BC Backcountry Lodge Review

[LeeLau]

it looks like we have one extra spot flying in the week of march 9th
if anybody wants to go hit me up

Hmmmmm. Could be. .

Edit. Dammit...already committed

[steved]

Arctos Guides......
The goat stuff, by far....!

many thanks.....

[SILENCER]

Love this thread.

Question, has anyone skied Durrand Glacier Hut and their small Haute-route hut system outside of Revy? I read about them in a recent Backcountry article and it has certain appeal to be honest. I researched and contacted them, and they strongly advise using provided packs & rescue gear, which I wasn't wild about as you have a pretty limited (it appears) carry weight on the heli ride in. The accommodations sound very solid, and their terrain sounds intriguing and expansive. Also appears to maybe be guided-only? I dunno, if some of you all said the terrain and accommodations are so sick it negates the gear and guided bit, I'd probably plunk down for next season.

[kootenayskier]

Love this thread.

Question, has anyone skied Durant Glacier Hut and their small Haute-route hut system outside of Revy? I read about them in a recent Backcountry article and it has certain appeal to be honest. I researched and contacted them, and they strongly advise using provided packs & rescue gear, which I wasn't wild about as you have a pretty limited (it appears) carry weight on the heli ride in. The accommodations sound very solid, and their terrain sounds intriguing and expansive. Also appears to maybe be guided-only? I dunno, if some of you all said the terrain and accommodations are so sick it negates the gear and guided bit, I'd probably plunk down for next season.

Do some reading about Ruedi Beglinger (there’s plenty available). If being part of Ruedi’s very particular world seems like an experience you’re looking for, and you can afford it, it’s a premium experience in some incredible terrain.

[SILENCER]

Do some reading about Ruedi Beglinger (there’s plenty available). If being part of Ruedi’s very particular world seems like an experience you’re looking for, and you can afford it, it’s a premium experience in some incredible terrain.

This was great advice. The article I read did mention the accident in 2003, but more research shows a more complex story, Wylie's book, etc. Also, his reputation for driving hard and such. His operating tract sounds immense, and I also just read he lobbied to have helis banned from regular flight over his terrain to preserve the experience. I am no farther or closer to ruling this in or out, just wiser at this point. Again, there is still some appeal to his operation. Overall though, I'm curious how SME's terrain compares to the ones that Arctos lists above so well. Sounds glaciated and big, I can gather this much. Just curious if anyone here has skied with SME before.

Thanks man.

[LeeLau]

This was great advice. The article I read did mention the accident in 2003, but more research shows a more complex story, Wylie's book, etc. Also, his reputation for driving hard and such. His operating tract sounds immense, and I also just read he lobbied to have helis banned from regular flight over his terrain to preserve the experience. I am no farther or closer to ruling this in or out, just wiser at this point. Again, there is still some appeal to his operation. Overall though, I'm curious how SME's terrain compares to the ones that Arctos lists above so well. Sounds glaciated and big, I can gather this much. Just curious if anyone here has skied with SME before.

Thanks man.

I've skied SME. I'd go again but only if guaranteed I didn't have to ski with Ruedi. Have been told I can specifically request Joey or Fiorina etc.

The terrain is stupendous.

Pics are from a few years ago. Keep scrolling through for pictures

http://www.leelau.net/sharonandlee/sme-woolsey-peak/

[XXX-er]

never been

he gave my ski bro one of them red SME fleece cuz bro ( ER physician ) fixed a dislocated Shoulder on a skier which saved all kinds of problems & a chopper ride

I have done a fair amount of skiing with joe the snow shoveller but joe woudn't say shit if he stepped in it

[SILENCER]

I've skied SME. I'd go again but only if guaranteed I didn't have to ski with Ruedi. Have been told I can specifically request Joey or Fiorina etc.

The terrain is stupendous.

Pics are from a few years ago. Keep scrolling through for pictures

http://www.leelau.net/sharonandlee/sme-woolsey-peak/

More excellent beta, thanks Lee.

The Backcountry article focused on Florina and her ascension in the family business. That could be the ticket, requesting her.

[alive]

I’ve never been, and from the stories, I don’t think I could tour with Rudy either.

https://www.icefall.ca/skiing/icefall-ski-traverse

While I haven’t done the traverse, ice fall lodge is in an amazing spot, and might be worth considering.

[Arctos Guides]

Due to the cold temps, the exchange is delayed here at Snowfall Lodge today, so I’ll make use of the down time and add another review.

We just wrapped a week of guided skiing here at Snowfall Lodge.
Over the week, we had over 100cm of storm snow followed by temperatures plummeting to -32C. Needless to say, we didn’t get to experience as much of the alpine as I would have liked; but the tree line and tree skiing we did get to do was fantastic. Lots of old growth tree lanes, pillows and the opportunity to ski runs in excess of 1000m. Home drainage runs with wide open fall line made for excellent powder skiing.

