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Featured Trips
Mountaineering and Adventuring, for over 25 years.
In the winter season we specialize in high end ski touring trips to BC’s finest Backcountry lodges as well as exotic international destinations like Svalbard, Greenland, Antarctica and Europe. In 2021 we added a new array of trips in our own magnificent backyard to appeal to the growing demand for local trips close to home. Trips we haven’t done for years, such as our Wapta, Bow Yoho, Northern Selkirks and Bugaboos Traverses, are world class and have a strong appeal to Canadians especially this past winter when we couldn’t travel internationally. When our borders reopen — and we hope they do soon — we look forward to sharing with our visitors, once again, what we believe to be the Best Skiing on Earth.
Kootenay Hut to Hut Skiing
The Rockies are known for the great glaciated hut-to-hut traverses: the Wapta Traverse and the Yoho Traverse (or the “Bow-Yoho” Traverse as it’s also known). Deep in the Kootenays is a completely different kind of trip, the Bonnington Traverse. This is a 3-day (with heli-drop) or 4-day traverse that links alpine and sub-alpine ridges from Ymir all the way to Porto Rico, just a few minutes drive south of Nelson
Really “off the grid”
Every ski guide I know started with these kinds of trips. Ski traverses and ski camps are where our hearts lie. Even though they are hard work and involve at least a bit of suffering, being in these remote, wild places has an irresistible lure.
Canada’s Great Haute Route
The Bugs to Rogers traverse is arguably the most coveted ski traverse in Western Canada. It starts with the spectacular Bugaboos and continues across the beautiful northern section of the Purcells, finishing with a high line through the Selkirk Mountains to Rogers Pass.
Ski the Land of the Rising Sun, now booking February 2022
Japan has formed a legendary reputation for deep powder skiing in January and February. The saying “Don’t Leave Powder to Find Powder” is common in western Canada – why leave Canada when we have the best skiing in the world? Well, Japan is a strong contender, and when you add the incredible cultural experience to the mix it rises to the top of any serious skier’s bucket list.
Explore the Fjords of Svalbard from the s/v Noorderlicht
The most exotic guided ski touring trip possible: backcountry ski touring and sailing along the west coast of Spitsbergen in the Greenland sea, 1000 km north of Norway, in the Svalbard archipelago of over 60 (mostly unpopulated) islands. It is a wild and remote place, and at a latitude of greater than 78º, high in the Arctic, it is level with Canada’s Ellesmere Island, or the northernmost end of Greenland. Yet it easy to access – with three-times daily flights from Oslo – and offers the supreme comfort of a luxury sailing yacht.
Ski, sail and kayak tour on the Antarctic Peninsuila
In November/December 2021 we are partnering with Ski Antarctica to provide an unforgettable trip of a lifetime to Antarctica by sailboat.
More About Us
Sawback was founded by Tom Wolfe in 1995, running mountain hiking trips for groups. Since then we have expanded programming to offer just about any mountaineering adventure you could imagine. Tom is a trained and internationally certified Mountain Guide and a member of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and the International Federation of Mountain Guides (IFMGA).
We work with a variety of other certified guides. See our Guides and Partners Page for some photos and brief bios.
For existing trips, simply use our Book Now link to fire off a quick booking request. We will follow up quickly with you to confirm the booking with you.
If you are looking for a custom trip – e.g. a day of ski touring or ice climbing or a multi-day trip that we don’t offer – email or phone us or use our contact form. We will offer suggestions and personally help you organize the best possible trip for you .
Sawback is primarily a small one-man operation. While there are guides who work with large operations in Western Canada there is also a small, co-operative community of independent guides who pass work they can’t do on to others who can. If Tom can’t join you in your mountain adventure we will refer you to another independent mountain guide who will.
Sawback’s guides are members of the following associations: