

view of the balfour hut at the toe of the vulture glacier
The Balfour Hut with the outhouse building to the left. High-rise hut booties are recommended for getting down to business. Photo: The Uptrack

Inflatable pillow: The true ultra-light alpinists out there will shun me for this. I will not compromise on my sleeping system. While you can make a good-enough pillow by stuffing your down jacket into your sleeping bag stuff sack, I prefer a dedicated inflatable pillow that’s highly compressible and has a smooth face fabric for comfort. I never forget my trusty pillow when packing for a backcountry hut trip.

Stove: While most modern huts are equipped with a wood or propane stove, some huts require you to pack a small camp stove for cooking. If that’s the case, keep it simple and bring food prep to a minimum – boiled water, dehydrated rations, and no dishes.

Food and drinks

Food and water intake for a ski touring hut trip depends on your own needs. I don’t need much to get by, but that’s often not the case for most folks. To keep pack weight and size down, I stuff a sil-nylon compression sack with dehydrated food and powered drinks. Doing so, you’ll mostly avoid doing dishes.

  • For breakfast: oatmeal crowned with raisins, cranberries, figs, butter and brown sugar, sealed in individual ziplock bags. Pro-tip: freezer bags can handle boiling water, so you won’t need to do dishes after breakfast. The extra butter will give you plenty of calories throughout the day. I also bring powdered coffee or tea.
  • For lunch: pepperoni sticks, nut mix, and chocolate to be consumed during your tour with 1.5-2L of electrolyte water.
  • For an appetizer at the hut: a warm, salty miso or chicken broth on the menu to reset your electrolytes and warm your core.
  • For dinner: a dehydrated ration such as the one offered by Peak Refuel works wonders. Simply add water and you’ve got a tasty, healthy meal. The dehydrated packets are pricy, but are crammed with calories, more so than the competition. Chocolate and candy are a great way to end your meal with a sweet bang.
two men working on their mapping skills on a backcountry hut trip
Party time at breakfast – calorie intake and route planning. Photo: Laurent Gentilcore-Saulnier

First thing in the morning, I drink plenty of water. I’m often dehydrated from the previous day’s effort. It’s best to start your tour hydrated, so you’ll be more efficient on the uptrack and drink less throughout the day.

Packing Checklist For A Backcountry Hut Trip

Ski Touring Gear

Clothing

Group Gear

Overnight Gear

Personal Gear

Ski-Mountaineering Gear

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]]> https://theuptrack.com/packing-for-backcountry-hut-trip-tips-for-great-ski-tour/feed/ 0 The Backcountry Huts of Rogers Pass: Cozy Up And Shred https://theuptrack.com/the-backcountry-huts-of-rogers-pass-cozy-up-shred/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-backcountry-huts-of-rogers-pass-cozy-up-shred https://theuptrack.com/the-backcountry-huts-of-rogers-pass-cozy-up-shred/#comments Sat, 02 Nov 2024 22:30:14 +0000 https://theuptrack.com/?p=72076 Rogers Pass has three scenic backcountry huts and they are amazing. Staying in a backcountry hut while on a ski touring or splitboarding trip is bliss. The cozy cabins give you access to a wealth...

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]]> Rogers Pass has three scenic backcountry huts and they are amazing. Staying in a backcountry hut while on a ski touring or splitboarding trip is bliss. The cozy cabins give you access to a wealth of terrain, save you from driving from Revelstoke or Golden daily, and can facilitate organizing epic missions in the mountains. While I’ve done a lot of winter camping, I can say those days are over. I’d much rather stay in a warm, well-equipped hut to complete objectives with friends and guests alike. Comfort is key! As a world-class destination, Rogers Pass harbours three distinct backcountry huts, operated year-round by the Alpine Club of Canada:

  • The A.O. Wheeler Hut
  • The Asulkan Cabin
  • The Sapphire Col Hut

Related: Ski Touring In Rogers Pass, BC: All You Need To Know

AO Wheeler Hut

The A.O. Wheeler Hut

Photo: Alpine Club of Canada

The A.O. Wheeler Hut is a backcountry hut located in the Rogers Pass frontcountry. As Park Canada puts it: “The Wheeler Hut is one of the most historic, aesthetic and accessible huts in the ACC hut network. The hiking, mountaineering and winter backcountry skiing are world-class.” You’ll find below some details about the hut.

Distance to Hut: 1.2km
Elevation Gain: 10m
Elevation: 1250m

In the winter, the backcountry hut can be reached by following the rail grade of the Asulkan Trail starting at the Illecillewaet parking lot. It's a short 15-20 minute stint to the hut and best completed with a pulk sled if you're hauling in large amounts of food and "beverages". Thankfully, the access involves simple terrain with no avalanche hazard and as such is great for families with young kids.

From its prime location, you can access classic routes up the Asulkan or Illecillewaet Valleys and get as much powder skiing or ski mountaineering as you'd like. Alternatively, you can skin back to the parking lot, hop in the car and access the rest of Rogers Pass (i.e. Connaught or Hermit Valleys) with no more than a 5-minute drive. It's a beautiful hut granting you a plethora of options depending on the weather and avalanche conditions.

Distance to Hut: 200m
Elevation Gain: 10m
Elevation: 1250m

In the summer, it's an even shorter approach. It's a 2-minute walk from the Illecillewaet Campground parking lot (closed in the winter). The hut will grant you convenient access to the Sir Donald Range or Asulkan Range, both offering classic hikes, scrambles across ridgetops, and alpine climbs.

