Golden Ski Camps

Golden, BC

THIS EAST KOOTENAY TOWN IS PERFECTLY SITUATED in the midst of the WORLD CLASS SKI TOURING of THE PURCELLS, SELKIRKS AND ROCKIES

Now booking 2024 DATES, CONTACT US FOR DETAILS

Looking for a quick weekend powder hit? We’ve got you covered, with our G-Town weekend ski camps.

Covid-19 restrictions wrought havoc with ski lodge trips in 2020 and 2021. So we came up with a great alternative: town based ski “camps”! Golden, BC provides easy access to incredible ski touring options in the Purcells, Selkirks (Rogers Pass), and Rocky Mountains. From this humble beginning they’ve proven to be a favourite, with guests dropping the hut scene and going for the comfort, flexibility and variety that a town based program provides.

Our plan will be simple. We stay in our own separate accommodation (e.g. cabins or motel rooms), eat at one of Golden’s great restaurants, and for two awesome days we will find the best ski touring a short drive from town.

Each morning meet your ski guide at our starting point for the day.

The best thing about our town-based program is flexibility. There’s no need to book trips years in advance or have a limited selection of dates. Each morning we look at the weather and the map and come up with the best possible plan, sometimes driving east, sometimes west, in search of the perfect ski tour for the conditions.

Potential objectives will include classic ski touring / ski mountaineering objectives around Rogers Pass, Field, and the Icefield Parkway.

“Do-it-yourself” means you take care of your accommodation and food and transportation.

Here’s an idea of what a weekend could look like. This is all dependent on conditions, group stoke, and availability.
Day 0: We all converge on one of the classic ski town of Golden, BC the night before. Meet your ski guide at a local pub or restaurant and go over the plan for the next day, do a gear check, and head to bed!
Day 1: Rogers Pass: This famous area offers arguably the best roadside ski mountaineering access anywhere. An hour’s drive from Golden brings you to the famous Connaught Creek, Loop Brook, Asulkan, Illicillewaet or Bostock trailheads. Discover why this is the ski touring capital of Canada.
Day 2: Field: The Rockies snowpack west of Lake Louise is often deep and stable, offering ski tours that rival Rogers Pass in all respects with world class stunning scenery.
Day 2 alternate: Icefield Parkway: Countless alpine and tree skiing options exist further east of Rogers Pass in an area that’s not as well known. Banff National Park offer easier access to higher elevation skiing, which is useful if warm stormy weather rolls through.

Here’s a collection of photos from the skiing you can access from G-Town. Enjoy!

Itinerary

It’s a simple itinerary: ski somewhere within easy driving distance of Golden, BC!

Logistics

Each evening we’ll discuss the goals for the next day. In the morning we’ll meet at the trailhead and head out for a day of ski touring. We’ll base ourselves out of the town of Golden, BC. There are many great hotels and restaurants providing take-out/delivery service so that you can dine in the privacy of your room.

Mary’s Motel – quiet and cheap, I’ve never had a bad night’s sleep here; but it’s nothing special otherwise.
Brookside Motel – rent a cabin with a room or two plus kitchen and living room for under $100 this winter! Covid has its silver linings. Guests rave about this place, but it’s close to the railway tracks.

Equipment List

You need to bring all of the following personal equipment. Since this is a town-based gear list it doesn’t hurt to take extra items (extra skis come to mind). If you have any questions at all about gear please do not hesitate to contact us.

For an illustrated equipment list click here

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 for wet days
  • 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)
  • Personal medications

Group Gear (Provided)

  • Altimeter
  • Map(s) and compass
  • GPS
  • 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

Booking & Payment

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

Book Your Trip

2025 DATES: March 8-9

DIFFICULTY: Classic Pace Trip

PRICE: $425 per person

WHAT WE DO: We take care of all of the guiding & trip planning.

WHAT YOU DO: You take care of your own accommodation, meals, transportation, machine-access fees (see description) & equipment.