Campbell Icefields Chalet - Saturday, Mar 29, 2025

The Basics:
Event Type: Skiing 
Event Location: Campbell Icefields Chalet 
Event Starts:   Saturday, Mar 29, 2025 08:00 AM (Carpool Departure: 08:00 AM @ TBD - from Calgary)  
Event Ends:   Saturday, Apr 05, 2025 04:00 PM  
Registration Cut Off:   Sunday, Mar 23, 2025 10:00 PM  
Difficulty Rating:   D3 - See Conversion Chart  
Trip Coordinator(s):   Kate Snedeker
 

Participant Info:
Who's Invited:   Members Only  
Attendee Screening:   Attendees are Pre-Screened
Maximum Group Size: 14
Minimum Group Size: 11
Number Registered So Far:   2 (View sign-ups, waiting list)
Are Dogs Permitted:   No

Itinerary:

ONE last minute spot available on the trip.  Please sign up on wait list if interested AND available.


Located just over the provincial border from Banff NP (the Freshfields area), Campbell Icefields Chalet is a cozy and well appointed lodge with ample skiing for intermediate and advanced skiers - a great deal for the cost.  With longer days, the late March-early April makes for great spring skiing and - when conditions allow - some fun ski mountaineering objectives. And relaxing on the deck.


NOTE:  This is  Rocky Mountain Section Trip - as such, we ask that participants be Rocky Mountain Section members.  Section membership can be added  inexpensively via the ACC National website.  Sign up & payment is via the RMS section website (see trip posting for the same dates).  For any questions, contact the camp manager at kgsneds@mac.com



A deposit of $550 will be required once application is approved to confirm spot on the trip - approved applicants will receive an invoice for payment.  Total cost will be ~ $1190(to be confirmed by September), with the second payment (~$640) due in the fall.  


This is a one week trip  (6 ski days) to Campbell Icefields Chalet, just over the BC border from Banff National Park.  The lodge offers running water, kitchen, indoor (pee) toliet, outhouses, sauna with watering-can showers and a variety of ski terrain, mostly moderate to advanced.  Depending on weather/avy conditions, there are options for glacier travel and ski mountaineering.


Participants will be broken into groups of 2 or 3, with each group cooking dinner one night; lunches, snacks and breakfast are the responsibility of each participant.  Vegetarians & some allergies can be accommodated in the group cooking, but for more complex or severe allergies or vegan diets, participants will need to provide their own easy to cook alternative.  Contact the camp manager if you have any questions or concerns (kgsneds@mac.com). 


Accommodation is on two floors in rooms of 1 to 2 person; rooms with two single beds pushed together are available for couples.  Earplugs recommended.


Each participant is allowed to bring one set of skis & poles, day pack & a duffel for personal items (60L or under if possible).  Pack and duffel should be no more than 40lbs together.  Food is to be securely packed in small (i.e. wine boxes or similar) boxes clearly labelled - no weight limit.  Please be aware that delays in arrival and departure are possible - though not common - so be prepared for an extra night in the chalet (in terms of medications/food).


Bedding can be rented for ~$25 per night, or you can bring sheet(s), sleeping bag & pillowcases. 

Participants should have AST2 (or equivalent ( please discuss with camp manager if you do not have AST2), and be comfortable in a variety of backcountry terrain.  Daily trips (minimum 3 persons) will be posted -- all participants should be comfortable and willing to contribute to daily conditions meeting/discussions, decision making, trail breaking etc.  There will be transceiver practice on the first day.   Participants should have their own backcountry ski gear (skis/split, skins, beacon, probe, shovel, poles etc.) - no rentals except in emergencies.


Priority will be given first to active BIT trip leaders/volunteers in the last few years, then to active Rocky Mountain Section ski trip leaders as well as recent BIT grads who meet the trip requirements.


If you are interested, please place yourself on the wait list here & fill out the trip application

(https://forms.gle/N4WC6TR8eV1hmGuz9) -- the trip leader will contact you if your application is successful.


A deposit of $550 will be required to secure a spot on the trip and is due by September 4.  A final payment of ~$650 will be due by Dec 1, 2024.  Invoices will be sent by the club treasurer once the registrant list is submitted on Sept 5.  If there are later registrants, invoices will be sent at appropriate intervals.


