Related: Balu Pass, Rogers Pass: Old Faithful Ski Tour

Report from November 27, 2025

After two days of heavy rain to 2300m, Freddy and I figured now was a great time to kick-start our ski touring season at Rogers Pass. Fortunately, the tail end of the storm system brought 20cm of dense powder, burying the burly melt-freeze crust. With a forecasted warm spell settling in over the day, we hoped the warm snow would stick to the crust and cushion our turns. We planned on skiing a classic of the Connaught Valley, the Cheops North Bowl.

We followed the standard Connaught uptrack, aiming to gain Balu Pass. With the low elevation coverage, we stepped over rocks, roots and cautiously maneuvered over gaping streams. In the early season, it’s best to budget some extra time to navigate the valley bottoms. Surprisingly, the fresh rain crust helped shield our skis from the rocks on the trail. After two hours of continuous side-hilling, we gained Balu Pass and stumbled into old friends, Chris and Will, who happened to share the same objective.

We took a breather at the pass, snacking on granola bars and dehydrated mangoes – my all-time favourite in the backcountry. Looking south, we could see the Loop Brook, Asulkan and Illecillewaet Valleys in the distance. It got me excited about our upcoming winter and all the epic terrain at our fingertips. We mosied across Balu Pass, arriving at the foot of the Cheops West Ridge, the next leg of the ski tour.

As we climbed the broad shoulder, I probed for potential wind slabs and evaluated our snowpack. For a heavily wind-scoured feature, I was surprised to find more than 180cm of snow across the slope. Beyond, the alpine was caked in snow. The warm temperature and heavy snow had coated our mountains, filling in boulder holes, open creeks and eroded gullies. Despite the recent rain, that’s a great start for the 2025-2026 season. With Will expertly breaking trail at the front, we gained the distinct bench, marking the entrance of the Cheops North Bowl.

While the crew executed a quick transition, Will (being Will) pulled a beer out of his bag and crushed it on the spot. Not my style, but I can appreciate the effort to haul it up the hill. Will and Chris decided to ski Nicci’s Notch, an advanced line nearby. We dropped into the bowl, ski cutting the convex entrance to evaluate the wind slab’s reactivity. The warm snow offered smooth, groomer-like skiing, thankfully cushioning the crust below. While I wouldn’t call that powder skiing, it was as enjoyable as it was different from what we’re used to at Rogers Pass. The vast alpine terrain was looming overhead, making us feel very small in comparison.

As we approached the traverse under STS Couloir, we noticed a string of avalanche debris emerging from the steep couloir above. The debris had carved out the terrain, leaving great big gullies of tough ice. We carefully descended through the challenging section and raced down to the valley bottom once clear of the debris. In times of better stability and snow quality, I often ski the steep chutes directly below the bowl. They are often loaded by the downflow winds, blowing from the top of Balu Pass.

Route Info

7-8 h	1020m	11 km	1330-2250 m

The post Cheops North Bowl: Great Alpine Skiing Despite Thin Coverage appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: The Early Season Snowpack: How It Affects Your Winter

McCrae Peak

Best time to visit: Mid-October to early November

5-6 h	820 m	10.5 km	1770-2415 m

As far as early-season ski touring goes, the McCrae Peak zone is an all-time classic. Its main glacier, the McCrae glacier, offers an enjoyable yet short descent, with a challenging finish down a windy canyon. For added vertical, you can bootpack up the peak’s west face to its summit (2500m), granting you panoramic views of the surrounding Selkirk Mountains and the Monashees’ Gold Range across the Columbia Valley. Why is this such a popular early-season spot? On one hand, you’ll start your tour at an elevation of just under 1800m at the top of the McCrae forestry road. You essentially drive all the way up to the snowline, skipping the typically heinous valley bottom bushwhack. Since the McCrae FSR is part of the broader Akolkolex forestry road network, bring a VHF radio along to monitor the busy logging traffic. This is an active logging zone, requiring a 4×4 vehicle to access. Check out this post about safety on forest service roads in BC.

Related: McCrae Glacier: Season’s First Powder Turns

On the other hand, McCrae’s west shoulder is a mellow grassy meadow, with more grass than rocks, perfect for some early-season backcountry skiing. For the keen adventurer, you can complete a variety of intricate loops involving alpine bowls and steep chutes as seen in my latest trip up McCrae Peak in spring.

Joss Mountain

Best time to visit: Mid-October to early November

5-6 h	650 m	12.5 km	1490-2150 m

Peaking at 2386m, Joss Mountain is a prime early-season ski touring spot in the Monashee Mountains. The route requires a 4×4 vehicle and a VHF radio to navigate the generally well-maintained Wap Lake FSR. Beware: the journey’s last leg up one of the lesser-used branches is much steeper and rockier than the main artery. The challenging access is worth the effort, however. You’ll be rewarded with classic Monashee-style skiing, including chutes, pillows, booters and pristine alpine bowls. Thankfully, the 1-hour drive from Revelstoke and the harder access make Joss Mountain a lesser-known destination, a hidden gem. You’ll hardly cross anyone on the uptrack.

Related: Joss Mountain: Monashees: Seeking The Halloween Powder

The peak is crowned by an old fire lookout, worth the visit if you can muster the 850m ascent. With a little exploration, you’ll find that the south bowl harbours quality skiing. The ondulating alpine terrain offers a perfect opportunity to ski multiple laps, dust off the cobwebs and get your touring legs under you.

Rogers Pass

Rogers Pass winter permit required

Best time to visit: Early November to mid-April

If you’ve been lurking on The Uptrack for a while, you’ve probably figured it out. Rogers Pass is a world-class backcountry skiing destination that also delivers the goods in the early season. The ski season usually starts in early November in the Connaught Valley when there’s just enough snow for a marginal ascent and a hair-raising descent. I’m not going to sugarcoat this – October/November skiing at Rogers Pass is no joke. You’ll be hopping over sharp rocks, crossing open creeks and bashing alder bushes along the way. Nonetheless, the challenging valley bottom conditions give way to excellent skiing in the alpine bowls.

Most folks begin their season in the Connaught Valley with the Balu Pass ski tour. The gentle valley ascent, combined with the mellow open slopes at the valley’s headwaters, makes for a great first tour of the year. I’ve had some of my finest November faceshots there. For the expert skiers looking for challenging lines, a short climb from Balu Pass up the Cheops West Shoulder gets you to the entrance of Nicci’s Notch and the Cheops North Bowl on the valley’s south slope, two great options for early-season backcountry skiing.

On the north side of the Connaught Valley lies Ursus Trees, offering perfectly spaced tree skiing that can be lapped over and over again. Skiers and snowboarders with a penchant for mountaineering can easily summit Video Peak and ski down its south face. It’s a classic early-season objective. You’ll find some great alpine skiing in the vast Hospital Bowl below the peak. Beware: the valley’s lower slopes are carpeted with thick alder bushes, making progress difficult. Stick to the well-used uptracks below treeline to ease your ascent.

Dusting Off The Cobwebs

Since we’re talking about early-season backcountry skiing, it’s worth mentioning the steps you can take to get ready for the season. My latest pre-season preparation for ski touring post discusses those very steps, ranging from looking over your gear to physical conditioning for the season. I spend considerable time training my avalanche and crevasse rescue response before even clipping into my bindings for the first time of the year. You never know – you might be faced with an incident on your very first day out in the backcountry, and you must be ready for it.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: our first packing party of the year is often a rusty one. I’m slowly packing my backpack in the least effective way possible, often forgetting essential items. Well, look no further. This handy-dandy post on what to pack for a ski tour covers all the gear you’ll need for your first ski tour in October or November.

Lastly, not only is it good advice to practice avalanche safety scenarios before hitting the backcountry slopes, it’s also crucial to review the common avalanche problems encountered in October and November. This post on the early-season snowpack covers the fundamental weather mechanisms and avalanche problems that take shape in the early parts of the winter.

The post Best Early-Season Backcountry Skiing Near Revelstoke, BC appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: Afton Southeast Couloir, Rogers Pass: High Exposure (East Variation)

Report from December 1st, 2020

Generally speaking, I’m not a big fan of ski touring in large groups, but this day was different. The crew, comprised of Rigel, Steph, Freddy, Phil, Kaitlin, and me, assembled at the Loop Brook parking lot, ready for a fun day of introductory ski-mountaineering. For some, this was their first couloir. Phil and I picked the Afton SE Couloir as it seemed like a good appetizer for the newcomers to the sport.

After a thorough gear check, we slithered along Loop Brook, engaging early up the west flank of Mt Abbott. With the season being young, the snowpack was quite shallow. We battled surface crusts and faceted snow through the steep forest, laying down technical kick-turns and using trees for belay. There’s no sugarcoating it, the forested ascent is heinous. I broke my skin tip twice by stumbling on deadfall and buried rocks. You have to stay focused and punch through the treeline.

As we emerged from the trees, we could peer across the Loop Brook Valley. Mt Green and Ross Peak were standing proud. I took the opportunity to scope out the Ross SE Couloir, an objective I completed a few days later after it had shed during a storm cycle. We took a solid break, replenishing our energy while we basked in the early-season sun. We then continued along the wind-scoured ridge leading up to Mt Afton.

Once the snow got too hard to travel on skis, we strapped our skis to our packs and started bootpacking up the Afton NW Ridge. The shallow faceted snow would let go at every step, punching through the thick wind crust to the depth of the boulders underneath. Progress was tiring and slow, but we eventually made it up the ridge. Freddy took a wild tumble down a few boulders after he lost his footing, a stark reminder to check your holds when climbing even the simplest ridge. Due to short daylight hours, some of us avoided the summit. It’s such a quick detour that I decided to complete the ascent and bag Mt Afton. This also gave me a premium view of the Afton SE Couloir and an opportunity to scope out the snow conditions.

The couloir had been battered by high southerly winds. The snow surface was visibly wind-affected, which is pretty common when ski mountaineering. I figured the wind slabs were more than 72 hours old and wouldn’t pose much of an issue. To make things worse, solar input over the last few clear days had changed the snow. This was expected, being a SE aspect. As usual, I would first assess the conditions before committing to the descent.