Normally, they run groups of 18 guests and three guides plus staff here. IMO, that would be tight quarters. We had a group of twelve guests two guides + lodge staff and the accommodations were nice. The lodge has a similar layout to Icefall lodge and also has a wood fired sauna with two bucket showers. The sauna is great! Classic out houses with views to the south.


The terrain is big and there is quite a bit of glaciated alpine terrain to explore. If there was a touchy PWL or a large avalanche cycle, it would be a challenging place to ski for the week as there is very little accessible high hazard skiing. However if you’re looking for big terrain out the front door, this place has got it.

The only downfall to Snowfall IMO, is the group size or the overall cost if you want to go as a smaller group.

Overall Score 4.8
Accommodations 4
Terrain 4.8
Value 4

[alpinevibes]

Bump. I've read TR's and threads, mostly from Lee, Zenith and Arctos. Looking for some recs to help me wade through the many great options:

My wife and I are looking to head up to BC for a heli-in, guided hut trip 3/21-28 of 2026. We're both strong, fit skiers and tourers, solid touring+glacier experience and are looking for a not-super-rustic trip experience with solid amenities (this is a splurge). We've done hut trips in CO and Europe, but this would be our first time skiing backcountry in BC. We're probably biased to terrain variety over gnar/big line accessibility, but skiing that stuff would be great.

She's a savvy trip planner and has done some looking but wants me to make the call. She's proposed VMT, Icefall Lodge, Battle Abbey and Sentry. I am feeling good about Sol, Powder Creek, Hilda, Selkirk Lodge, and SME - Durrand as well.

What's the spot for a late March trip with upside late-season snow quality, reasonable storm skiing options and solid hut+amentity situation?

[XXX-er]

I think you might want to check & see see what is actulay available

[alpinevibes]

I think you might want to check & see see what is actulay available

For sure, but it's for 2026, so not much availability out there to be seen at the moment. Trying to hone in who we pursue in the coming months

[LeeLau]

Bump. I've read TR's and threads, mostly from Lee, Zenith and Arctos. Looking for some recs to help me wade through the many great options:

My wife and I are looking to head up to BC for a heli-in, guided hut trip 3/21-28 of 2026. We're both strong, fit skiers and tourers, solid touring+glacier experience and are looking for a not-super-rustic trip experience with solid amenities (this is a splurge). We've done hut trips in CO and Europe, but this would be our first time skiing backcountry in BC. We're probably biased to terrain variety over gnar/big line accessibility, but skiing that stuff would be great.

She's a savvy trip planner and has done some looking but wants me to make the call. She's proposed VMT, Icefall Lodge, Battle Abbey and Sentry. I am feeling good about Sol, Powder Creek, Hilda, Selkirk Lodge, and SME - Durrand as well.

What's the spot for a late March trip with upside late-season snow quality, reasonable storm skiing options and solid hut+amentity situation?

Go for places which also have glaciers. Selkirk Lodge, Battle Abbey, SME. These have superb glaciers skiing and metric tonne of tree skiing too. Icefall has terrain and skiing but isn't even close in terms of luxury. All things being equal pamper yourselves with triple ply t-p and indoor toilets

[alpinevibes]

Go for places which also have glaciers. Selkirk Lodge, Battle Abbey, SME. These have superb glaciers skiing and metric tonne of tree skiing too. Icefall has terrain and skiing but isn't even close in terms of luxury. All things being equal pamper yourselves with triple ply t-p and indoor toilets

Sweet, thank you Lee. Have you (or anyone else on here) been to SME?

[LeeLau]

Sweet, thank you Lee. Have you (or anyone else on here) been to SME?

I have. It's superb terrain and the lodges are nice. I would go again with the stipulation that Ruedi wouldn't be our guide. But that's just a caveat personal to me.

[alpinevibes]

I have. It's superb terrain and the lodges are nice. I would go again with the stipulation that Ruedi wouldn't be our guide. But that's just a caveat personal to me.

K, yeah I’m getting that vibe a bit from various sources. I assume they’ve got a handful of guides and groups going at once, with their whole hut-to-hut plan?

[LeeLau]

K, yeah I’m getting that vibe a bit from various sources. I assume they’ve got a handful of guides and groups going at once, with their whole hut-to-hut plan?

Aye. It's 12 guests split into 2 groups. The groups travel separately. Each group has a guide

[wilcox510]

Hey all, appreciate all the info in this thread. Look into trips for this coming winter and obviously late in the game as far as finding openings but LQ Outpost has some. Sounds like really good steep tree skiing there, how much alpine terrain is there?

[LeeLau]

Hey all, appreciate all the info in this thread. Look into trips for this coming winter and obviously late in the game as far as finding openings but LQ Outpost has some. Sounds like really good steep tree skiing there, how much alpine terrain is there?

