Coastal Nirvana

Nirvana Pass Ski Camp

Epic ski mountaineering in the  Pantheons in a remote corner of our Coastal RangE

Spots available 2024 March 10-17

In the centre of the legendary Pantheon Range, Nirvana Pass is home to mountains as awesome as their mythical namesakes: Osiris, Thor, Siva, Vishnu, and many others.

What is most incredible about this area is the number of skiable lines to be found amongst the tumbling glaciers.

We will spend a week in March based out of a comfortable tent camp at the apex of the pass, exploring a few of the many incredible ski runs and mountaineering objectives out our front door.

The reason this place is so perfect for ski mountaineering becomes obvious as soon as you fly over the pass. Rows of glaciers on either side of the valley are lined up one beside the other at varying degrees of steepness, all perfect for skiing. The peaks are towering and rugged. I’ve been to most of the best backcountry ski lodges in the world, and I have to say Nirvana tops them all for terrain.

We will have a heated kitchen/cook tent and a drying/shower tent. Access is by helicopter. If you need a tent we can provide you with one.

Our last ski camp to Nirvana was in 2018, check out our Nirvana Pass Trip Report.

Here’s a slideshow of our 2018 trip. Surprisingly few of the downhill skiing — I guess we were just enjoying ourselves too much!

Here’s a video of our 2018 trip (Thanks to Michelle Cheng & Dan Fong for putting this together).

Day 1: Evening, meet for pre-trip briefing and gear check, location TBA

Day 2: 7 a.m. Meet at the staging area, about 3.5 hours west of Williams’ Lake. Exact location TBA. Fly in to Nirvana Pass. Camp setup.

Days 3-6: Ski tours and mountaineering objectives around Nirvana Pass, e.g. Mount Juno (2660m), Mount Daunus (2631m), Septentrion Spires, Siva Glacier, and many others.

Day 7: Trip finishes, fly out of Nirvana Pass

Flights and Travel

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Arline Websites

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

In this tab you can include a link to an equipment list page or just put the list here.

You need to bring all of the following personal equipment. Please don’t bring extra equipment. If you have any questions at all about gear please do not hesitate to contact us.

Ski crampons are a must for spring ski touring, and they can make a big difference even on a powder skiing week at times. If you have any difficulty obtaining these please let me know. We have some spares and can likely set you up with a pair. If you have telemark bindings, G3 crampons have an attachment system that works well for most tele bindings.

Clothing

  • 1 – Long underwear top – synthetic or wool (light colors are good)
  • 1 – Light fleece or wool sweater
  • 1 – Lightweight wind jacket – nylon or ‘Schoeller’
  • 1 – Waterproof -breathable shell jacket
  • 1 – Warm insulated jacket – down or synthetic
  • 2-3 Pair of wool or synthetic socks and liner socks
  • 2-3 Pair wool or synthetic underwear
  • 1 – Long underwear bottoms – synthetic or wool
  • 1 – Multipurpose stretch nylon or ‘Schoeller’ type pants
  • 1 – Waterproof breathable shell pants (full zip is best)
  • 1 – Warm hat – wool or synthetic
  • 1 – Brimmed cap for sun protection
  • 1 – Handkerchief
  • 1 – Face warmer – scarf, neck tube or balaclava
  • 1 – Light gloves – wool, synthetic or leather
  • 1 – Insulated gloves or mitts with waterproof outer shell
  • 1 – Spare warm gloves or mitts
  • 1 – Down or synthetic camp booties (optional)

Travel Equipment

  • Skis or splitboard
  • Ski boots or snowboard boots
  • Ski poles
  • Climbing skins
  • Skin wax (or a candle)
  • Ski crampons (for spring tours)
  • Specific binding repair items to fix your personal travel setup

Glacier Gear

  • Harness – fitted for over your ski clothing (Blue Ice, Cilao and Camp make the best lightweight ski touring harnesses)
  • 3 – Light weight locking carabiners
  • 3 – Light weight non-locking carabiners
  • 2 – 6mm by 5m prusik cord (7mm cord is generally too thick!)
  • 1 – 120cm sewn climbing sling (Dyneema or Spectra blends)
  • Crampons – fitted to your ski boots (Aluminium crampons are recommended) • Lightweight ice axe without a leash

Snow Safety Equipment

  • Avalanche beacon with spare batteries
  • Shovel
  • Probe 2-3m in length

Personal Equipment

  • Ski pack (40 litres)
  • Garbage bag to line your pack
  • Duffel Bag
  • Sunglasses (Having both orange and dark lenses is a real benefit for uphill travel in all conditions)
  • Goggles (orange lenses)
  • Sunscreen (60 spf+) and lip cream (30 spf+)
  • Head lamp with good batteries
  • Insulated water bottle(s) 1.5-2L
  • Lunch bag/container (optional)
  • Personal blister kit and/or tape
  • Pocket knife
  • Camera (optional)
  • Sleeping foamy (Ensolite 5-10mm)
  • Sleeping pad (Inflatable style)
  • Sleeping bag (-15 to -25’C rating)
  • 4-season tent — if you do not have your own please contact us and we’ll set you up
  • Plastic eating cup (500 to 750ml)
  • Spoon
  • Personal mug (optional)
  • Hygiene kit – “Wet Wipes”, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hand lotion
  • 1 roll of toilet paper and lighter in a Ziplock bag
  • Pee bottle – 1L (optional)
  • Personal medications
  • Lighter
  • Personal liquor or treats
  • Large stuff sack for carrying food

Group Gear (Provided)

  • Altimeter
  • Map(s) and compass
  • GPS
  • Stoves, Fuel, etc.
  • Pots & pans
  • Stove repair kit
  • Snow and/or bush saw
  • Snow study kit
  • First aid kit
  • Emergency tarp
  • Emergency toboggan
  • Group repair kit
  • Radio
  • Satellite phone
  • Rope for glacier travel
  • Guide book/Route description

Our standard booking conditions apply. Please carefully read our Payment and Booking Conditions information page.

2024 Dates: March 10-17

Price: $3250 CAD per person + GST

Difficulty: Classic Pace, winter camping. See below for details.

What’s included: Heli flights in and out of Nirvana Pass, all meals from dinner on March 9 to breakfast on March 15, Guide and Cook fees.