The sun was setting behind the Bonney Massif. At this time of the year, daylight is scarce. While I descended from the summit to join the group, the crew readied up for the short scramble into the couloir. Phil, Freddy and I led the way, looking for the easiest way through the narrow band of rocks spanning skier’s right from the couloir’s entrance. We helped the first-time couloir skiers through the scramble, assisting them as they mounted their skis. I truly wanted to avoid a ski rocket down the hard snow.

Ready for the descent, Phil launched down the line after a powerful ski cut. The skiing was challenging, to say the least. The top section was heavily wind-affected. Phil was cutting small chunks of unreactive wind slabs as he descended the couloir. I was snapping photos. The lower portion offered excellent powder skiing since the mountains across the valley provided shelter from the low-lying sun. With the hour drawing late, the Asulkan Valley was shrouded in darkness.

Once the party had skied the couloir, one at a time, we continued down the Rampart Bowl toward the valley bottom. The powder skiing here was excellent: sheltered from the wind, with no solar input and some interesting features off which to jump. This was a literal playground! We trended skier’s left towards an isolated band of trees and followed them down to the Asulkan Brook.

From there, we glided downstream along the Asulkan Trail back to the Illecilleweat parking lot. Since we had driven up with two cars, we carpooled back to the Loop Brook parking lot in the dark. I highly recommend doing so; otherwise, you’re stuck walking a few kilometres along the Trans-Canada Highway with semi-trucks blasting their horns at you!

Route Info

7-8 h	1500m	14 km	1130-2543 m

The post Afton SE Couloir, West Variation: Easing Into The Winter appeared first on The Uptrack.

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

Report from January 3, 2024

We glided along the Asulkan Rail Grade at a gentle warm-up pace and veered onto the Sir Donald Trail blowing past the ever-so-popular Avalanche Crest Trail. Within an hour, we were breaking trail across the base of the Practice Slopes below the Overlook. Interestingly, the “Practice” Slopes are no practice at all, being part of two large avalanche paths extending high into the alpine terrain. The trim lines cut into the surrounding forest are evidence of the past natural avalanche cycles, a stark reminder to stay sharp in light of our exposure to large overhead slopes. Bulldozing through unusually open creeks and alder patches, we made it to the bottom of the Vaux Moraine.

We struggled through the steep, eroded, bushy slopes below the glacial moraine. This section of the Vaux Moraine route is a test of will at the best of times, even in a deep snowpack. We made it up the tricky slope with the help of small trees and a thousand kick-turns. Eventually, we emerged from the trees and into the alpine terrain below the sheer west face of Mt Sir Donald, an immense rock slab commonly rappeled in the summer months.

Michael set the trail and the pace ahead of us. He made good use of the convoluted terrain and quickly reached the ridge separating the Uto South Bowl and the Overlook Bowl. Within a half-hour, we were peering over the ridge’s edge, looking into the steep entrance to the Overlook Bowl. Up high, a guided group was summiting Eagle Peak, fixing ropes as they scrambled along the exposed south face.

Within a half-hour, we were peering over the ridge’s edge, looking into the steep entrance to the Overlook Bowl. Up high, a guided group was summiting Eagle Peak, fixing ropes as they scrambled along the exposed south face.

I dug through the small cornice to get a clean line into the steep, convex slope, terminated by a small cliff. Nick inched across and above a cliff, testing the snowpack for potential wind slabs. Michael followed suit. Thankfully, the snow was glued on.

We continued down the Overlook Bowl, skiing through 20-25cm of high-quality, well-settled powder. We dodged some old tracks and skied the bowl’s right side which was terminated by a large cliff band. We contoured to the left above the cliffs and skied another excellent planar pitch finishing in a boulder field close to the treeline.

From the bottom of the bowl, we contemplated our options: contour south into the Practice Slopes and ski out through the Sir Donald Trail or head north towards Avalanche Crest. We opted for the second option which would offer an epic descent to the parking lot. We contoured north around the Eagle SW ridge, cutting a trail through the dense forest. After some minor bushwacking, we bolted out of the trees into the base of the Avalanche South Bowl.

We broke trail in the looker’s right portion of the bowl and linked up with an existing uptrack. Legs burning, we inched up until halfway up Avalanche Crest, reaching an elevation of 2250m. We took a quick break, switched to downhill mode and skied down the classic run. Unfortunately, the slope was completely tracked out, a resort mogul field. A lengthy drought and a busy weekend at Rogers Pass made short work of the fresh snow sadly. That’s fine – nothing like mogul training in the backcountry!

With an aching body, we crawled back to the parking lot sliding along the flat snowbank bordering the highway. While we didn’t get our pristine powder on Avalanche Crest, we completed a beautiful, 17-km loop through seldom-visited terrain and skied Overlook Bowl, our main objective for the day!

