BOOKING INFORMATION

Weather

Snow Forecast

View detailed snow forecast for Kicking Horse at:
snow-forecast.com

Equipment Check Lists

Equipment List: Winter
Avalanche Safety Pack Rental: $30 per day

Recommended for overnight trips:

Tent Camp:
Alpine Club Huts:
Winter Clothing System:
For your safety, the guide carries the following:
The following items are not allowed in the field on our ski trips due to interferance with avalanche transceiver signals:
The following items must be kept a minimum of 50 cm away from your avalanche transceiver at all times:
Tent Camp:

  • Powder Skis and AT bindings (160 – 185cm)
  • Or, Splitboard & bindings
  • Climbing skins ‘Stick-on type’
  • Ski Poles
  • Ski/boarding boots
  • Digital Avalanche beacon
  • Collapsible Avalanche Probe
  • Shovel (lightweight snow shovel)
  • Daypack (large enough for spare clothes, lunch, equipment, ski attachement)
  • Sunglasses and ski goggles
  • Thermos flask and/or water bottle (full!)
  • Sun block & Lip Cream
  • Small Flashlight or Headlamp with fresh batteries
  • Small Blister & 1ST-Aid Kit (‘moleskin’, plasters & Tylenol is –enough)
  • Camera
  • Personal Toilet Items (keep to a bare minimum)
  • Ear Plugs for dorm

Alpine Club Huts:

  • Large backpack
  • Sleeping Bag, 3-season for Alpine Club Huts, 4-season for others
  • Small Flashlight or Headlamp with fresh batteries
  • Small Blister & 1ST-Aid Kit (‘moleskin’, plasters & Tylenol is enough)
  • Camera
  • Personal Toilet Items (keep to a bare minimum)
  • Ear Plugs for dorm sleeping (optional)
  • Insulated Booties or Hut Slippers
  • Harness (ski mountaineering only)

Winter Clothing System:

We suggest layers of light, easily carried clothing that allow for fast and easy adjustment to best suit fast changing temperature conditions. We discourage cotton clothing as it causes rapid heat loss when wet(Satan’s fabric). Temperatures can vary widely from –20C overnight to +10C on sunny days. For clothing use the ‘layer system’: Light technical clothing that doesn’t take much space in your backpack and dries quickly if sweaty or wet. Layers that can be put on and taken off fast if weather conditions change during the day.

For winter layers we recommend wearing:

  • Polypro/Merino underwear (top & bottom)
  • Warm pants (shouler or fleece)
  • Warm shirt (not cotton)
  • Medium weight fleece or windstopper sweater
  • Fleece or shouler Jacket[overnight]
  • Light down jacket or vest
  • Waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex)
  • Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex with side zippers)
  • Socks (wool outer & polypro liner), several sets.
  • Wool or fleece hat & touring gloves
  • Waterproof ski mountaineering gloves or wool mitts with waterproof overmitts.
  • Neck tube
  • Sunhat

For your safety, the guide carries the following:

  • SAT phone and/or VHF
  • Complete first-aid kit
  • Repair kit
  • Complete crevasse rescue gear/ski-
  • mountaineering rope (route dependent)
  • Evacuation gear for injured people
  • Avalanche rescue gear
  • All maps of the area
  • GPS, compass and altimeter
  • Snow saw, snow study kit

The following items are not allowed in the field on our ski trips due to interferance with avalanche transceiver signals:

  • Electrically heated gloves
  • Clothing with magnets (EG magnetized zipper flap closures)
  • Cameras or other electronic devices with wireless capability (GoPro Hero3+)
  • Chest mounted cameras or other electronic devices
  • Wrist watches with radio functions (EG GPS capability)
  • Heart rate monitors

The following items must be kept a minimum of 50 cm away from your avalanche transceiver at all times:

  • Radios
  • Cell phones (must be in airplane mode)
  • Any metal object (even foil food packaging EG candy bar)
  • All cameras
  • iPods or other music players (wireless capability must be turned off).

Note: please use only one ear bud if listening to music on the uptrack, and please turn the music off while in hazardous areas and during the ski down.

Helpful Links

  • Forecasting Information

Wind Currents
Weather Currents
Avalanche Forecasts

  • Skiing Forums

Skiing Golden – A skiing forum and resource for skiing and snowboarding in and around Golden BC
Snowseekers – A destination for resort information, weather updates, tour information and all things skiing and snowboarding for Western Canada

  • Golden Area Information

Tourism Golden – Accomodations, activities, shopping and local area information for Golden BC
Kootenay Rockies Tourism Information

  • Other Links

Kicking Horse Powder Tours – A UK based tour company that travels to Golden British Columbia for Backcountry Ski Guiding

Cancellation Policy

  • Please contact us if you need to cancel a booking. Cancellations must be made in writing by mail or email.60 days in advance of the booking date, you will receive a full refund, less $100 for administration fee.
  • Cancellations made 50 to 30 days before the trip date, 50% of total cost will be refunded. If a suitable guest can be found to replace your booking, you may receive a refund, less $200 for administration fee.
  • Cancellations made 30 days or less before trip date will not be eligible for a refund unless a suitable guest replacement is found for the dates secured. If a suitable guest can be found to replace your booking, then payments will be transferred to the new participant
  • Trip cancellation insurance is recommended in order to protect you from unforeseen events that can change your holiday’s outcome.

Insurance and Emergency Evacuations

  • Your Insurance Responsibility
  • In most areas there is no fee for rescue. In the National Parks you must have a valid entry pass to qualify for free rescue. You can obtain this on entry to the Parks. In British Columbia Parks you may be liable for the cost of rescue. In this case you need insurance to cover rescue. If in doubt consult us to check whether or not you will need this.
  • Canadians are covered for costs associated with medical treatment following accident or illness, overseas visitors should obtain appropriate medical insurance.
  • Adrenalin Descents has safety and emergency plans in place for all tours that we run. Our tenure lies within a 5 to 10 minute flight distance from Golden airport ensuring rapid emergency response.