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d.php?t=352657

Found the thread where I answered bumski. Feb is prime. Take it. I've got a cook reco also if needed

[Arctos Guides]

Hey all, appreciate all the info in this thread. Look into trips for this coming winter and obviously late in the game as far as finding openings but LQ Outpost has some. Sounds like really good steep tree skiing there, how much alpine terrain is there?

As far as LQ goes, the tree skiing is phenomenal. I found it had more options than Hilda during a big storm cycle with elevated hazard.

The alpine terrain is good there too, though with elevated hazard some of it is hard to access and there are no glaciers.

I have one spot available Feb 21-Feb28 and two spots left Feb 28-March 7 at Burnie.

[solarisphere]

Haven't seen much talk about Campbell Icefield Chalet so I figured I'd give my two cents, or whatever my opinion's worth. I'm a relatively new skier and this was my first proper fly-in ski week so I can't compare to other lodges. The trip was run by my local chapter of the Alpine Club, and this is one of the few lodges that does self-guided, self-catered rentals which keeps the costs down.

I'm not sure I'd call the lodge luxurious but it was definitely comfortable. Hot water from the tap, couches to seat nine in the lounge, and plenty of space at the dining tables. Typical bookings are for 15 and we were a group of 14 which was about right for space. The lodge has ten bedrooms with two single beds each. The beds in five of the rooms could be pushed together for couples. There are 3 (or 4?) outhouses and two bucket showers in the sauna. The custodians have a separate cabin. Those on the trip who've been to lots of lodges were pleased with the place (they had less kind words for Ymir Lodge, although I believe that one's been shut down).

We had low to no vis almost the entire week so we stayed mostly down below treeline. There are lots of options for tree runs but of course it can get a bit stale if you're skiing it all week. The tree runs are also all mostly SSW aspect. The terrain is mellow enough that with good vis but touchy avalanche conditions you could still ski some alpine runs. There are a few chutes around and some steep pillows not far from the lodge, but if you're an expert skier looking to challenge yourself this probably isn't the lodge for you. It looks like there would a few good longer tours in the spring though.

[LeeLau]

Haven't seen much talk about Campbell Icefield Chalet so I figured I'd give my two cents, or whatever my opinion's worth. I'm a relatively new skier and this was my first proper fly-in ski week so I can't compare to other lodges. The trip was run by my local chapter of the Alpine Club, and this is one of the few lodges that does self-guided, self-catered rentals which keeps the costs down.

I'm not sure I'd call the lodge luxurious but it was definitely comfortable. Hot water from the tap, couches to seat nine in the lounge, and plenty of space at the dining tables. Typical bookings are for 15 and we were a group of 14 which was about right for space. The lodge has ten bedrooms with two single beds each. The beds in five of the rooms could be pushed together for couples. There are 3 (or 4?) outhouses and two bucket showers in the sauna. The custodians have a separate cabin. Those on the trip who've been to lots of lodges were pleased with the place (they had less kind words for Ymir Lodge, although I believe that one's been shut down).

We had low to no vis almost the entire week so we stayed mostly down below treeline. There are lots of options for tree runs but of course it can get a bit stale if you're skiing it all week. The tree runs are also all mostly SSW aspect. The terrain is mellow enough that with good vis but touchy avalanche conditions you could still ski some alpine runs. There are a few chutes around and some steep pillows not far from the lodge, but if you're an expert skier looking to challenge yourself this probably isn't the lodge for you. It looks like there would a few good longer tours in the spring though.

Resurrecting this. Have not been to Campbell myself. Looking at the map the issue was (to me) lack of N facing terrain. Is my concern over blown?

[abcdethan]

I’m headed to Deziako hut Jan 25th-Feb 1st. I’m visiting from California so I may not be used to the temps as cold as -20 mentioned in this thread. Is it common to invest in heated socks? I also may try to get out on my travel buffer day either locally to Prince George or closer to McBride.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[XXX-er]

Having lived in PG I've been to Dezaiko quite few times ( 5 times?) yeah it can get cold but if yer movin the feet are ok ime, I have hotronic socks for riding lifts but I never use them touring, YMMV I supose

https://ca.images.search.yahoo.com/y...4&action=click

Get the Grabber toe warmers ^^ the chemical heaters with the sticky backare very handy, I put em in boots or gloves

If its warmer than -10C I don't need to wear a base layer with my soft shell pants, as it gets colder I wana have a base layer IME

You do want a good puffy jacket to put on as soon as we stop, at above -10 I go with the lighter puffy, below -10 I want a big puffy

40L pack to carry your stuff

edit: I should mention if you forgot something/ need to resupply Cycle Logic is the BC ski store in that town where you are most likey to find the BC ski stuff

edit: one year on a xmas trip we had an inversion with huge wads of snow sticking to skins which suprised me for early season so make sure to take the wax