Classic Kootenay Ski Tours from the Ymir Lodge

Sample the epic tree skiing surrounding a legendary BC ski lodge!

Charlie Boscoe

Images

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Dropping into the first line

by Charlie Boscoe

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Crossing Qua Lake

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking across to Qua Peak from the drop in to Qua Valley

by Charlie Boscoe

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Skiing up Qua Peak with Wildhorse Peak behind

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking down on Qua lake from midway down the final descent

by Charlie Boscoe

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Skinning just above Clearwater col

by Charlie Boscoe

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On the final skin to the lodge

by Charlie Boscoe

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Skiing off the summit ridge

by Charlie Boscoe

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On the first descent of the day, with the last descent of the day visible behind

by Charlie Boscoe

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Dropping down the ridge from the summit

by Charlie Boscoe

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Spot the skier! Ripping the first line of the day.

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking up at the face from the foot of the second skin

by Charlie Boscoe

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Skinning back to the hut in heavy snow

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking up at the steep notch which leads into Long Qua

by Charlie Boscoe

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On the traverse north-west of Kututle Peak

by Charlie Boscoe

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Tearing down the steep trees on the final descent

by Charlie Boscoe

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Exceptional skiing beneath Kututle Peak

by Charlie Boscoe

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Skinning up Camelot bowl en route to the steep notch

by Charlie Boscoe

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Sunset just above the lodge at the end of a long day

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking across at Kututle Peak's south-east face. One to come back for!

by Charlie Boscoe

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Tearing down the upper bowl

by Charlie Boscoe

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Heading up for another lap

by Charlie Boscoe

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Leaving the hut

by Charlie Boscoe

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Beautiful evening light midway down

by Charlie Boscoe

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Ripping down the middle of the face

by Charlie Boscoe

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The face as seen from the top of Morning Glory Bowl

by Charlie Boscoe

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Description

Sitting at the edge of the treeline and surrounded by summits, bowls, chutes and faces, the Ymir Lodge is one of the finest bases for a ski week in southern BC. The lodge is reached via a short helicopter flight from Nelson, making it (by the standards of Canadian ski lodges) pretty straightforward to get to as well. The wood fired sauna out the back of the hut is a nice little touch too!

The terrain above the lodge is as accessible as it is varied and very few of the runs are longer than 500 vertical metres, meaning that the topography feels big enough to be challenging, but not scary. In stable conditions you will be completely spoiled for choice regarding where to go, and there are tree-d runs on all aspects within easy reach of the lodge. None of the terrain in reach of the lodge is glaciated but some of it is open, so there's more to the Ymir area than "just" tree skiing - as if skiing powder in the trees is anyone's idea of a chore.

In this guidebook we've listed everything from short mini golf runs to long, full-day loops. As lodges go the Ymir is fantastic in bad weather, and you won't struggle to find your share of fun in a whiteout, but exploring some of the more distant terrain is highly recommended if you get some blue sky. The 3 big loops described in here (around Qua, Wildhorse and Kututle peaks) are world-class adventures, but none are easy in bad weather, so save them for a sunny day if at all possible.

Whether you get socked in whiteout or blue sky, a week at the Ymir lodge should be on every skier's bucket list!

Adventures

Qua Lake Trees

Excellent steep tree skiing which is possible in bad visibility