Route Info

8-9 h	1700m	17 km	1200-2450 m

The post Overlook Bowl Via Vaux Moraine: The Roundabout Way appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: The Ravens: A Burly Line For A Burly Storm, Lookout Col: The Scenic Way To The Ravens

Report from December 3, 2024

Jye and I rolled into the Illecillewaet parking lot around 7:30 AM, with a few cars strewn across the flat area. The owners were staying at the Asulkan Cabin since more folks avoid the Illecillewaet and Asulkan Valleys this early in the ski touring season. We glided along the Asulkan Trail and veered left onto the Great Glacier Trail.

Within an hour, we arrive at the Illecillewaet Moraines, a convoluted arrangement of gullies, pillows and narrow shoulders leading up to the glacial toe. The early season conditions were on display here. We scrambled over alders and followed an uber-steep uptrack to the toe at 2040m. There was no convenient way to get up there – it was an act of brute force!

With much effort, we made it to the toe of the Illecillewaet Glacier. It’s always more of a slog than I remember but it’s all worth it. To our right, we could see the Glacier Crest E face and the dogleg couloir, in good shape for early December. We decided to traverse east under the toe since the “standard” uptrack seemed very crevassed. This route would allow us to establish new ways onto the glacier.

Jye, fit as ever, broke trail for most of the ascent. We navigated the successive benches under the toe and eventually spotted a possible way through the glacier bound by two gnarly-looking crevasse fields. We roped up for the ascent – 12-15m apart with multiple stopper knots across the stretch of rope. We took all the safety precautions since we’d be crossing multiple crevasse bridges with little information about the depth and density of the snowpack.

We probed a snowpack depth ranging from 160cm in scoured areas to 250cm in wind-loaded zones with about 100cm of hard snow above ground. While those aren’t ideal crevasse bridging conditions, it’s good enough for travelling roped up and probing for big holes. We were through the crevasse field and onto the Illecillewaet Neve, the nearly flat top of the glacier.

We set a track up the rest of the glacier to the Ravens Ridge, circumnavigating around Lookout Bowl. We reached the ridge by noon. The views of the Asulkan and Youngs Glacier were amazing incredible and quite insightful. The 7 Steps of Paradise run was not in great shape. Rocks peppered the last two rolls above the valley bottom. We could also see the Asulkan Cabin in the distance, granting you access to this beautiful alpine terrain.

We transitioned for the descent. Due to an alpine temperature inversion, the light winds and mild temperatures were quite comfortable, even at 2540m where we stood. We poked around the leeward side of the ridge, on the hunt for reactive wind slabs. The mellow terrain would allow us to assess the wind slab hazard in the steeper sections. We found no signs of reactivity, only some old wind-affected surfaces that made skiing variable and challenging.

We followed the loaded slope and found a way across the rocky ridge onto the west aspect. Navigated by satellite imagery, we located the first entrance to the Lookout North Couloir. Peering into the void, we could see the whole line below us. While thin and rocky, there was a way clear descent route. We opted for the first and more serious line since the wind slab hazard was non-existent. Instead, we found 20-30cm of faceted snow.

Jye led the first half of the descent as I was taking photos. The couloir had previously avalanched and offered variable hard snow as well as blower powder. The skiing was challenging, resulting in slower-than-expected progress. Fortunately, we didn’t hit any rocks! We skied one at a time to manage our sluff and exposure.

Midway down the couloir, I took the lead and was met with variable conditions – the run had slid not so long ago. We railed some turns down the exit fan and exited into Lookout Bowl. The snow was exceptional, 40-50cm of low-density, faceted blower.

After celebrating the awesome run, we glided into the bowl’s gut and traversed back to the Ravens’ west slope. It’s worth transitioning for the uphill to make that move. Another lap of blower powder later, we connected with the Asulkan Valley Trail which we followed to the parking lot. It was a slog but we made it.

Route Info

7-9 h	1410 m	16 km	1200-2540 m

The post Lookout North Couloir: A Nifty Loop Joining Two Valleys appeared first on The Uptrack.

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

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

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.

Recommended Ski Touring Routes

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.

Recommended Ski Touring Routes

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.

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.

The post The Backcountry Huts of Rogers Pass: Cozy Up And Shred appeared first on The Uptrack.

Related: Planning A Ski Tour At Rogers Pass: The Online Tools

When To Visit

The ski touring season generally runs from November to April, with December to March being the prime months for skiing at Rogers Pass. The season can be divided into several sections.

Early Season: Stretching from November to mid-December, it’s usually a stormy span, featuring bad weather, high snowfall amounts (or rain) and poor visibility. Granted, you’ll find some calm periods between storms when you can chase the alpine snow. It’s a great time to avoid the crowds and get some so-so-sweet faceshots. While the fresh snow is plentiful, the base isn’t built up yet. The sharks are out! Keep that in mind when taking your brand-new skis for a spin in November. You’ll mostly meet locals doing some tree skiing pow laps and guides giving out avalanche courses.

Related: Ski Touring In Revelstoke, BC: A Backcountry Skiing Mecca

Mid Season: Stretching from mid-December to mid-March, it’s the bulk of the skiing at Rogers Pass and a great time to visit. Yes, you’ll fend off the crowds, but you’ll also find a great balance between storms and bluebird days. By January, the snow base is deep – you’ll hardly hit any rocks. The latter part of the mid-season, past mid-February, tends to offer more sunshine and less snowfall, perfect for high alpine trips.

