1. 12 where.ca // CANADIAN ROCKIES
For professional climber, paraglider and kayaker
Will Gadd, growing up here shaped his identity
and sparked a lifetime of legendary exploits.
In January 2015, Gadd became the first to
ice climb Niagara Falls, on the heels of being
named a National Geographic Adventurer of the
Year (with fellow paraglider Gavin McClurg) for
their five-week, 640-km flight over the Cana-
dian Rockies. The Rockies Traverse, a film based
on the expedition, premiered at the November
2015 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival.
“From an early age I camped, hiked, skied and
climbed with my parents,” Gadd says. “This
gave me a 20-year head start as an athlete. I
was hard-wired for expeditions.” Learning to
build snow caves as a kid has served him well
while bivouacking high on mountain faces. “The
Rockies are a tough range, and my parents tak-
ing me into the wilds helped toughen me up.”
Gadd, who’s based in Canmore, says the drive
from Calgary into the mountains and the first
sight of Mount Yamnuska’s sheer rock face (the
first mountain on the north side of the Trans-
Canada Hwy) always makes him smile.
He’s been fortunate to travel the world, is cur-
rently involved in a TV series about vanishing
places, and keeps busy as a mountain guide and
international speaker. Many of his exploits are
chronicled on willgadd.com.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THRILL-SEEKERS
There are countless options for unforgettable,
thrilling adventure in the Canadian Rockies.
“You could spend a lifetime doing different
activities here and still find new ones. I literally
have,” Gadd says. Some of his favourite excur-
sions that can be done in a day include the pop-
ular Weeping Wall (Map 1, 5K) ice climb on the
Icefields Parkway, the glacier-adorned highway
connecting Banff and Jasper national parks.
“I climbed this for the first time with my dad
when I was 16, and most winters I climb it
again. It’s 180 metres of ice—very beautiful.”
The Weeping Wall is favoured for its 10-minute
access from the parking area, sunny exposure
and proximity to Rampart Creek Hostel (1-778-
328-2220) where many climbers stay.
Farther south, Haffner Creek (Map 1, 6J) in
Kootenay National Park is a 30-minute ski into
a canyon across from the Marble Canyon park-
ing lot on Hwy 93S. This is “the best collection
of easy-access and mixed routes in Canada,”
PHOTOS:(TOP)EISENHOWERTOWERONCASTLEMT,JOHNPRICE,TRAVELALBERTA
BIGMountain

2. WINTER 2015/16 // where.ca 13
By Afton Aikens
Gadd says. (Mixed climbing involves ascending
rock and ice using crampons and ice tools).
“It’s a ton of fun whether it’s your first time ice
climbing or you’re training for the World Cup.
Low avalanche hazard, too,” he adds.
For those who’d rather glide through powder
than climb frozen falls, Gadd suggests back-
country descents at Bow Summit (Map 1, 6K),
the highest point on the Icefields Parkway. This
is arguably Banff’s favourite area for yo-yo ski-
ing, for its open slopes, consistent fall-line and
1-km ski from the Peyto Lake parking lot.
“This is one of the first places to get good snow
in the fall, and last to hold snow in the spring,”
Gadd notes. Skiers often take the short detour
to the Peyto Lake viewpoint for a stunning view.
Gadd’s fellow Canmorite, Olympian Shona
Rubens, also has recommendations for back-
country adventure. She suggests a ski tour to
Tryst Lake (Map 1, 7H) in Kananaskis Country
for its rewarding views and quick approach, a
2.5-km ski from Spray Lakes Road or 3-km ski
from the Mount Shark Road parking lot.
“Make it a short day if you just want to go to
the lake. Or do multiple yo-yo runs—there are
lots of chutes to ski when conditions are good.”
Rubens grew up in Calgary and started skiing
as a kid. She retired from Canada’s Alpine Ski
Team with the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter
Games under her belt, and recently completed
an environmental sciences degree. She coaches
ski racing; the sport is still a big part of her life.