Hut Capacity: 24 (winter), 30 (summer)

Amenities:

  • Propane lighting
  • Wood heating
  • Propane oven
  • Large dining area
  • Sleeping mattress
  • Outhouse

 

Recommended Ski Touring Routes






Asulkan Cabin

The Asulkan Cabin

Photo: Alpine Club of Canada

The Asulkan Cabin is located near (you guessed it) the head of the Asulkan Valley, nestled between the Asulkan and Youngs Glaciers. This ultra-scenic location provides panoramic views of the towering mountains and expansive glaciers populating the Asulkan Valley. The hut sleeps 10 comfortably and has a fully stocked kitchen as far as remote backcountry huts go in Rogers Pass.

Distance to Hut: 7km
Elevation Gain: 850m
Elevation: 2120m

In the winter, the Asulkan cabin can be reached by following the gradual Asulkan Trail (approx. 7km to the hut) starting at the Illecillewaet parking lot. On average, it takes most folks 1.5 to 2.5 hours to get there. The ascent involves climbing the Tree Triangle, a prominent, treed moraine leading up to the Asulkan Pass. It's an arduous climb when loaded with overnight gear and you'll be exposed to serious avalanche paths on the way up. Thankfully, you can leave your sleeping mat and cooking gear at home since the hut is equipped with comfortable mattresses.

From its prime location, you can access classic routes in the Asulkan Valley such as the 7 Steps of Paradise or the Sapphire Col Hut. You can also summit Youngs Peak and the Jupiter Massif when the weather is conducive. During bouts of bad weather, you can ski down from the hut into the Tree Triangle for some decent tree skiing or shred the lower slopes of the Asulkan Valley. I've got to say, sunsets and sunrises at the Asulkan Hut are absolutely world class. Pro-tip: you can get some skiing done under the full moon if you time it right and stay reasonably close to the hut.

Distance to Hut: 7km
Elevation Gain: 850m
Elevation: 2120m

In the summer, you'll again follow the Asulkan Trail (7km approach) to the backcountry hut. The hut will grant you convenient access to the Asulkan Range, both offering classic hikes, scrambles across ridgetops, and alpine climbs. The hut is often used by mountaineers as the end point of the Asulkan Traverse, starting with Mt Abbott. It can also be a good base to explore the Youngs and Asulkan glaciers on foot or reach the Asulkan Pass for glorious views of the Dawson Range beyond.

Hut Capacity: 10

Amenities:

  • Propane lighting
  • Propane heating
  • Large dining area
  • Sleeping mattress
  • Outhouse
  • Amazing views

 

Recommended Ski Touring Routes





Sapphire Col hut

The Sapphire Col Hut

Photo: Alpine Club of Canada

Established in 1964, the Sapphire Col Hut is Rogers Pass’ highest backcountry hut, at 2567m. It’s an uninsulated tin box anchored to the rock with thick steel cables. And, it’s for good reasons. The col is typically hammered by bad weather and gale-force winds. The hut doesn’t offer any heating or cooking equipment. It does however have plywood sleeping shelves and a rickety door. You’ll have to bring all your overnight gear except for a shelter.

Distance to Hut: 9km
Elevation Gain: 1375m
Elevation: 2567m

In the winter, the Sapphire Col Hut can be reached by following the gradual Asulkan Trail starting at the Illecillewaet parking lot. At the Mousetrap, you then climb the Asulkan Glacier, watching out for crevasses and the serious avalanche hazard throughout the journey. Loaded with most of the overnight gear, the ascent is difficult and requires glacier travel and avalanche terrain management skills.

From its prime location, you can access classic routes in the vicinity such as the Jupiter Traverse, the Lily Glacier or the 7 Steps of Paradise. You can also summit the Jupiter Massif and the Bonney Massif when the weather is conducive. Since your start point is at 2567m, high up in the alpine, there isn't any tree skiing options short of descending in the white to valley bottom.

Distance to Hut: 9km
Elevation Gain: 1375m
Elevation: 2567m

In the summer, the access is difficult since it requires climbing the heavily-crevassed Asulkan Glacier. Unless long jumping over crevasses is your thing, I can't safely recommend that route. Most people use the Sapphire Col hut as an overnight stop on the Asulkan Traverse, a knife-edge ridge traverse spanning from Mt Abbott to Mt Jupiter. It is truly a blast to complete. The hut will grant you convenient access to other peaks in the Asulkan Range and the Bonney Range to the west.

Hut Capacity: 4

Amenities:

  • Plywood sleeping platforms

 

Recommended Ski Touring Routes



How Do I Book A Backcountry Hut In Rogers Pass?

First and foremost, the Alpine Club of Canada offers regular hut booking rates for non-members and a discounted rate for members of its organization. The relatively cheap yearly subscription helps support the organization, providing heavily discounted guided trips, courses, and community events if that’s what you’re into. As with most backcountry huts in Canada, you can book a hut using their user-friendly, online platform. ACC members can book a hut 180 days in advance while non-members are limited to 90 days in advance.

Disclaimer

Access to most of the backcountry huts in BC, specifically Rogers Pass, requires terrain knowledge, avalanche awareness and (for the Sapphire Col Hut) glacier travel skills. While the initial access can be trivial for some huts, the terrain it opens up is very hazardous. Please hire a certified ACMG guide to take you through our mountainous terrain when in doubt. They facilitate your trip organization, introduce another layer of safety, ensure your well-being in the mountains, and often will know the ins and outs of the area. They might teach you a thing or two while you’re at it! As always, stay safe out there and see you on the slopes.

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