Yamnuska Avalanche Skills Course

The mountains of Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies are beautiful, particularly in winter when everything is draped in white. However certain backcountry areas of the mountains are avalanche prone, and backcountry snowshoers, skiers, boarders and ice climbers need to be knowledgeable about avalanche safety.

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures offer avalanche courses that follow curriculums established by the Canadian Avalanche Centre and will significantly improve your safety margins. Yamnuska courses are taught by a core staff of senior full-time certified guides and professional members of the Canadian Avalanche Association. Private training courses are also available.

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Backpacking with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Yamnuska offers scheduled hiking and backpacking trips to different areas of the Canadian Rockies, each with its own unique ambiance, beauty and challenge. You can also arrange for private group trips of Yamnuka’s scheduled dates don’t suit. trips can be arranged for private groups if our dates don’t suit you.

Yamnuska’s backpacking adventures are great escapes. As days pass you fall into a rhythm, you relax and sore muscles firm up. Hiking at an easy pace you soon forget that you’re moving at all as you become absorbed with your surroundings: a waterfall breaks through the cliffs above, an orchid peeps through the moss on the forest floor, clouds scud past the peaks high above. The mountains provide endless distractions.

After a couple of days you realize that the next campsite is not your objective. It’s  the journey that counts; the hike itself becomes the object. Reaching the end you’re tempted to take a sharp turn, head up the next valley and just keep walking!

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Ski Mountaineering with Yamnuska

Mountaineering, skiing – you can do both in Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies, at the same time: it’s what we call ski mountaineering.

Ski mountaineering is just what it sounds like: a sport that combines the skills and techniques of skiing – Nordic, downhill and telemark – with those of mountaineering. Ski mountaineers are typically willing to tackle any sort of surface they may come across on the mountain – snow, of course, but not just powder; rock and ice. This is what distinguishes the sport from ski touring.

In fact ski mountaineers may also use the equipment used in traditional mountaineering when they’re not on skis: crampons, ice axes, protection, and ropes. Most of the time they are on skis – these skis and boots typically have binding that allows the heel to lift similar to Nordic skis and boots — but the mountaineering equipment may come out of the pack when skiers come across the an otherwise inaccessible part of the mountain.

It’s a great way to see the alpine beauty of the Canadian Rockies and Western Canada in winter. And there is no better chance to see wildlife during the winter months than out in the backcountry wilderness.

Sound like fun? Sound like a challenge? Then come to Banff and try ski mountaineering on for size. Many tour companies can provide you with guides and equipment rental. If ski mountaineering sounds like a bit much, there is always traditional cross-country or backcountry skiing and hut-to-hut traverses.

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures offers a number of tours, programs and packages for your Canadian Rockies backcountry ski trip. These include instruction courses for both backcountry/cross-country skiing and ski mountaineering, as well as avalanche safety.

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Mountaineering with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Yamnuska operates year round, and the summer time mountaineering is a primary focus for the guides and guests, as well as rock climbing and hiking.

Yamnuska offers a variety of beginner, intermediate and advanced mountaineering programs, each lasting several days or longer, depending on the particular program. The company also offers semester programs. The Yamnuska Mountain Skills Semesters are the ultimate mountaineering training option — in fact it’s the initial step for many of the company’s own guides. Durin the semester course you’ll spend one to three months learning every aspect of mountaineering, summer and winter!

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Be Prepared: Wilderness First Aid with Yamnuska

If you’re an avid participant in outdoor sports and recreation, then it’s no surprise you’re interested in the Canadian Rockies and beautiful Banff National Park. And you’re probably aware that safety is important when you’re out in the backcountry. If you or someone you’re with is injured, help may be a long time in coming.

With this in mind, ever given further thought to taking a wilderness first aid course? Yamnuska Mountain Adventures hosts wilderness first aid courses by Rocky Mountain Adventure Medicine, Canada (RMAM). This 10-day (80 hour) course is the industry standard for outdoor professionals; many tour companies based in Western Canada require this type of certification for their guides.

Wilderness first aid course topics include:

• patient assessment system
• body systems
• environmental injuries/conditions
• anaphylaxis, lifting/moving/extrication
• patient carries
• backcountry medicine
• CPR

Topics are covered in-depth and includes simulations, according to Yamnuska. The course is recommended for outdoor professionals as well as for folks like us that enjoy outdoor recreation. If you’re going to spend an extended period in the backcountry — days or weeks at a time – this can be good knowledge to have.

