Covid measures in the Canadian Rockies

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity. We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in the Canadian Rockies, please refer to British Columbia’s Travel and COVID-19 website . Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure: An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area Six days of backcountry ski touring Food for the duration of the tour Hut accommodation fees Parks Canada backcountry permits Drivers to bring guest vehicles back to Field at the end of the trip Porter service Group equipment What’s not included: Technical backcountry ski touring equipment Transportation to Field, BC Vehicles for the shuttle (bring your own or carpool)

How fit do I need to be?

To enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to be in excellent physical shape. You will be on your feet for 5-7 hours a day for 6 full days, covering 6-10 miles (10-15km) of terrain every day. Hut elevations are approximately 7,200ft (2,200m), with 2,300ft (700m) vertical, and you will be doing your hut-to-hut traverse carrying up to 45lbs (20kg) of equipment. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.

What if I’ve never backcountry skied before?

To participate in this tour, you need to have previous powder skiing and ski mountaineering experience. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 5-7 hours every day. Your guide will take care of the planning, oversee your technique, and teach you how to better manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training necessary to keep you safe. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, we suggest joining a guide for a day of Intro to Backcountry Skiing .

What equipment do I need to bring?

For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring: Alpine touring skis, preferably with tech-style AT bindings, 150-185cm in length, wide (can be rented) Ski crampons (mandatory, can be provided by guide) Touring boots and poles with powder baskets (can be rented) Climbing skins Climbing harness Prusik cord and 120 cm sewn sling Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented): Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver – a modern digital unit Lightweight snow shovel Collapsible avalanche probe For personal items, we recommend bringing: Backpack (at least 65 L) — can be rented Helmet Sunglasses and ski goggles Long wool or synthetic underwear Extra warm shirt (not cotton) Medium weight fleece sweater Softshell or fleece jacket Softshell pants Insulated jacket (down preferred) Insulated pants (fleece or other synthetic) — optional Waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or equivalent) Waterproof pants with side zippers (Gore-Tex or equivalent) Socks (wool or synthetic) Wool or fleece hat Waterproof ski mountaineering gloves or mitts Lightweight ski gloves Neck tube or balaclava Sun hat Two conventional locking carabiners and two non-locking biners Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people) Water bottle and 1L of water Thermos with a warm beverage — optional First aid kit and small blister kit Personal toiletry kit and toilet paper Large stuff sack for carrying food Sunscreen and lip balm Pocket knife Sleeping bag — three-season bag rated between -7 and -9°C Stuff sack — optional, but recommended Insulated booties or sandals Camera — optional

Can I rent equipment?

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent: Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel, and probe from the guide Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented in Lake Louise, Field, and Banff Splitboards can be rented in Lake Louise, Field, and Banff If you plan on using alternate touring systems such as telemark skis, frame-style AT bindings, or splitboards, please contact us in advance. Ski rental locations are in Field, Lake Louise, and Banff and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

Group sizes and age requirements

Group sizes: This tour is not private. For the group tour, the max guest-to-guide ratio is 6:1. Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows. Ski touring on the Wapta Traverse can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements. Min. age requirements: If you are older than 18, you’re good to go. Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to ski with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements. If your group has ski tourers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

A deposit of 50% of the total price is due with your booking unless otherwise indicated. Once your guide confirms your booking, your trip departure is guaranteed. Final payments are due 120 days before your trip starts.

Getting there and meeting location

To get to Field, BC, the starting point of your tour, most people fly into Calgary International Airport 2,5 hours away. From there, you can take a bus straight to Field, take a bus to Lake Louise and a shuttle to Field, or rent a car and drive there. Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, usually at the Truffle Pigs Bistro & Lodge in Field, BC. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.

Fixed dates are gone — go private, or find a last minute deal.

