For those willing to make the effort to climb into the alpine, backcountry skiing in the Revelstoke area offers unlimited Kootenay Rockies powder and the opportunity to experience the quiet and tranquility of the mountains. However, it's imperative that skiers have appropriate skills, equipment and avalanche training before embarking on a backcountry experience. For the inexperienced, the best option may be to travel with a qualified guide.
Rogers Pass
Glacier National Park, living up to its name with an abundance of glaciers and ice fields, covers an area of 1391sq km/537sq mi. At the centre of it all, the high elevation of Rogers Pass (1323m/4340 ft), combined with its relatively easy access by car and by public transportation, makes it the perfect staging point for ski touring. Parks Canada operates two backcountry huts in the park. The pass, at the crest of the Selkirk Range of the Columbia Mountains, is the recipient of so much snow and was the site of so many avalanches, that the initial Canadian Pacific Railway route over the pass had to be abandoned in favour of a tunnel under the summit.
The Rogers Pass Discovery Centre, open year-round except for a month in late fall, is packed with fascinating displays that illustrate the history of the railway, the adventure tourism that it brought, and the natural history of the area. Glacier Park Lodge is conveniently located near the summit.
Snowmobiling is not permitted in the park.
Guided Ski Tours
Revelstoke Alpine Adventures offers a variety of programs from single day excursions to multi-day tours, including packages based at Glacier Park Lodge in Glacier National Park. Programs are custom-tailored for groups and individuals. At an elevation of 1920m/6300 ft, in the Monashee Range south of Revelstoke,Sol Mountain Touring provides comfortable lodge accommodation and a base from which to explore 12,000ha/30,000ac of powder-coated alpine terrain. Rates include the 15-minute helicopter flight from Cherryville, which is 200km/124mi from Revelstoke.
Note that winter driving conditions can be hazardous. Vehicles should be equipped with snow tires.