Our Ultimate Heli-Accessed Ski Adventure

The Kokanee Cabin is one of the ACC’s most sought-after huts and the location combined with the hut itself offer a clear reason of why. Come join us for a pristine week full of spring skiing, eating and socializing in the cozy cabin! Join a week of skiing with your peers. If you are 55+ we would love to welcome you to Kokanee this year.  

The hut itself is quite a bit more luxurious than other backcountry huts, boasting electricity, flush toilets and lots of room for sleeping. It is comfortable and self-sustaining. It also located in a picturesque location high in the park. The epic terrain will satisfy your hunger for powder slopes, amazing views and glacier experience.

Staging is out of the cute town of Nelson BC right by the water.

 Smartwool supports our Powder Program and we thank them for their assistance.
Camp Objectives

The clue is in the name - the primary objective of this camp is to ski great powder in a stunning alpine setting! The prime week at the end of March will almost guarantee long powder runs on the many slopes around the hut.

Due to the superb location and accessibility of the hut, participants will be able to take each day at their own speed and get in as much skiing as conditions permit. Choose between short days, long days or days of complete relaxation in the hut.
Day by Day Adventure Itinerary 
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  • Day 1: Meet in Nelson, BC, at the Kootenay Valley Helicopters Hangar at 8am where you will be introduced to your group and your guides. There you will fly into the Kokanee Glacier Cabin Hut by private helicopter (on a clear day be sure to look at the beautiful peaks of the Southern Selkirks and maybe even scope some ski lines!). There will still be plenty of time for a first day of skiing once you arrive and unpack. This is a good opportunity to review gear, companion and crevasse rescue skills briefly before being orientated to the area by you guides. 
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  • Day 2 - 7: There are so many great objectives accessible from the hut that we can't really speculate on exactly how each day will look. Each evening the group and guides will gather in the hut to discuss and decide on objectives and groups for the next day. As long as the weather plays ball, you can all-but guarantee climbing classic mountaineering objectives and then being rewarded with long runs back down to the hut. Nearby gladed runs ensure there's plenty to do when the snow is flying. 
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  • Day 8: Pack up, take some final pictures of the breathtaking views and travel back to Nelson by helicopter 
Is this Camp For Me?
Advanced
This is an advanced powder camp program. The strong, experienced skier will enjoy and be challenged by this camp. Previous backcountry ski experience is required. An advanced level of fitness and high-intermediate to advanced downhill ski abilities are essential. This means being comfortable skiing black diamond runs with a 7-9 kg (15-20 lb) pack in backcountry snow conditions (read: deep powder!). For those individuals who live at lower elevations (less than 1000m/3300’), we recommend that you arrive in the mountains a few days before the camp to do some skiing on your own and acclimatize to the altitude. This camp involves living at and above 1800m for the week. If you are unsure about whether this camp is right for you, please contact the office.
Food, Accommodation and Guiding

Food

Evenings will be spent enjoying great food, socializing in cozy hut surroundings and resetting for the next day’s skiing. Food supplies will be flown in by helicopter (no dehydrated stuff here) and cooked up by our dedicated chef.  All meals are designed to be healthy, sumptuous and plentiful and special dietary needs can be accommodated. Because we want you to be able to focus on the powder not the cooking! 

Accommodation

The Kokanee Glacier Cabin sits on the shores of Kaslo lake in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. The area is a ski touring paradise, and the Kokanee Glacier Cabin is situated to best take advantage of the endless skiing terrain, and to provide you with an unforgettable experience. Kokanee Glacier Cabin offers an exciting backcountry adventure for the whole family. This is easily our most well equipped hut. In addition to all the dishes for cooking and dining that our guests have come to expect, there is electricity. That means there is a coffee maker and kettle.

Located north of Nelson, in southeastern British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains, beautiful Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park is a year-round recreational paradise. Sitting mostly above 1,800 metres in elevation, the park has three glaciers – Kokanee, Caribou, and Woodbury – which feed over 30 lakes and are the headwaters of many creeks.

Guiding

The ever-popular Conrad Janzen leads our team of three ACMG certified guides who will ensure your time at Kokanee is both safe and enjoyable. All our guides come back year after year so are super knowledgable about the area and welcome to answering any questions. Our low guiding ratios (maximum 12 participants to 2 guides) allow us to form groups based on abilities and ambition, making sure the pace and difficulty is right for you.

The ACC hires guides certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). Visit the ACMG website to learn more about what they do!