“Most of (my family) vacations were spent
outdoors,” Rubens says. “Being surrounded by
people who loved the outdoors, and the abil-
ity to be in the mountains at the drop of a hat,
turned me into the person I am today.” Rubens
still skis with her family every Christmas.
“(The sport) is amazing, because it’s individual
in that when you’re skiing you’re on your own,
but you do it in a social environment. You can
enjoy it backcountry, cross-country and down-
hill. The places it takes you are spectacular.”
Also in Kananaskis, the 20-km French-Haig-
Robertson Traverse is a favourite one-day expe-
dition of adventure photographer Ryan Creary.
Adventure
Local pros suggest
exhilarating winter excursions
Massive. Rugged. Incredible. Whatever your
interpretation, there’s no denying that the
Canadian Rockies leave an impression.
In winter, peaks and valleys draped in snow
and ice create a magical outdoor playground
that entices adventurers into its wilderness.
Gadd
Rubens
Creary
Lemire

3. 14 where.ca // CANADIAN ROCKIES
The circuit—a remote ski tour for experienced
backcountry skiers—requires knowledge of
managing avalanche terrain, glacier travel, cre-
vasse rescue and difficult navigation. “There are
great offshoot trips and fun couloirs. You don’t
have to do the whole circuit,” Creary says.
Now based in Revelstoke, BC, Creary lived in
Canmore for 10 years and says that’s “where it
all started” for him professionally.
“The sports I shoot (skiing, snowboarding, bik-
ing, paddling, climbing) have always been my
passion, so I combined work and lifestyle. I
packed my camera when I went to do stuff with
friends; that led to images getting published,
then big assignments,” he says. The cover of
this magazine features a Ryan Creary photo.
Although Creary now plays in the Selkirk and
Monashee mountains, he says he’ll always feel
a pull to the Rockies. “There are so many amaz-
ing experiences.”
One man who has truly lived a lifetime of
adventure is photographer and certified Canadi-
an mountain guide Pierre Lemire, winner of the
2015 Summit of Excellence Award presented by
the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival.
Since 1987, this award has recognized “an indi-
vidual who has made a significant contribution
to mountain life in the Canadian Rockies.”
Lemire, who lives in Field, BC, certainly fits the
bill. He moved to Alberta in 1965 at age 18, and
from 1972 to 2011 was a guide with Canadian
Mountain Holidays. In the 1980s, he worked as
an examiner for the Association of Canadian
Mountain Guides (ACMG).
Lemire’s photography has appeared in Canadian
Summits, Equinox, and the Faces of Canada and
Hills of Nepal exhibits—the latter at the Whyte
Museum of the Canadian Rockies (p 41). As
much as he’s contributed to the Canadian Rock-
ies, the mountains have contributed to his life.
PHOTOS:(TOP)SUMMITOFMTATHABASCA,KURTMORISSON,TRAVELALBERTA;
(LEFT)GROTTOCANYON,CANMOREKANANASKIS;(OPPOSITE)ELIZABETHPARKERHUT
Are the suggestions in this article a little too adventurous for you?
Gadd has more ideas for fun:
Kids love being outside, and behave better there. I get one km per
cookie out of my four-year-old. I bring spare clothes and get rid of
goals. For kids it’s all about exploring, not getting anywhere specific.
Go skating on
natural ice (p 54
and 106). I like ‘The Pond’ in Canmore (Map
4, 8F). It’s a local scene, everyone is friendly,
and it’s great for all ages. Or skate at Gap Lake
(Map 1, 8I) before the snow gets too deep.
Hire a guide and go ice climbing for a half day
(p 48 and 106). No experience required; if you
can climb stairs you can climb ice!
Ice walk up Johnston Canyon (p 47). I think it’s
wilder in winter, and it’s a lot of fun in an hour
or two. Kids love the catwalks and waterfalls.