Wapta Traverse | British Columbia

Hut-to-Hut Ski Touring on the Wapta Traverse TEEST

Name: Guided Hut-to-Hut Skiing on the Wapta Traverse
Brand: 57hours
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

6 days | 5.00

From $1,120 ()

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The Canadian Rockies are home to some of the greatest hut-to-hut ski touring routes in the world, and the Wapta Traverse is the perfect example. Running north-south across the boundless Wapta and Waputik Icefields, the classic Wapta Traverse has built up a reputation as heaven-on-earth for ski touring and ski mountaineering. The hut system is well-developed and the huts are cozy and high-class. The powder is dry and the snowpack is settled, especially in the spring. The ski mountaineering objectives are plentiful and easily accessible from the huts. The experience is enhanced even further by the sublime nature of the sky-blue Peyto Lake, the imposing Waputik Icefield, and the colorful and wild Sherbrooke Creek. The Wapta Traverse didn’t get its legendary reputation for no reason—it earned it through excellent huts, stunning views and, most of all, great ski touring.

Adventure Highlights

Tour and mountaineer across the majestic Wapta and Waputik Icefields
Spend your nights in high-quality huts
Take in the breathtaking alpine views of the Canadian Rockies

Duration

6 days

Season

March

Group size

Up to 6 people

The adventure, day by day

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Make your way to Canada’s magnificent icefields for 6 days of unforgettable ski touring! Test your skills on the classic Wapta Traverse, with high-quality huts, phenomenal dry powder and breathtaking vistas. Your experienced local guide will make sure that your touring goes by safely and without a hitch.

Day 1: Peyto Hut

Meet your guides at Field, BC, early morning. You’ll receive some introductions, followed by a quick equipment check and distribution of group gear and food. Make sure you’ve already eaten breakfast—lunch and the rest of the meals for the trip will be provided. Drive to the trailhead at Peyto Lake. Shuttle drivers will accompany you to bring your vehicles back to the trail’s end. Spend the next 5-8 hours, depending on conditions and group speed, skiing to Peyto Hut, where a freshly prepared meal will be waiting for you.

Day 2: Extra night at Peyto Hut

Stay an extra night at the Peyto Hut to enjoy the outstanding ski mountaineering in the area. Mt Gordon, Mt Rhondda, Mt Haebel, and Mt Thompson are in easy striking distance.

A group of tourers near a slope on the Wapta Traverse

Day 3: Bow Hut

This large and popular hut is a relatively short ski trip away from Peyto Hut. Spend the rest of the day tagging a summit or doing a loop tour.

Tourers walking in a line on the Wapta Traverse

Day 4: Balfour Hut

Enjoy the spectacular ski over to Balfour Hut, which usually brings you up and over the Olive-St. Nicholas Col. After a relaxing lunch stop at Balfour Hut, spend the afternoon chasing a ski objective such as laps on the Diableret Glacier.

A tourer pointing to a cliff on the Wapta Traverse

Day 5: Scott Duncan Hut

The traverse over the Balfour High Col is usually the highlight and crux of the trip. Ascend over heavily crevassed terrain next to the stunning serac-fringed east face of Mt. Balfour. After attaining the col, if conditions permit, ascend one of the nearby peaks like Lilliput or even Balfour’s South Face.

A tourer below a hill on the Wapta Traverse

Day 6: Return

All good things must come to an end. After a short run down from the Scott Duncan Hut, it takes about 30 minutes of gentle climbing to reach the Shark’s Fin. From there it’s mostly downhill to get to the intersection of Niles and Sherbrooke Creeks, where the gurgling of spring snowmelt, birdsong, and the smell of spruce trees presents a sharp contrast with the alpine world you settled into during the trip. After about five hours of travel, you will reach your cars. Expect to be back in Canmore by dinner time.

Day 1: Peyto Hut

Day 2: Extra night at Peyto Hut

Stay an extra night at the Peyto Hut to enjoy the outstanding ski mountaineering in the area. Mt Gordon, Mt Rhondda, Mt Haebel, and Mt Thompson are in easy striking distance.

Day 3: Bow Hut

This large and popular hut is a relatively short ski trip away from Peyto Hut. Spend the rest of the day tagging a summit or doing a loop tour.