Late Season: Stretching from mid-March to late April, this is the spring skiing season and one for the ski mountaineers out there. It’s the season of sunny skies, icy uptracks, ski crampons, peak bagging, and epic glaciers. The low-elevation forested skiing tends to lack in ski quality at that time of the year. You have to fight your way through that elevation band to get to the good stuff in the alpine.

Related: Planning A Spring Ski Tour: Optimize Your Peak Pursuit

Getting There

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

The Drive: Nestled at a high point in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Rogers Pass is accessible via the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1). It’s approximately 65km east of Revelstoke (a 45-minute drive) and 80km west of Golden (a 60-minute drive). Remember that the drive may be longer due to poor road conditions, common during the winter months. The drive from Golden to Rogers Pass is generally in better shape since it’s in the range’s rain shadow, and sees lower precipitation amounts and cooler temperatures.

Related: Ski Touring In Revelstoke, BC: A Backcountry Skiing Mecca

I may get struck by lightning for writing this: Revelstoke has slightly better amenities than Golden. After all, Revelstoke is a bigger town. Make sure your vehicle (rental or not) is equipped with winter tires. I cannot overstate how bad conditions can get on this stretch of the highway, especially for drivers unaccustomed to Canadian winter roads.

Avalanche Control And Parks Canada Permits

Rogers Pass is known for its spectacular backcountry skiing and splitboarding, but its terrain also poses a significant avalanche risk. Avalanche control is crucial for ensuring the safety of travellers on the Trans-Canada highway corridor. Parks Canada uses artillery shells and remotely detonated explosives to trigger avalanches in suspect start zones. Authorities prohibit highway travel when avalanche control is in progress. After all, you wouldn’t want to be doing avalanches as you travel through our beautiful mountain scenery

Parks Canada has established the Rogers Pass Winter Permit System to ensure backcountry travellers don’t interfere with the avalanche control program, which protects the highway. The winter permit system depends on user compliance. Parks Canada allows us to go ski touring (or splitboarding) in Rogers Pass. Failure to do so would force authorities to prohibit access to the park for backcountry skiing and splitboarding. I cannot say this enough: read about the Winter Permit System before visiting the area.

Terrain, Snowpack, Avalanches

Skiing at Rogers Pass is so good. The simple answer is TERRAIN! I used to call it the mini-Alps of Canada, but with better snow quality and slightly gentler terrain. Everything is skiable and featured here! You’ll find old-growth forests, alpine bowls, knife-edge ridge tops and complex glaciers. One day, you can be skiing the deepest powder you’ve ever encountered, and the next, you’re scrambling across a ridge with skis on your back and then skiing down a gnarly couloir. There’s so much variety to be had! Granted, most of the skiable terrain in Rogers Pass is better suited to advanced and expert skiers with good fitness due to the nature of the terrain and the length, as well as the elevation gain required to complete most routes.

It also requires a healthy dose of avalanche awareness and some knowledge of avalanche terrain management. Due to the high snowfall, deep snowpack and steep terrain, the area sees very frequent avalanches. Some pose a real hazard to backcountry travellers. It’s worth checking out the daily avalanche bulletin released by Avalanche Canada’s very talented forecasters.

The area harbours an intercontinental snowpack, meaning large amounts of dry-ish snow, on average about 10-12m of snowfall at treeline. Arguably, the ski conditions found in Rogers Pass are some of the best in Canada – and maybe even in the world! This also comes with its fair share of avalanche problems, including persistent instabilities (buried surface hoar, crusts or facet layers) and surface instabilities (storm and wind slabs). Our snowpack depth varies from 200-400+ cm depending on the season. Generally speaking, the growing snowpack smoothes the terrain roughness (boulders, trees, small cliffs, etc.) by mid-December or January, depending on the season.

Recommended Routes

Skiing at Rogers Pass involves choice, lots of it. There are hundreds of known backcountry routes to the point where you can tee up classic trips and get an epic day out of it. However, not all routes are viable options given the snow quality, weather and avalanche stability. Avalanche skills training, backcountry experience, and prior terrain knowledge help decipher where and when to visit certain areas.

Related: Rogers Pass Top Runs: Best Bang-For-Your-Buck

If at all in doubt, don’t hesitate to hire a certified ACMG ski or mountain guide. ACMG guides are the only individuals who can offer guided services within the Glacier National Park’s boundaries. If you’re comfortable in avalanche terrain and have a solid group to go out with, here are a few route recommendations from a guy who has seen quite a bit.

For an appetizer: The Macdonald West Shoulder, otherwise known as the NRC Slopes, is a great introduction to skiing at Rogers Pass, better suited to novice backcountry skiers and splitboarders who have prior avalanche skills training. It’s a great area to learn and get some quality powder laps.

For some blower powder: The Bonney Moraines offer short laps full of pillows and natural booters. Given its northern aspect encircled by glaciers, the snow tends to stay dry and fluffy even during warm periods. The large prominent moraine provides shelter from the constant downflow wind.