Gear and Rentals


Don't have everything on the gear list (found on the right hand side of this webpage)? We recommend heading to Gear Up in Canmore to grab any items your might be missing. To ensure availability of items call ahead to book. ACC members get a 10% discount.

 

Backcountry Skiing Hazards

  • Avalanche
    • Avalanches can occur in the terrain you will be entering. Caused by natural forces, or by people travelling through the terrain  
      • What are the risks
    • Anyone caught in a avalanche is at risk of personal injury, death, and or property damage or loss
      • Hazard Mitigation
    • Our ACMG certified guides have experience and training to manage this risk
    • Daily risk assessment processes
    • Guest training
  • Terrain
    • Cornices
    • Crevasses
    • Trees, tree wells, and tree stumps
    • Cliffs
    • Creeks
    • Rocks and Boulders
    • Variable and difficult snow conditions
    • Impact or collision with other persons or objects
    • Encounters with domestic or wild animals
    • Loss of balance or control
    • Becoming lost or separated from the group
    • Slips, trips, and falls
      • Hazard Mitigation
    • Our ACMG certified guides have experience and training to manage this risk
    • Radios and/or other communication devices
  • 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.
  • 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 or transportation out of the field,
    • Alpine weather conditions can be extreme and change rapidly without warning making travel by helicopter, snowmobile, snowcat, dangerous
    • If an injury occurs in challenging terrain movement to an evacuation point may be slow
      • Hazard Mitigation
    • Your guide is trained in both backcountry first-aid and rescue techniques
    • Emergency response plans
    • Satellite communication tools
  • Other
    • Slips trips and falls indoor or outdoor
    • Infectious disease contracted via direct or indirect contact, including but not limited to influenza or Covid-19
    • Equipment failure
    • Negligence of other persons, including other guests
    • Negligence of the guide Including failure to to take reasonable steps to safeguard or protect you from or warn you of risk, dangers, hazards, oh participating in ACC activities
      • Hazard Mitigation
    • Your guide is trained in both backcountry first-aid and rescue techniques
    • Satellite communication tools

Your Guides

TERESA YAU

Teresa Yau is an Apprentice Ski and Apprentice Rock Guide and is currently pursuing the ACMG Mountain Guide certification. In the winter months, Teresa spends most of her time heli skiing and ski tour guiding and also instructs avalanche courses. During the summer, Teresa enjoys taking people out rock climbing and spends her time training for the Alpine certification. Teresa also has a B.Ed and B.Sc. and on the off season, she works as a secondary school teacher. Teresa lives in Canmore, Alberta, but also calls Vancouver & Squamish, B.C. her home.
FRANCISCO MEDINA-SCH.

Francisco – AKA Pancho - is originally from Santiago, Chile where he began his outdoor pursuits at an early age accomplishing numerous first ascents in the Andes. At 18, he was invited on a climbing trip to the Alps where his passion for adventures in the mountains was cemented. Pancho began his guiding career leading mountaineering trips to Aconcagua and trekking trips to Patagonia and in 2004 he received his UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide certification in France and has continued his guiding career in the Andes, Alps, Rockies and Himalayas. In 2006 he began semi-annual trips to Canada to experience all the Canadian Rockies have to offer and now reside full-time in Canmore with his wife. Pancho is excited about sharing the outdoors with his guests, whether it is mountaineering, climbing, skiing, trekking, or teaching outdoor education courses.

Adventure Map

Details

  • March 18-25 2023
  •  $4,195 + Tax
REGISTER NOW Gear List     

Registration and Cancelation Policy Trip Waivers and Liability Page

Before registering, please review our Waivers and Liability page as well as the Cancelation policies.

More Information

Please try to register online before calling. If you are having issues please try to have your emergency contact information and course questionnaire filled out before calling.

Email Us  

(403)-678-3200 ext 312
Cancellation Policy  
We sell Tugo® Travel Insurance suitable for both ACC Adventures and personal trips: 

Travel Insurance

 

Included WITH YOUR CAMP FEE

  • Professional guiding fully-certified ACMG ski guides
  • Exclusive accommodation at Kokanee Glacier Hut for the week
  • Helicopter transportation to and from the hut
  • All meals, beginning with dinner on Day 1 and ending with lunch on Day 8
  • Services of a dedicated camp chef
  • All group gear (ropes, emergency equipment etc.)
  • ACC office staff available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm MST

Participants Must Provide

  • Transportation to/from Nelson BC Carpooling lists will be sent out ahead of the camp
  • Breakfast and lunch on day 1, dinner on day 8
  • Personal gear (see gear list)