Take a ski lesson at the Canmore Nordic Cen-
tre (p 48). For the price of a small bar tab, have
a blast where Olympians fought for medals,
including locals Sara Renner and Beckie Scott.
Walk into Grotto Canyon (p 47) or Maligne
Canyon (p 105) where you’ll often get the
chance to watch ice climbers.
Hire my dad, Handbook of the Canadian Rockies
author Ben Gadd, for a nature walk (403-609-
4449). See animals and learn how they survive
the winter, plus geology and fun local informa-
tion. Price of one big bar tab, but worth it!
CLASSIC BEGINNER ADVENTURES

4. WINTER 2015/16 // where.ca 15
“In guiding, people want to climb or ski tour, but
that’s just one dimension of the whole process,”
Lemire says. “Because I enjoy taking pictures,
I would stop and say, ‘Let’s spend some time
here,’ to observe the light on the peaks.”
Lemire recalls one of his most memorable
adventures. “Within a week, I climbed two
iconic summits.” After guiding a man up Mount
Assiniboine (3,618 m, the highest peak in the
southern Canadian Rockies), a friend asked if
Lemire wanted to climb Mount Robson (3,954
m, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies).
“I said, ‘Sure,’” Lemire says with a laugh. “Both
mountains often take many attempts due to the
weather. But the conditions were perfect! The
chances of it happening like that were very low.”
Lemire’s advice for adventurers? “Get up early!”
He says, “As the years pass, I realize how privi-
leged I was to be in these mountains. Things
change, but there’s still magic to discover.”
STAYING SAFE
“Every single weekend, thousands of people are
out in the mountains, but we only hear about
the ones who get into trouble. So get out and
have fun first of all,” Gadd advises. “Second, use
the resources available if you want to travel in
avalanche areas, and understand the terrain.”
Avalanche Canada provides online avalanche
forecasts, terrain hazard ratings and maps at
avalanche.ca. Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
(p 55) and the Alpine Club of Canada (403-
678-3200) run avalanche safety courses in
Canmore. In Jasper, courses are offered by
Rockaboo Mountain Adventures (p 106).
Or, improve your skills by hiring a guide. Gadd
takes clients ice climbing, and Yamnuska and
Rockaboo offer ice climbing and ski touring.
Don’t have the gear for a backcountry foray?
Local shops (p 65, 93, 113) rent ski touring, ice
climbing and avalanche safety equipment.
These bases for skiing or snowshoeing are operated by the
Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) and vary from century-old log
cabins in meadows to bunker-looking dwellings above treeline.
“The huts are well kept,” says
the ACC’s Keith Haberl. “You
don’t have to carry a tent or
stove, and sleeping pads are
there—just bring a sleeping
bag and food.” Sleeping and
common areas, and kitchens,
are shared with other guests.
Popular ACC huts
open in winter include:
Elk Lakes Cabin: The ACC’s
closest hut to Calgary (a fam-
ily favourite) is accessed from
Peter Lougheed Park in Kanan-
askis via a 9-km (3.5-hr) ski
along partially track-set trails.
Elizabeth Parker Hut:
Access this popular log cabin
west of Lake Louise near beau-
tiful Lake O’Hara by a 12-km
(3.5-hr) ski up a fire road.
Bow Hut: Access this hut
above treeline by Bow Glacier
from the Icefields Parkway via
an 8-km (5-hr) trail. “There
are hazards,” Haberl warns.
Sydney Vallance (Fryatt)
Hut: The full day ski to this
cabin begins south of Jasper
townsite off Hwy 93A; cut 11.5
km off the 23-km route if the
Athabasca River
is frozen enough to cross.
All huts offer fantastic back-
country ski terrain. At Elk
Lakes Cabin, access quality
waterfall ice climbing routes.
Backcountry lodges with
meals, bedding and private
room options are on p 34.
ALPINE CLUB BACKCOUNTRY HUTS