The Ultimate Places for Backcountry Skiing in Canada
For the true powder skiing addict there is no better way to get your fix than to go Backcountry Skiing, and no better place than British Columbia Canada. we may not have invented Backcountry Skiing or ski touring as some refer to it, however we did invent Heliskiing in 1965 in the Bugaboos (by Hans Gmoser of Canadian Mountain Holidays) and ten years later in 1975 cat skiing (by Allan Drury of Selkirk Wilderness Cat Skiing). While cat and heli skiing are definitely incredible experiences some would say that their cost and environmental impact are prohibitive to us common folk. Luckily you can get into Backcountry skiing for a reasonable investment and once you have the gear and knowledge you are good to go for many, many years. Not only is backcountry skiing inexpensive and good for your health – it can get you too many remote locations far away from crowds and mechanized skiing operations.
The best backcountry skiing can be found in the Interior Mountains of British Columbia, most people think the Rockies is where all the Backcountry Skiing is located but there are limited possibilities due to its Mountain structure, limited snow pack and limited high alpine trees – which all add up to provide unstable avalanche conditions. You have to be aware that in Backcountry skiing you are on your own so you need an AST avalanche course and standard avalanche gear (probe, beacon, and shovel). That is unless of course you have the money to hire a professional ACMG guide to help keep you safe out there.
With so many backcountry Skiing operations to choose from in such a close proximity to each other it has provided for a diverse collection of skiing experiences. Each backcountry skiing region offers a very different experience, from the amount of ski able acres, depth of snow pack, and elevation of skiing and difficulty of terrain. The possibilities are endless.