For some quality tree skiing: The Ursus Minor Trees are unbelievable at times. It’s a popular tour that’s accessible to a wide array of backcountry travellers and generally well-sheltered from the elements. Gaining access to this treed shoulder involves crossing many crowded avalanche paths as you follow Connaught Creek.

For skiing on glaciers: The lily-dome traverse is an absolute classic involving uptracking and skiing two glaciers, a short bootpack and some of the best views in the area. I complete the tour every year, with guests and friends alike, and it never ceases to make my jaw drop.

For the ski-mountaineers: The Jupiter Traverse is one of my favourite tours in Rogers Pass. If you can muster the 1700m vertical gain, you’ll get a chance to bag three peaks, scramble across the Jupiter Massif, rappel into a line and ski some cold smoke on the Asulkan Glacier. What a blast!

Parking Lots and Backcountry Huts

Parks Canada maintains and plows several parking lots that provide access to our world-class backcountry terrain. Each parking lot gives you access to distinct valleys offering various tours and a specific flavour. Here’s a list from east to west:

Related: The Backcountry Huts of Rogers Pass: Cozy Up And Shred

The park also has three backcountry huts (more like 3-1/2 huts) operated by the ACC (Alpine Club of Canada): the A.O. Wheeler, Asulkan, Glacier Circle and Sapphire Cabin. They can be rented by the day. Plan your trip well in advance to book your stay. While the first three are comfortable huts with a dedicated sleeping space, well-stocked kitchens and some form of heating, the Sapphire Cabin is a glorified steel box at just under 2600m. You are guaranteed a cold night while up there. The Glacier Circle Cabin is seldom visited as it’s remote and doesn’t offer many skiable routes. It’s often utilized on the Bugaboo to Rogers Traverse, a 9-day adventure through the Purcell and Selkirk Mountains.

Resources For Getting Around Rogers Pass

There’s a plethora of terrain and weather resources to plan your ski trip in Rogers Pass, which you can find in this article: Planning A Ski Tour At Rogers Pass.

In addition to the content found on The Uptrack, Douglas Sproul‘s book, Rogers Pass: North and Rogers Pass: South is an awesome resource for getting around. It offers detailed terrain photos and a brief route description summarizing his 28+ years of experience in the area. He also sells a topographic map encompassing most routes. Unsurprisingly, both this website and Doug’s book complement each other well. You’ll also find the Parks Canada staff at the Discovery Center very friendly and helpful.

As with all wilderness areas operated by Parks Canada, Glacier National Park follows the same rules. You’ll need a daily or yearly park pass to visit the park (unless you’re simply travelling through it). In addition, you’ll need an overnight parking permit if staying at one of the three backcountry huts operated by the ACC (Alpine Club of Canada) and a wilderness camping permit if pitching your tent within the park boundaries.

Gear Rental

Many folks ask me where they can rent ski touring gear, including the avalanche tools (probe, shovel, and transceiver), necessities for ski touring in Rogers Pass. Both Revelstoke and Golden have shops that offer backcountry gear rental.

Closing Statement

Now you know what I know about ski touring in Rogers Pass – well not everything, but I’ve got to keep some secrets to myself. If you’re new to ski touring or backcountry skiing, don’t hesitate to check out my articles on How To Get Into Ski Touring and Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding Etiquette. It’s a great spot to learn about the outdoor sport, the gear and training required as well as some of the resources useful to plan a tour. I’m truly passionate about Rogers Pass and the skiing/mountaineering it has to offer. I hope you do to after reading this post. See you on the slopes!

The post Ski Touring In Rogers Pass, BC: All You Need To Know appeared first on The Uptrack.

The Avalanche Hazard Of Couloir Skiing

A fair warning: couloir skiing is prime avalanche terrain which sheds often. The feature is essentially a large terrain trap with no escape, in other words, a funnel for avalanches. In some situations, you can climb a ridge to enter the couloir. This is the ideal situation since you’ll be able to assess the snowpack at the top of the line where conditions are usually more hazardous. Wind-loading is typically much more prominent at the top and the snowpack is shallow and rocky which makes it easy to trigger. A safely executed ski cut might do the trick. However, this isn’t always possible. Bootpacking up the feature may be the only way to its top. The only solution: assess the snowpack at the bottom of the couloir. The conditions at the top remain a wild guess at the best of times.

Pay close attention to the couloir’s aspect. North-facing lines tend to have much wind loading while south-facing lines are exposed to solar warming, both potential triggers. It’s also easy to be surprised by cross-loaded wind slabs triggered below the rock walls lining the couloir’s flanks. Some days, it came down to skiing a minefield of wind slabs, carefully monitoring for snow density changes below your skis. In retrospect, I should have chosen a more conservative objective instead. Live and learn!

