Note: If you are interested in this trip place yourself on the wait list and send your ski resume to Serena (spolt@protonmail.com). Do not worry about the number of people on the wait list! Acceptance of persons on the trip will be at the discretion of the coordinator and not first-come, first-served. If you are accepted, you will be required to submit payment prior to being moved to the registered list.
The Wapta Traverse is the ultimate Canadian Rockies hut-to-hut ski traverse! We will cover the appropriately 45km over 4 days and 3 nights. Staying at the Peyto, Balfour, and Scott Duncan Huts. We will try and attempt some of the numerous objectives along the trip based on conditions and group dynamics.
Day 1: Approach to Peyto Hut. After shuttling vehicles, we will begin with a short downhill ski to Peyto Lake, then a steep ascent leads onto a moraine ridge from where a short descent leads us to Peyto Glacier. From there a mellow climb up the glacier gets us to the Peyto Hut. Depending on conditions there may be time and energy left for a summit or a few turns behind the hut on the Peyto Glacier in the afternoon.
Day 2: Traverse to Balfour Hut. Depending on conditions, we may be able to summit a peak along the way (Mt. Rhondda, Mt. Olive, Mt. Gordon, etc). Then, a ski down to the Balfour hut will finish off the day.
Day 3: Traverse to Scott Duncan Hut. The crux of the traverse! The steep ascent on the heavily crevassed Waputik Icefield underneath the north face of Mount Balfour makes this day the most exciting of the whole traverse. From Balfour High Col at 3020m we will have the opportunity to climb Mt. Balfour (3270m), the highest peak on the Wapta Traverse! A long, mellow descent will get us to the Scott Duncan Hut.
Day 4: Ski back to the cars. We will traverse from the hut into the Niles-Daly saddle where a long, descent leads us to Sherbrooke Lake and an easy ski back to the dropped cars. There are also more skiing/summit opportunities should time and energy allow.
Required Items to Bring:
A detailed gear list will be provided prior to the trip.
Ski touring and mountaineering gear (including boot and ski crampons), glacier travel gear, base layers, warm layers, hardshell pants/coat, softshell pants/coat, hut booties, sleeping bag, change of clothes, sunglasses, avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel. Also, food for 5 days.
How to Get There:
Event Directions:
Carpool Departure Time:
05:00 AM
Carpool Location:
Car pooling and shuttling will be coordinated prior to the trip.
Payment Options:
Member $144.00 CAD
*Cancellation Policy*: If a participant is unable to attend a paid course or trip, there will be no refund unless the participant finds a suitable replacement that is acceptable to the trip coordinator. Acceptable waiting list candidates will have priority. It will then be the participant's responsibility to recover funds from the replacement. If the coordinator cancels an event, participants get a refund (less any non-recoverable costs). Note that ACC National does not refund hut fees due to weather, delay, closures, or any other reasons. The Rocky Mountain Section of the ACC is a not for profit club and we only charge attendees what it costs us to provide courses or trips.
Trip Feedback If you have any feedback, positive or negative, concerning this trip or any other, we want to hear from you!
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Registration for this event closed on Sunday, April 02, 2023 at 12:00 AM.