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Extended back country tours of the Rockies with two or more nights in a hostel or snow cave are the most popular activities of the Parkland XC Ski Club. Tours are designed for all ability levels and are led by Tour Leaders with extensive training and experience in leading groups on safe winter trips in the Rockies.

Signing Up For A Mountain Tour Mountain Tour Ability Chart/Difficulty Level
  • You must be a club member and have signed the Club Waiver that is part of the Club’s Registration Form.
  • To ensure a rewarding tour, your X-C skiing experience, equipment and skill, as well as personal fitness should be sufficient to meet the trip requirement.
  • Bookings preferably in the form of a cheque are accepted by the tour leader. Please book early as trips fill up quickly.
  • Hostel fees must be paid at least 16 days prior to the trip. There will be NO REFUND of hostel fees for cancellations made after the 14 days cutoff date before a given trip. However, Tour Leaders will make appropriate refunds for float and/or beacon rental.
  • You must own or rent from the Club an approved avalanche beacon and shovel for all tours that are not on track-set trails.
  • You must attend a trip meeting, usually held at the tour leader’s home a week prior to the tour, to learn the details of the trip. The tour leader will advise tourers of the trip meeting date and location.
  • In the interest of group safety the Tour Leader retains the right to deny participation of any member deemed unsuitable for a given mountain tour.
  • BEGINNER/FAMILY: Members who have little or no mountain touring experience.
  • STRONG BEGINNER: Little or no mountain tour experience, but physically fit enough to tackle a 3 - 4 hour trip.
  • INTERMEDIATE: Members who have been on several day tours of 3 - 4 hours duration on moderately rolling terrain with a day pack.
  • ADVANCED: Members who have done extensive day touring in steep terrain with a heavy pack.
  • EXPERT: Members who have participated in overnight mountain tours of several days duration, in steep mountainous terrain, and have snow caving experience. A full complement of equipment is necessary.
  • OPEN: Trips designed to accomodate all levels of experience and skill by breaking off into two or more groups of tourers, each under the leadership of a qualified tour leader. The Tour Leader will advise potential participants at the trip meeting if an Open tour has to be re-classified due to the lack of Tour Leaders.
Costs of a MountainTour

As in the past years, the cost for each tour will consist of the cost of accommodation as noted on the tour schedule below plus $9/weekend for safety equipment. Children under 18 do NOT pay for safety equipment including avalanche beacons. For tours longer than a weekend, the additional fee for the satellite phone is $5/day.. There is also a charge of $2.50/day for an approved avalanche beacon, and $1/day for an approved snow shovel should you need to rent these items. Car passengers share car-pooling costs. The driver’s share consists of the use of his/her car and the driving. There is an additional cost for staying in the National Parks backcountry whether in huts or camping of $9.80 per night unless you have already purchased an annual Wilderness Pass. Such passes can be purchased at Park information centres or the Alpine Club in Canmore. It is recommended that you purchase such passes for $62.00 at the ACC as 40% of the cost is allocated for ACC hut maintenance and improvements..

2010/2011 Mountain Tour Schedule as of September 26, 2010
Questions??? Contact Mountain Tour Chair Richard Townell

Date

Lodgings Trip/Destination Tour Leader/Assist Max.#
Tourers
Difficulty Level Hut/Hostel Cost
Dec 3, 4 Rampart Creek Parker's Ridge & Nigel Pass

Greg Olson
Vance Buchwald

12 Strong Beginner
$38.00
Dec 10. 11

Castle Mtn
Egypt Lake

Egypt Lake

Don Wales
Jane Davies

10 Intermediate
Backpack
$38.00
Dec 17, 18 Mosquito Creek Molar Meadows

Steve Irwin
Sandy V.

15 Strong Beginner
$38
Jan 7, 8 TBA Tour Leader Refresher

Brian Davies

12 Tour Leaders

TBA

Jan 14, 15

Peter Lougheed Park Fondue Tour

Ribbon Creek

Marilyn Strilchuk

Jeff Kirtzinger

15 Beginner
$38
Jan 21, 22 Hilda Creek Beginners' YoYo

Vance Buchwald
Steve Davies

6 Beginner
$38
Jan 28, 29 Bell Cabin Healy Pass

Margo Coppus
George Coppus

12 Intermediate
$60
Feb 4, 5

Mosquito Creek

Helen Lake

Karen Weisgerber
Steve Davies

10 Strong Intermediate
$38
Feb 4, 5 Canmore Trackset ski

Sandy Vradenburgh
Carol Lindner

12 Beginner
TBA
Feb 5 2011
Red Deer Loppet

Riverbend Trails

Red Deer

Kelly Bogle

  All ages  
Feb 11, 12 Castle Mountain Rockbound Lake
Pat Gleason
Greg Olson
15 Intermediate
$38
Feb 18, 19, 20
Chester Lake Bear Hostel

Marilyn Strilchuk Richard Townell

8 Intermediate

$54

Feb 19-26 Blanket Hut

Blanket Glacier

Vance Buchwald
Don Wales
14 Advanced
$975
Feb 25, 26 Rampart Creek Sask Toe Brian Davies 20 Strong Beginner
$38
Mar 3-6 Athabasca/Fryatt Hut Fryatt Hut Don Wales
Vance Buchwald
12 Advanced
$86.50
Mar 4, 5 Castle Mountain Paradise Valley Marilyn Strilchuk
Debby Davies
14 Beginner
$38
Mar 11,12 Bow Hut Ladies Only Advanced Karen Weisgerber Margo Coppus 10 Advanced TBA
Mar 11, 12 Ribbon Creek Family Fun Tour Jenni Duke
John Duke
18 Beginner
$42.22
Mar 18, 19 Bear Hostel French Haig Robertson Glacier

Steve Davies
Karen Weisgerber

12 Advanced
$50
Mar 18, 19 Castle Mountain Pipestone Creek Jeff Kirtzinger
Debby Davies
14 Beginner

$38

Mar 24-26 Rampart Creek Castleguard Meadows Winter Camp Don Wales
Vance Buchwald
10 Advanced
$19
Apr 1-3 Canmore TL/ Exec President     Clean up