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MOUNTAIN TOUR DESCRIPTIONS

These and other tours are regularly offered by the club.

The 2024 - 2025 Mountain Tour Calendar is as follows: 

Hilda Yo-Yo Trip

Yo-yo skiing (climb up, ski down through powder, repeat) at Hilda hostel area. Telemark or Alpine touring (AT) skis with skins are required.

Accommodation: Rampart Creek (booking done by Club) Limit of 8 participants

Dates: Dec 6-8th

Trip Cost: $85

Prerequisite: Avalanche Safety Training Level One

Elks Pass Tour

Ski tour over beautiful Elk Pass to the cabin on groomed and track-set trails up to the pass and packed trail down to the cabin. Track or Nordic skis are best on this trip.

Accommodation: Kananaskis Hostel day 1 and Elk Lakes Cabin day 2 (booking for 2 male and 2 females have been made by Club).

Dates: Jan 3-5, 2025

Trip Cost: $75

Prerequisite: none - great beginner trip

OXO Bowl Tour

An easy approach to a bowl for powder skiing just east of the Dolomite exit.

Telemark or alpine touring skis with skins required.

Dates: Jan 17-19, 2025

Accommodation: Mosquito Creek Hostel (booked by Club) limit of 8 participants

Cost: 85.00

Prerequisite: Avalanche Safety Training Level One

Chickadee Yo-yo Tour

A perfect trip for both beginner and experienced yo-yo powder skiers.

Telemark or alpine touring skis with skins are required.

Dates: Feb 7-9, 2025

Accommodation: Canmore Downtown Hostel (Club has made the booking) Limit of 8 participants.

Costs: $130.00

Prerequisite: Avalanche Safety Training Level One

Paradise Valley Tour plus second day tour TBD

A great ski trip to the Giant Steps which starts at the Moraine Lake Road.

Dates: Feb 21-23, 2025

Accommodation: Lake Louise Hostel - Limit of 9 participants

Cost: $140.00

Prerequisite: Avalanche Safety Training Level One

Hidden Bowl Powder Trip

Ski up the bowl on the backside of the Lake Louise ski hill.

Metal edged (Nordic, Telemark or alpine touring) skis with skins are required.

Dates: Feb 28 - Mar 2, 2025

Accommodation: Lake Louise Hostel Limit of 9 participants.

Costs: $140.00

Prerequisite: Avalanche Safety Training Level One

Pipestone and Great Divide Trail

Tracked skiing on beautiful mountain skis - perfect for beginner and experienced skiers.

Track skis recommended.

Dates: Mar 7-9, 2025

Accommodation: Lake Louise Hostel Limit of 9 participants.

Costs: $140.00

Prerequisite: none

Stuff you should know…

Payment and Pricing Policy:

Full payment must be received by zone 4 to secure your spot!

Costs that factor into the trip total charged by Parkland may include:

  • Accommodation including a prorated portion of the Tour Leader’s accommodation expense.

  • Food – a prorated portion of the communal food costs.

  • Club fees of $5/day or $10/weekend (covers equipment supply and maintenance) on some trips.

  • Avalanche equipment rental if required:

    • Transceivers $5/day; $10/weekend

    • Probes $2/day; $3/weekend

    • Hoe Shovels $5/day; $10 weekend – currently free of charge

Cost that are not included in the trip fee include:

  • Personal food on the road and when not prepared communally on the trip (often lunches/snacks).

  • Fuel to travel to and from the trail head.

  • Personal equipment not rented from the club.

  • Training acquired in relation to the trip.

Cancellation Policy:

You may cancel up to 35 days in advance for any reason with a full refund. If replacements are found for your spot, then you may receive a partial refund when cancelling any time closer to the trip.

Parkland Tour Leaders may cancel the trip for a number of reasons, some of which include:

  1. Insufficient numbers of participants – cancelled no later than 35 days prior to the trip or later if hostels are offering us refunds – full refund available.

  2. Dangerous or unmanageable weather or other conditions – could be cancelled at any time – refund depends on what we can recover from our hostel companies. Tour Leaders have the absolute authority to cancel a trip if they deem it unwise to proceed for any reason.

  3. Illness or sudden withdrawal of a Tour Leader – full refund if on or before 35 days prior to the trip; thereafter on a case-by-case basis.

  4. Other reasons – refunds on a case-by-case basis.

Expectations of participants:

We hope that everyone will truly enjoy the time spent on these trips with like-minded friends, new and old. To make that more likely, please:

  1. Attend the trip orientation meeting.

  2. Tell your Tour Leader if you have any health concerns or other relevant issues that might make the trip better for you if we are prepared.

  3. Make sure you have everything you will need with you on the trip. An equipment list may be distributed by or requested from the Tour Leader.

  4. Arrive on time and prepared for what the day brings – whether that is at the Friday night hostel, at the trailhead in the morning or anywhere in between.

  5. Take responsibility for your own comfort and safety – if something is making you uncomfortable – let the Tour Leader know. They are NOT GUIDES but are simply there to show you a great trip.

  6. Please follow the instructions of the Tour Leaders in the case of the emergency. Contribute your knowledge where it is helpful.

  7. Bring a great outlook and have fun!

Expectation of your Tour Leader:

Parkland Tour Leaders are well trained in facilitating the group activities we do. They are NOT GUIDES and do not have guide training.

There will always be 1st aid supplies on hand, but these trips are taken far from immediate help in mountainous, winter conditions, so we will work together to carry out safe trips.

Tour Leaders may make decisions they deem necessary for the safety the group. These decisions include but are not limited to cancelling a trip or requesting a participant to withdraw from the trip.

Avalanche Safety Training Policy:

Anyone travelling on skis on ungroomed ski trails on a trip carried out officially by the Parkland Cross Country Ski Club may be required to have a minimum of Avalanche Safety Training Level One (AST1) certification and must carry avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels. This increases the odds that, should a snow burial occur in any way, all participants are capable of assessing and acting on the situation and can work together to affect a rescue. This requirement may be waived for youth program trips if their parents are present – such trips will not be carried out in anything more than “Simple” avalanche terrain.

We strongly encourage all members to get the AST1 level of certification at a minimum so that all your travel in the back country is safer, whether with the club or otherwise. Courses are put on by the University of Calgary Outdoor Centre many times a month during the fall and early winter at least. Many other institutions offer training as well. Simply search AST1 on the internet. It is a weekend well spent!

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