Ski Mountaineers Bag First Descent on Mt Robson, Highest in Canadian Rockies

Ski mountaineers Christina "Lusti" Lustenberger and Guillaume "Gee" Pierrel have made history with an unprecedented descent of Mount Robson (3,954 meters, 12,972 feet).

On Sunday, February 16, 2025, the duo completed their climb and descent, making Lusti the first woman ever to ski the iconic peak. .

"It was an incredibly challenging and exposed line, and the whole experience was pretty stressful. But now that it’s done, it’s such a rewarding feeling to celebrate this accomplishment," said Lusti after the descent.

Mount Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. First climbed in 1913 by Conrad Kain, Albert MacCarthy, and William Foster, the mountain has long been a challenge for adventurers.

While Ptor Spricenieks and Troy Jungen made the first ski descent of the mountain's northern face in 1995, its southern face—the imposing slope that overlooks the Yellowhead Highway—remained unskied until now.

The image above shows Lusti and Gee's line. They followed a narrow line of unbroken snow from the summit. 

Growing up near Mount Robson, skiing the south face has been a lifelong ambition for Lusti. She described the experience to CBC:

"Even when you reach the summit, you're only halfway there. The ski descent took three and a half hours, and there were multiple rappels, transitioning from ski to climb," she said. "The mountain just puts so much pressure on you."

"As an explorer and a steep skier, you start to view mountains differently. You imagine your own way through them. The south face had never been explored, no one had ever looked at it as a climb or ski line. We did."

This descent adds to a growing list of major accomplishments for Lusti and Gee. In October, the pair completed the first ski descent of Hunter's Moon, a steep and challenging line on New Zealand’s Aoraki/Mt. Cook.

"Earlier in May, Lusti made history by skiing the west face of Pakistan’s 6,286-meter Great Trango Tower, alongside Chantel Astorga and Jim Morrison, in a groundbreaking first descent. Gripped Magazine described the feat as "one of the greatest descents in ski mountaineering since the sport’s inception."

With each new achievement, Lusti and Gee continue to redefine the limits of what’s possible in ski mountaineering. Congrats, you two!