Big Scenery, Easy Terrain : Mellow Canmore Ski Tours

Kananaskis and the Canmore area has a huge area of user-friendly terrain for all abilities. Expansive views, dramatic jagged peaks and a complex snowpack are all features of this area. From a half day ski tour to full day ski adventures you can really find a route that fits your time, skill and energy level.

In the beginner guidebook for Canmore we have 5 routes that range in complexity and terrain diversity. The first two - Rummel Lake and Chester Lake - are great starting places for ski touring. What makes these two lake routes ideal for beginners or those who just want an “easy” day is the lack of avalanche terrain. Both tours keep you away from avalanche danger on the way to the lakes, so you just have to focus on the physical movement and skiing. It is a great place to start, especially observing the area around the lakes that push you into avalanche terrain. You can learn a lot from getting a feel for the snow, aspect, and terrain features in this area without putting yourself in harm's way.

The last three tours in this list, which include Black Prince, Mount Engadine Burnt Trees and Burstall Pass, are incredibly beautiful and afford you some nice turns. All three of these tours take you into avalanche terrain so you will want a basic knowledge of avalanche rescue, route finding, aspect and terrain choice. They all are between 200 and 600 meters of vertical height and can easily be lapped to make the day what you want. The benefit of all these areas is they are heavily used which means you most likely won’t have to put in a skin track, which is nice to just get some easy turns.

These ski tours are recommended for beginners, younger people and those who just want a beautiful less stress day in the mountains. Grab some friends, your FATMAP app and head out for some great adventures!