Day 4: Balfour Hut

Day 5: Scott Duncan Hut

Day 6: Return

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Photo gallery

A group of people near a mountain on the Wapta Traverse

Descent down a slope on the Wapta Traverse

Adventure, packed to go

Hut-to-Hut Ski Touring on the Wapta Traverse TEEST

Adventure Brochure

Brochure and video trailer

Download the trip brochure and cinematic trailer—everything you need to plan, share, or start dreaming.

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Meet your guides

Seasoned pros, local legends, and passionate adventurers—your trip is in the best hands.

5.00

Tom Wolfe

IFMGA/ACMG Certified Guide

Tom Wolfe is an ACMG/IFMGA-certified mountain guide who’s been guiding since moving to Canmore in 1995, the place he calls home. His winters consist of a mix of ski guiding at lodges, heli-ski operations, and remote backcountry destinations throughout western Canada. During the warmer months, Tom spends his days on water. He is a certified Paddle Canada Moving Water Canoe Instructor and Wilderness Canoe Guide.

5.00

Sawback Alpine Adventures

Sawback was founded by Tom Wolfe in 1995, running mountain hiking trips for groups. Since then they have expanded programming to offer just about any mountaineering adventure you could imagine. Tom is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and a member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). Although Sawback is primarily a one man show, many of their trips come out of partnerships with other guides.

What others say about this adventure

5.00 (4 reviews)

George M.J.

I was out on trips with Tom Wolfe of Sawback Alpine Adventures twice during the ski season of winter 2018. Both trips were great. The Bow / Yoho Wapta Traverse was particularly spectacular traveling between Alpine Club of Canada huts. Tom really knows this area well.

Marilyn F.

An awesome trip with a great, conscientious and professional guide. Definitely felt that Tom listened to the whole crew and took our collective objectives, safety, weather, snow conditions and skill sets to get the maximum we could have out of our Bow-Yoho traverse over new years 2018. Super fun trip and lots of hilarious and educational stories and experiences Tom shared with us. And Eric was great to in lending a hand where needed and carrying a ton of weight too. Would definitely recommend both Tom and Eric for any high adventure trips and for any furthering of backcountry education. Not only do they really know their craft, they present their knowledge in a smooth and easy way for all to understand and learn from. Great guides, great guys. All five stars for sure!

Daniel B.

Tom is a top notch guide! In addition to delivering a great ski touring trip, he is a fun person to hang out with back at the lodge. I feel safe touring with Tom.

Show all reviews

George M.J.

Marilyn F.

Daniel B.

Tom is a top notch guide! In addition to delivering a great ski touring trip, he is a fun person to hang out with back at the lodge. I feel safe touring with Tom.

Nathan J.

Excellent guiding, planning, hospitality and safe skiing. we are repeat customers now!

Things to know

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in the Canadian Rockies, please refer to British Columbia’s Travel and COVID-19 website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get in this adventure:
- - An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  - Six days of backcountry ski touring
  - Food for the duration of the tour
  - Hut accommodation fees
  - Parks Canada backcountry permits
  - Drivers to bring guest vehicles back to Field at the end of the trip
  - Porter service
  - Group equipment
What’s not included:
- - Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  - Transportation to Field, BC
  - Vehicles for the shuttle (bring your own or carpool)
To enjoy this backcountry adventure, you need to be in excellent physical shape. You will be on your feet for 5-7 hours a day for 6 full days, covering 6-10 miles (10-15km) of terrain every day. Hut elevations are approximately 7,200ft (2,200m), with 2,300ft (700m) vertical, and you will be doing your hut-to-hut traverse carrying up to 45lbs (20kg) of equipment. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
To participate in this tour, you need to have previous powder skiing and ski mountaineering experience. You will be skiing, touring, and summiting on glaciated terrain for 5-7 hours every day. Your guide will take care of the planning, oversee your technique, and teach you how to better manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training necessary to keep you safe. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, we suggest joining a guide for a day of Intro to Backcountry Skiing.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
- - Alpine touring skis, preferably with tech-style AT bindings, 150-185cm in length, wide (can be rented)
  - Ski crampons (mandatory, can be provided by guide)
  - Touring boots and poles with powder baskets (can be rented)
  - Climbing skins
  - Climbing harness
  - Prusik cord and 120 cm sewn sling
  - Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
    
    Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver – a modern digital unit
    
    Lightweight snow shovel
    
    Collapsible avalanche probe
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
- - Backpack (at least 65 L) — can be rented
  - Helmet
  - Sunglasses and ski goggles
  - Long wool or synthetic underwear
  - Extra warm shirt (not cotton)
  - Medium weight fleece sweater
  - Softshell or fleece jacket
  - Softshell pants
  - Insulated jacket (down preferred)
  - Insulated pants (fleece or other synthetic) — optional
  - Waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
  - Waterproof pants with side zippers (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
  - Socks (wool or synthetic)
  - Wool or fleece hat
  - Waterproof ski mountaineering gloves or mitts
  - Lightweight ski gloves
  - Neck tube or balaclava
  - Sun hat
  - Two conventional locking carabiners and two non-locking biners
  - Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
  - Water bottle and 1L of water
  - Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
  - First aid kit and small blister kit
  - Personal toiletry kit and toilet paper
  - Large stuff sack for carrying food
  - Sunscreen and lip balm
  - Pocket knife
  - Sleeping bag — three-season bag rated between -7 and -9°C
  - Stuff sack — optional, but recommended
  - Insulated booties or sandals
  - Camera — optional
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
- - Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel, and probe from the guide
  - Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented in Lake Louise, Field, and Banff
  - Splitboards can be rented in Lake Louise, Field, and Banff
If you plan on using alternate touring systems such as telemark skis, frame-style AT bindings, or splitboards, please contact us in advance.
Ski rental locations are in Field, Lake Louise, and Banff and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes:
- - This tour is not private. For the group tour, the max guest-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
  - Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.
Ski touring on the Wapta Traverse can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:
- - If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  - Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to ski with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
If your group has ski tourers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
A deposit of 50% of the total price is due with your booking unless otherwise indicated. Once your guide confirms your booking, your trip departure is guaranteed. Final payments are due 120 days before your trip starts.
To get to Field, BC, the starting point of your tour, most people fly into Calgary International Airport 2,5 hours away. From there, you can take a bus straight to Field, take a bus to Lake Louise and a shuttle to Field, or rent a car and drive there.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, usually at the Truffle Pigs Bistro & Lodge in Field, BC. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.

Have more questions?

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Backcountry Skiing

Hut-to-Hut Ski Traverses in the Canadian Rockies

The Waputik Icefield of the Canadian Rockies has a legendary reputation as a paradise for ski mountaineering. This melding of glaciers along the Great Divide boasts an excellent hut system, perfect terrain for hut-to-hut traverses, and easy access to expansive ski mountaineering objectives. It’s a classic for the country, about as Canadian as maple syrup, moose and Mounties. In this one-hour session, ACMG and IFMGA Mountain Guide Tom Wolfe will introduce two brilliant stars of Waputik’s snowy constellation: the Wapta Traverse and the Bow-Yoho Traverse. Both trips chart a course through demanding but dazzling terrain that offers peak bagging and powder skiing galore. But the fun doesn’t stop when the skis are off. After an unforgettable day of hunting turns on vast glaciers, there’s no better way to unwind than in the comfort of a backcountry hut, where a roasting fireside dinner and a toasty drink soothe the weary traveler. For experienced skiers who are comfortable on black diamond resort runs, hut-to-hut traverses in the Rockies are the next step on their path to serious off-piste shredding. So if you’re ready to take your skiing to the hair-raising thrills of the Waputik backcountry, tune in and hear from a professional guide with decades of experience in the heart of the Rockies.

Book This Adventure for a Private Group

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