Category: general

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general

Heliskiing!

One of the perks of working for a heli-skiing company is a free heliskiing trip (but only when space comes up on a trip, which is always last minute, and not every week). I got myself onto a three day trip out at Revelstoke, BC.

 

Helicopter pickup

 

First there was safety training, and How to use Avy Beacons 101. And then there was crouching down on the ground while a helicopter came and landed on top of you (never literally, thankfully), squishing in (they seated 12 plus pilot) and being dropped off at the top of the run. Ski down, wait for helicopter, repeat. Stop and eat food at one point in the middle of the day, then continue skiing until it got late (and you think your legs may possibly fall off), and it’s time to go back to the hotel and collapse. Then eat a 5 course dinner of unrivalled tastiness and collapse once more.

 

Waiting for pickup. The skis are piled on one side, with the guide. We crouch down on the other side. The helicopter comes and lands in the gap inbetween – we pile into the heli, the guide piles our skis into the box then walks round and gets himself seated. Then AWAY!

 

 

Peering out the window – helicopters are awesome machines

 

 

Too busy skiing most of the time to take photos – and we were often in the trees

 

 

Fun turns on the last run

 

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general

The Professor Falls (WI4)

A 280m WI4 route on the North-East cliffs of Mount Rundle (between Canmore and Banff). Named after a falling professor on the first ascent.

 

Darren belays James up the first pitch

 

 

At the top of the first pitch, wondering if my arms will fall off by the end of the day (it’s the first time I’ve climbed in at least seven months)

 

 

Views from the climb, looking out over the Bow Valley

 

 

Darren leading the fourth(?) pitch

 

 

Walking back from the final pitch

 

 

The full climb

 

(And yes, hopefully soon I’ll be caught back up to real time with posting things here… soon)

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general

Chester Lake and dislocated shoulders

 

Taking Brendan and Adele out backcountry skiing for the first time – Chester Lake, Kananaskis Country

 

 

Along the skin trail to Chester Lake

 

 

And then there was a shoulder dislocation – Brendan had done his shoulder recently, and popped it out again as he was pushing himself up after falling in the powder. We had all sorts of fun getting it back in again, and then worrying how we’d get him back down the hill. In the end, we put skins on Brendan’s skis and he was first back to the car – very fast on his skis.

 

 

Elephant Rocks near Chester Lake

 

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canada general snow trip reports

Cirque Sub-Peak, Icefields Parkway

And another fantastic outing in gorgeous weather and blue skies. The snow wasn’t great, but you can’t have everything (except for those days when you do).

 

Up

 

 

And up

 

 

And up and up

 

 

Across to the summit

 

 

The low sun above the Wapta Icefields

 

 

Sunset sky over the Wapta, and turns as we head back downhill

 

 

The sun setting over the Icefields Parkway

 

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general

Tryst Lake

 

Skinning in from the road

 

 

A gorgeous sunny day

 

 

 

And then there was the skiing part of the day, of which I inexplicably have no photos, as I was busy skiing… It was also beautiful and blue-skiied though.