The cost includes chalet fees, helicopter fee, plus group items like coffee, toilet paper, paper towel and hand sanitizer.
Required Items to Bring:

Daypack (~30L or more)

Ski or split board gear

Avalanche safety gear

Ski clothes (including Goretex top/bottom, other non-cotton layers as needed including warm down jacket)

Gloves/mittens

Sunglasses/goggles

Thermos/waterbottle(s)

Hat, balaclava, neck tube

Towel for sauna

Hut booties/shoes/flip flops

Charging cables needed for electronics

Ear plugs

Hut clothes (hut is heated by wood burning stove)

Breakfast & lunch food

Toiletries (remember sunscreen!)

Any medications

First aid supplies (hut has a small kit)

If not renting bedding, sheet(s), sleeping bag and pillow cases

Repair kit (most important are any specific screws/screwdriver heads, etc needed for repairs of your boots/boards/bindings - the lodge has some repair items & extra skis, but be prepared for routine repairs of your own gear.)

Recommended Items to Bring:

Books, games, good sense of humor!

How to Get There:
Carpool Departure Time:   08:00 AM
Carpool Location:   TBD - from Calgary
Carpool Directions:  

Carpool plans to be made closer to the date of the trip

Notes:

taging is near Donald, BC -- participants will be responsible for transport to/from the staging. The group will meet in Golden at ~8am on March 29; it is recommended that participants stay in Golden the night before to avoid issues with weather/highway closures/accidents.  Carpools and accommodation in Golden (hostel or cheap motel) the night of March 29 can be arranged if there is interest/need.  Hostel costs will be in addition to the deposit below.


All participants should ensure that they have registered on the new ACC national website and signed the yearly online waiver and code of conduct.  Participants are expected to abide by the ACC code of conduct. 


If you have any questions, please contact the camp manager.  A separate lodge/helicopter waiver will be signed prior to departure.


The risks of this trip include, but are not limited to:

 

·       Avalanche

·       "Avalanches can occur in the terrain in which we operate and can be caused by natural forces, or by people travelling through the terrain (e.g. skiing/snowboarding). What are the risks? Anyone caught in an avalanche is at risk of personal injury, death, and/or property damage or loss."

 

·       Terrain

·       Cornice fall

·       Crevasses

·       Cliffs

·       Trees, tree wells, forest deadfall, and tree stumps

·       Creeks

·       Rocks and Boulders

·       Holes and depressions below the snow surface

·       Variable and difficult snow conditions

·       Snowcat roads and road banks

·       Fences and other manmade structures

·       Snow immersion

·       Impact or collision with other persons vehicles or objects

·       Encounters with domestic or wild animals

·       Loss of balance or control

·       Slips trips and falls

·       Becoming lost or separated from one’s group

 

·       Communication, rescue and medical treatment

·       Communication can be difficult and in the event of an accident rescue and treatment may not be available

·       Adverse weather may also delay the arrival of treatment and transport out of the field

·       If an Injury occurs in challenging terrain movement to an evacuation point may be slow

 

·       Boots and binding systems

·       Even when set up correctly, a ski binding might not release during every fall or may release unexpectedly. The ski boot/binding system is no guarantee that the skier will not be injured.  Non-DIN-certified bindings, such as pin/tech bindings, present a higher risk of pre-release and/or injury as they are not designed to the same safety standards as a DIN-certified alpine binding.

·       Unlike alpine ski boot/binding systems, snowboard and some telemark boot/binding systems are not designed or intended to release and will not release under normal circumstances.  Using such a system increases the risk of injury and/or death when caught in an avalanche.

 

·       Other

·      Slips, trips and falls both outdoors and indoors

·      Infectious disease contracted through viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi which may be transmitted through direct or indirect contact

·      Equipment failure

·      Negligent first aid

·      Negligence of other people


No refunds will be issued once payment is received.  If a participant has to withdraw after paying the deposit (or the full cost), the participant will be responsible for finding a replacement that meets the approval of the camp manager.  The camp manager will maintain a waitlist if there are more persons interested in the trip than can be accommodated.  If you need to withdraw, contact the camp manager (kgsneds@mac.com).

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
Please review our participant responsibility guidelines!

Cancellation Policy
If a participant is unable to attend a paid course or trip, there will be no refund unless the participant finds a suitable replacement that is acceptable to the trip coordinator. Acceptable waiting list candidates will have priority. It will then be the participant's responsibility to recover funds from the replacement. If the coordinator cancels an event, participants get a refund (less any non-recoverable costs). Note that ACC National does not refund hut fees due to weather, delay, closures, or any other reasons. The Calgary Section of the ACC is a not for profit club and we only charge attendees what it costs us to provide courses or trips.
Trip Feedback
If you have any feedback, positive or negative, concerning this trip or any other, we want to hear from you! You can send any feedback you may have to the Section Chair.

Registration for this event closed on Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 10:00 PM.