Guided Ski touring in golden, british columbia

If you landed on this page via an internet search then please contact me for information on ski guiding in the Canadian Rockies, Wapta Traverse, Rogers Pass, or Japan. The information below is for previously booked trips.

If you have already signed up one of our Golden based ski touring trips please read this information package carefully. It is meant as a general outline for all the trips planned for town-based ski touring in Golden. Hopefully this answers most of your questions but if not you can contact me.

Click here if you are looking for a gear list.

If you get nothing else from this information package, please do the following:

Risk

It is important to understand that no matter how well prepared we are there is still an element of risk to backcountry skiing.

You will all need to sign a waiver when you arrive for the trip. Please read the waiver before the trip so you understand what the risks are and what you will be signing when you begin the trip.

Safety is our number one priority. You all trust the guides to be dialed in and to be able to rescue you in case of an accident, but it goes both ways. We need to trust you to be able to do the same for us! Our risk is shared, and if you prepare even just a little bit beforehand it is very helpful and the guide’s families thank you.

The most important person in managing your personal risk is YOU. There are a variety of ways you can manage risk on this trip:

  • Listen to the guides’ instructions and if you are uncertain of what is expected of you please ask!

  • Take an avalanche course with me! Click here.

  • Take the online avalanche course at the Avalanche Canada website. Click here.

  • Practice avalanche rescue prior to the trip. At the very least understand all of the functions of your avalanche transceiver and how to search for at least 2 burials. We would really appreciate if you practice with the entire kit before the trip: transceiver, shovel and probe. A full rescue practice where you work as a team and recover a couple of buried packs with transceivers in them would be best, but even working in the backyard doing a simple transceiver search, and making sure your shovel and probe are in good working order is helpful. Please practice before the trip, the safety of your fellow skiers and the guides rely on YOUR skills.

  • Speak up. If you see something you feel is hazardous, mention it to the group and/or the guides. If you feel uncomfortable with what you perceive is a risk, mention it to the group and/or the guides.

Skiing together as a group is all about trust in each other’s abilities. The more we trust each other the more fun we will have because that means that we can ski the most interesting terrain available to us with the current conditions.

Important times and places

All times are Mountain Standard Time (same as Calgary)

evening before the first ski day

If possible we will try to briefly meet in Golden at 7.30 PM the evening before the first ski day. This way we can sign waivers and check gear so that we are all set to go first thing the next morning. Exact meeting time and place will be arranged by email before the trip.

Day 1

We will travel to our chosen objective for the day. Our first tour will be a bit shorter as we need to go through mountain safety training in the morning. Expect to drive anywhere from 15 minutes (Kicking Horse) to an hour (Rogers Pass or Rockies objectives).

subsequent ski days

Start times will vary, depending on what we are doing:

  • Kicking Horse: meet at the ski area about 8.30 AM

  • Rogers Pass or Rockies touring: leave Golden about 7.30 AM

  • Heli-touring: meet at the Golden airport about 8 AM

Delays

There is always the possibility of delays getting to or from Golden due to road closures. Be prepared for this. Closures may also affect where we can go skiing but getting to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort should always be available.

medical issues

If any of you have medical conditions I need to know about, please let me know as soon as possible.

Mountain Rescue

In nearly thirty years of guiding we have only had three evacuations from the field for minor injuries or illness.

We may be skiing in Glacier, Yoho, and Banff National Parks. Mountain rescue in National Parks is free, if you have purchased the proper vehicle permits. Please purchase these permits before the trip if possible. They are available at the park information centres.

Mountain rescue on British Columbia provincial lands, such as some of the places we may go during this trip, may be performed in two ways:

  • The guide calls outside resources directly for help. These resources may be a helicopter company or an adjacent guiding operation. This type of call-out is often the fastest way to get help in an emergency situation, such as an avalanche accident. If this occurs the group is responsible for all costs. These costs would be in many thousands of dollars.

  • The guide calls for help from the local volunteer search and rescue team. This type of call-out takes longer to get a response, but may be used for non-emergency evacuations such as an injured knee. As a general rule this type of call-out (helicopter expenses etc.) is paid for by the provincial government but that may not always be the case. Whether a party is charged for the cost of a rescue is decided on a case by case basis by the provincial government (Emergency Management British Columbia); unfortunately it is not clear what parameters they consider when making this decision. Costs may run into many thousands of dollars.

You need to decide for yourself whether to buy rescue insurance for the small chance that we require a call out for outside resources and that you will be charged if those services are required. It may be appropriate to purchase mountain rescue insurance for this trip.

Make sure to research options carefully to make sure they are appropriate for your situation. Here are some companies that provide this service:

  • American Alpine Club Global Rescue package. For the cost of a membership in the AAC (US$80) you get US$7,500 mountain rescue insurance. This would probably cover all or most of the cost for many incidents.

  • Global Rescue. US$500,000 coverage. You need to be more than 100 miles from your home for this to kick in so it is not appropriate for clients on Canadian trips who live in proximity to Alberta or British Columbia.

  • Tugo. This may be less expensive than the Global Rescue $500,000 package and may be appropriate for trips in Canada. You will need the optional adventure sport coverage.

The Guide

Mark Klassen – That’s me. I’ve been working as a ski patroller, avalanche forecaster and guide since the mid 80’s. In the summer I guide mountaineering and rock climbing. I’ve been a fully certified ACMG/IFMGA mountain guide since 1996.

We may have an uncertified tail guide on some days. Tail guides are normally someone in the guide training programme who have already received extensive instruction in mountain travel as well as avalanche and crevasse rescue. Alternatively, my wife Margie may be our tail guide. She is an ex-World Champion mountain biker, ex-ski patroller/paramedic/ER nurse, and presently is CEO of the Banff Hospital. I bring her when the trail-breaking is deep!

Food and Accommodation

This is not included on my Golden town-based trips unless we organize it ahead of time. A Google search will give you a plethora of options.

The bottom line

  • Read the guiding waiver carefully ahead of time. You don’t need to sign the waiver now, you will do that once you arrive for the trip.

  • Have a look at the gear list here and make sure you are able to bring everything on the list.

Questions?

If you have any questions let me know! Email me.

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