As a rule of thumb, I don’t bootpack up a couloir if I’m forecasting natural avalanche activity or poor visibility. I prefer to see the surface wind effect and blowing snow at the top which gives me an idea of the wind loading. I’ll wait for fair weather, reducing the unknowns. I’m also continuously looking for surface instabilities (wind/storm slabs) as I plant my ice axe or poles in the snow. Sometimes, I tour up to a couloir’s exit fan and notice it has slid recently. On one side, the skiing will most likely be horrendous. On the other, the avalanche instability has been triggered naturally. One less problem to deal with…

For Pros: Avalanche NW Couloir

The Avalanche NW Couloir has some of the best and steepest couloir skiing in Rogers Pass. Its 55-degree top pitch funnels you down a winding choke that opens up into the vast Kors-Thomas Bowl and further down, the lower slopes of Avalanche Crest. Accessed from the NRC Col and the crevassed Avalanche North Glacier, an exposed but short-lived bootpack takes you to a col, nestled between the two summits of Avalanche Mountain, granting you panoramic views of the Avalanche Glacier and the Sir Donald Range.

As an option, you can also ski the south face of Avalanche Mtn from the col. Don’t forget your boot crampons and ice axe. The snow at the top of the couloir is often wind-affected (think wind slabs) and rock-hard. Good luck!

For Experts: Grizzly Couloir

The Grizzly Couloir is a classic of the Connaught Creek area. Often one of the first lines to be skied after a storm cycle (or during), it’s hard to get some freshies in this one. Fortunately, you can access its entrance by uptracking Teddy Bear Trees and scrambling on the Grizzly SW Ridge to the summit of Grizzly Mountain. It’s possible to ski cut the entrance effectively to test conditions.

The couloir itself widens at the top and is terminated by an often rocky choke at its base, a textbook terrain trap in case of an avalanche. Keep in mind, that the skier’s right is often cross-loading by prevailing winds and the line is south-facing. Solar warming is a serious problem during most of its skiable season. Once you exit the couloir, you get to ski the epic Grizzly Bowl down to Connaught Creek. The choke below Grizzly Bowl is often in rough shape. It’s best to cut skiers right into Teddy Bear Trees. In any case, Grizzly couloir is high on the list of the best couloir skiing in Rogers Pass.

For An Appetizer: Christmas Couloir

It’s hard to describe the Christmas Couloir. Is it a couloir, a face, or a half-couloir? Take a look at terrain photos yourself. You might find an answer. The south-facing couloir/face is flanked to the left by the headwall of Ursus Major Mountain. It’s accessed by continuing past Balu Pass into the Ursus Major South Bowl. While I prefer to keep skins on and uptrack along the nose of the face, I’ve also bootpacked the couloir in its entirety when conditions allow.

In good condition, it’s a scenic line that isn’t as committing as some of the other ones mentioned in this post. As with any south-facing couloir, solar warming is an issue. It certainly was during one of my worst close calls with an avalanche on this very feature. For a more involved line, I’ve scrambled the Ursus Major Ridge toward the summit from the top of Christmas Couloir and skied its north face into the Bruins Valley.

For A Ski-Mo Classic: Swiss Couloir

Swiss Couloir is a definite ski-mountaineering classic. A 2000m ascent through bushy forest, alpine meadows and vast glaciers takes you to its entrance. There’s no way around this one: you’ll need to bootpack 250m from the Swiss Glacier. At the top of your perch (3100m), one of the highest in the region, you’ll get jaw-dropping views of the Selkirk Mountains, seeing much further than Glacier National Park.

Given its high elevation, the snow conditions are often wind-affected, making for some challenging skiing. The ski quality tends to improve as you descend on the Swiss Glacier and the Lizard Moraine, a prominent alpine feature. When the weather is cooler, you can get some great skiing on the steep pillow lines lining the slopes of the Hermit drainage.

For A Shorter Day: STS Couloir

STS Couloir is a notorious beast of a line, and easily accessible as far as it goes for a ski-mountaineering route. The route offers 700m of epic north-facing couloir skiing with an average slope angle of 45 degrees. A mellow (but exposed) ascent along Connaught Creek takes you to Balu Pass where you continue on the Cheops West Ridge. Depending on conditions, reaching the couloir’s entrance might require a bootpack on the wind-hammered ridge. The couloir is commonly rappelled into (5-10m max.) to get past or cut the large cornices that build upon its crest. Once roped up, you can safely ski-cut the top.

Keep in mind the couloir is a heavily wind-loaded feature and the skier’s left flank harbours cross-loaded wind slabs. During your descent, you’ll be exposed to the large overhead cornices lining the Cheops West Ridge. There’s no doubt about it: it’s a scary place! Given its ease of access, after the cornice has been cut, the trip can be completed in under 5 hours and can be linked with Nikki’s Notch, a tasty appetizer to preceed STS Couloir.

For Tight Turns: Banana Couloir

Banana Couloir is a wonderful objective that’s hard to access and seldom skied. I’ve completed the line in blower powder conditions on the Sir Donald to Macdonald Traverse. The narrow, north-facing feature winds its way down the SW ridge of Mt Macdonald and terminates into the Crossover Bowl. While it can be bootpacked, the most elegant approach is through the NRC Col and the shallow, rocky Macdonald South Face. Keep in mind that the face always has a rotten snowpack with questionable avalanche stability. This route makes for a great traverse from the NRC parking lot to the Hermit lot.