Yamnuska’s course is recognized by Alberta Occupational Health and Safety as an Advanced First Aid certificate. In 2011 the course runs January 6 – 15; April 16 – 25; and October 27 – November 5. Yamnuska also offers a three-day recertification course. Courses take place at Yamnuska headquarters in Canmore — that makes it perfect to combine the course with a Canadian Rockies getaway.

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Banff Travel Ski Away Day

While there’s great skiing at the Big 3 right here in Banff National Park, there is also great skiing all over the Canadian Rockies and Western Canada! If you want to experience some of that skiing beyond Banff or Lake Louise, sign up for Banff Travel’s Ski Away Day at Kicking Horse resort or Panorama Mountain.

Kicking Horse has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best resorts in Canada. Featuring abundant soft snow and high alpine terrain Kicking Horse has something for everyone. Wide open bowls and long, long groomed runs for cruising, steep chutes and tree runs for the more adventurous. It makes a great day trip from Banff and Lake Louise and not to be missed on your Rockies ski vacation.

Panorama Mountain rises a full 4,000 vertical feet above the village and offers 2,847 of skiable terrain, ranging from perfect corduroy to ‘backcountry style’ runs. Panorama also boasts the biggest terrain park in the Kootenay Rockies and a large beginner’s area featuring a 135 metre long carpet lift.

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Skydiving with Banff Travel

Get the complete skydiving experience while getting a breathtaking view of the Canadian Rockies! You will be provided with state of the art equipment and the highest quality of training. Tandem masters and jumpmasters have been trained and adhere to the guidelines set forth and regulated by the Canadian Sport Parachute Associate.

You can sign up for tandem jumps, in which you jump with an instructor who controls the ‘chute — you’re just along for the thrilling ride. This option only requires one-half hour instruction. Or, if you would like to solo jump, you can sign up for this program, which requires a four- to six-hour training course.

Banff Travel’ skydiving program is located at the Innisfail Airport (Big Bend Airport) one hour north of Calgary and two hours south of Edmonton.

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Wildlife Tours by Banff Travel

Take an evening sightseeing and wildlife tour through a variety of landscapes, giving you the best chance to observe animals in their natural environment. Learn what is threatening wildlife today and how the National Parks strive to protect animals and their habitat. You will leave this Canadian Rockies safari with a greater understanding of the land, and animals that you see on 95 percent of Banff Travel wildlife tours.

Banff Travel also offers other wildlife tours, as well as wildlife viewing tours in combination with other activities, such as the Lake Louise gondola or the  Golden Eagle Express. You can take tours that specialize in grizzly bears as well.

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Banff Travel Cave Tours

Investigate the Canadian Rockies by adventuring deep into the limestone cave in Grotto Mountain. Banff Travel offers cave tours with highly trained and experienced guides who lead you through the historical limestone labyrinths. Discover mineral formations, deep caverns and ancient fossils during the guided treks.

Banff Travel offers two cave tours. The adventure tour allows spelunkers to rappel from an 18m (60ft) drop and traverse through narrow passageways. The explorer tour offers a similar itinerary without the rappel.

Banff Travel recommends participants be physically active and wear light shoes with moderately warm clothing, especially in the winter. Make sure to bring a water bottle and camera.

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Edmonton is a beautiful city in Northern Alberta, is located withing 4 hours of Jasper National Park, and has an international airport, making it another good transportation option for people visiting the Canadian Rockies.

Edmonton International Airport

The Edmonton International Airport is the airport you should use if you plan on starting your vacation in Jasper. The Edmonton International Airport in Edmonton, Alberta is located 362km (or 220 miles) east of Jasper, approximately 3 ½ to 4 hours driving time. There are several rental car counters for pick-up and drop off at the Edmonton International Airport if you choose to rent a car for this drive.

Driving

You’ll basically take the Trans-Canada Hwy/Yellowhead Hwy W/Yellowhead Trail W/AB-16 W the whole way to get from Edmonton to Jasper. From Jasper, you can get to places like Lake Louise, Banff and Canmore easily taking the Icefields Highway. View the map below for more details.

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