‘Tis the season to be riding fresh powder! Since you’ve been so good this year, gift yourself a guided backcountry skiing adventure from a luxury lodge in the heart of British Columbia. On this 5-day trip just before Christmas, you’ll step onto the untracked snow of the Purcell Mountains full of alpine meadows, sub-alpine basins, countless ridges, and fields of deep powder—terrain for every ski ability. The lodge itself is no ordinary basecamp: with three stories and 10 bedrooms, the building boasts a sauna, library, and plenty of wood-burning fireplaces for you, your friends, and family to get cozy. Have yourself a merry little pre-Christmas, with plenty of pow!
Monte is a great guide! Very knowledgeable, fun and safe. I would recommend him to anyone wanting to get out in the back country or rock climbing. He can teach you skills or just show you a great stress free time in the mountains!
I have been on a number of backcountry ski/ski mountaineering trips with Monte & Black Sheep Adventure Sports over the past several years. These trips have included avalanche safety training (level 2), and multiple multi-day hut trips in some expert level terrain (such as the Tantalus range near Squamish, BC).
On all the trips Monte and his guides have displayed excellent professionalism, tuition, and decision making in the mountains.
In mixed ability groups, Monte will tailor the trip to all ability/fitness levels, ensuring everyone has a great time. Monte has also pushed me to tackle steeper terrain than I was used to skiing in the backcountry (both on the up and down).
I would not hesitate to go on more trips in Monte in future.
I’ve used Monte (head guide at Black Sheep) for 2 seasons now for backcountry ski-touring. He’s very experienced, inspires confidence, and ensures you develop your skills as you go while feeling safe. He’s also highly capable of finding fine powder lines, great views, and good company to ski with. Can’t recommend him enough.
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, guides and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Canada, please refer to British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.
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:
What’s not included:
To enjoy the backcountry skiing tour at the Purcell Mtn. Lodge, you need to have at least a moderate fitness level. The Purcell Mtn. Lodge adventure offers intermediate to expert levels of difficulty, which means that some previous backcountry skiing experience is required. There will be two guides on the trip and each one can team up with skiers on different levels. If you’re intermediate, your expert guide will help you improve your skills and coach you when things get a bit more difficult. Don’t worry if you’re on an advanced to expert level, the terrain is challenging so you’ll still have lots of objectives to tackle! For the latter level, you’ll need to be in excellent physical shape.
To participate in this Purcell Mtn. Lodge skiing tour, you need to have at least some previous backcountry skiing experience. Levels for which this trip is tailored are intermediate to expert. Your guides will take care of the planning, oversee your technique and teach you how to manage the terrain. Whether on an intermediate or an expert level, you can be excited for some new challenges and polishing up your technique. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, we suggest joining one of our beginner-friendly backcountry adventures!
For technical backcountry ski and safety equipment, you will need to bring:
For the Purcell Mtn. Lodge, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
Keep in mind that no extra skis or baggage will be allowed over and above the ski level pack and 50L duffel weighing no more than 35 lbs (16 kg). Extra equipment may result in additional charges or exclusion from the trip.
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent an avalanche safety pack (transceiver, probe, and shovel) with your guide for $30 a day or $100 a week.
Other mandatory gear is available to rent from the following companies in the town of Golden: Higher Ground Sports or Tourism Golden. Make sure to make plans on time.
Group sizes and pricing:
Ski touring at the Purcell Mtn. Lodge can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
Purcell Mountain Lodge is a beautiful 10-bedroom lodge that sits at 7,200 feet overlooking the Canadian Rockies to the East and Rogers Pass to the West. There are numerous room options from 2 and 3-person private rooms to 5-person shared rooms. Amenities include 3 separate showers and bathrooms, a large veranda, power (in bedrooms and common areas), and a spacious library with a fireplace for lounging. Relax at the cash bar and maintain contact with your friends and family with free WiFi.
To get to the town of Golden, which is the starting point of your adventure, most people fly into Calgary International Airport. From there, it’s a three-hour drive to the town of Golden.
You’ll meet your guide in the town of Golden the day before your departure for dinner. You’ll discuss some details about the trip and you’ll meet the next morning at 8 am at Alpine Helicopters Base to fly into the lodge.
A $615 deposit is due upon Booking. Full payment is due ninety (90) days prior to the trip. Failure to make this final payment by the deadline will result in forfeiture of the trip and deposit.
Your guides reserve the right to modify or cancel a trip at any time due to unfavorable weather conditions, injury/illness, or other reasons without penalty. Clients will be notified as soon as possible and refunded less any sunk costs. If the weather doesn’t permit flying into the hut/ lodge, the client would not be refunded for the day. However, the guides would still take clients skiing somewhere. On the other hand, if the weather doesn’t permit leaving the lodge on schedule, the client would not be charged for the extra lodge day.
Monte is a great guide! Very knowledgeable, fun and safe. I would recommend him to anyone wanting to get out in the back country or rock climbing. He can teach you skills or just show you a great stress free time in the mountains!