To enter the couloir, a 10m rappel is often needed. With a deep snowpack, you can sneak through a choke at the top avoiding the need for rope work. The couloir is 4-5 meters wide at most. Large enough to link some precise, tight turns but not too narrow to force a jump turn. Once you exit the Banana Couloir, you’ll be exposed to the large overhead slopes lining Crossover Bowl but you’ll find some excellent, wide-open skiing. When it comes to the best couloir skiing in Rogers Pass, the Banana Couloir is a not-so-known bonus line.

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Related: The Raven: A Burly Line For A Burly Storm

Report from December 11, 2023

We began our ski tour at the Illecillewaet parking lot, frequently plowed by the Parks Canada staff. After performing our customary transceiver group check, we race along the rail grade of the Asulkan Valley trail. Due to the early-season conditions and a below-seasonal snowpack, we avoided the Perley Rock trail that traverses the avalanche fans below Eagle Peak and Mt Sir Donald. At this time of the year, it’s covered in thick mountain alders, creating an impenetrable jungle. Instead, we took the alternate path on the Great Glacier Trail, navigating around the eastern slopes of Glacier Crest.

We followed the Great Glacier trail until the bush became too thick. We dropped into the Illecillewaet Creek, with barely enough coverage to carve an uptrack. As the creek steepened, the terrain transitioned into a series of lateral moraines, created when the glacier flowed to the valley bottom. Given the thin snowpack, the uptrack from the valley bottom to the alpine took way longer than anticipated, requiring creative thinking and a good dose of heel risers to get through the bushes and faceted pillows.

We made a point to avoid the steep sidewalls of surrounding gullies and northerly convexities. The constant downflow winds coming from the Illecillewaet Neve created dense wind slabs on the north-facing terrain. With much patience, sweat, and a little frustration, we made it up the moraines in a little over two hours.

By the time we reached the alpine terrain, we were shrouded in a thick cloud layer. Visibility was poor, but fortunately, someone had laid a nice uptrack to Lookout Col. We followed the uptrack, ascending a rather steep moraine right below the col. As the cloud layer retreated into the valley, we glanced upon the Illecillewaet Glacier and Terminal Peak, now clear as day. The sun was shining strongly for a cold December day.

Getting to the col was exhilarating. Emerging from the darkness of the northern slope, we basked in the warm sunlight, looking down into Lookout Bowl to the South. We traversed across the south face looking for fresh tracks. With so little snow coverage, the terrain was limited and mostly tracked out. We dropped into a virgin 30-degree slope, carving some smooth turns in the moist sunbaked snow.

We regrouped at the bottom of the bowl, far away from the warming overhead slopes to our skier’s left. From there, we skied the valley bottom through the cloud layer until 1650m, where we transitioned for a quick traverse into the Ravens.

We followed a well-established uptrack that contoured through the thick forest north of the Ravens. Scoping out the terrain both above and below us, we realized this forest would offer some good skiing with another meter of snowpack. Something to keep for later, I guess!

I punched an uptrack traversing through the west slope until we found a patch of snow with little to no tracks. It dawned upon me. In the last few years, the Ravens have succumbed to their popularity. There used to be a time when no one would visit the area.

We skied the lower slope, bolting past a group of telemark skiers getting ready. That snow patch did not remain fresh for very long. I drained it way down the valley, maximizing our turns in the surreal powder. It seems the colder temperatures and downflow winds had created a dense layer above the Dec 1st rain crust, offering some supportive skiing without feeling the crust. This was by far the best descent of the day!

After a few high-fives, we joined the Asulkan Valley trail, slogging 6km back to the parking lot. Surprisingly, the toboggan track was in rather good shape. The rain crust must have preserved its surface and bridged all the rocks and roots below. When the conditions are right, this loop is one of the finest in the area.

Route Info

7-8 h	1550m	13.8 km	1200-2360 m

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

You’ll find both a quick and more in-depth list of resources to get an update on the conditions within Glacier National Park. Some of those websites can be used across any region across Western Canada.

For terrain research:

For a quick weather and avalanche overview:

For some more insight:

• Rogers Pass Winter Permit System. For accessing restricted areas in Glacier National Park in the winter
• Fidelity telemetry data. For snow amounts and temperature over the last 24 hrs at treeline (1900m)
• Round Hill telemetry data. For wind speed/direction and temperature over the last 24 hrs in the alpine (2100m)
• Rogers Pass telemetry data. For all variables at Rogers Pass highway elevation (1305m)
• Rogers Pass webcams
• DriveBC road conditions

For Some Of The Best Lines In Rogers Pass:

• Rogers Pass Top Runs: Best Bang-For-Your-Buck
• Best Storm Skiing In Rogers Pass
• Best Couloir Skiing In Rogers Pass For All Skill Levels

Shortly, I’ll release a series of posts detailing how to use those online tools effectively when planning a ski tour at Rogers Pass. For a little more detail on a few of those resources, check out my intro post on How To Get Into Ski Touring. Some of the more in-depth resources require a deeper understanding of the atmospheric conditions and avalanche hazards. A recreational avalanche safety course (AST 1 & 2) is a great hands-on way to further your education in the matter.

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