Women and Non-Binary Backpacking Leadership Camp

Expand your confidence in the backcountry

Women and Non-Binary Backpacking Leadership Camp

Expand your confidence in the backcountry

Build skills in a supportive backcountry setting with certified guides

Connect with women and gender-diverse adventurers in an inclusive space

Backpack Kananaskis through alpine trails and to summits

Stay supported with planning help, meals, and group gear provided

Trip Description

Spend four days backcountry camping in the stunning Kananaskis backcountry with two ACMG Hiking Guides. This curriculum is designed for female identifying and non-binary recreators looking to enhance backcountry hiking skills and gain confidence embarking on multiday excursions.

This camp suits confident day hikers who have completed trips above tree line similar to Ha Ling, Lady MacDonald (to heli-pad), and Grotto Mountain. Expect to carry ~40 lbs for up to 10 km daily, with routes including sections above tree line, across scree, and mostly off-trail.

PeakEats provides all meals (excluding breakfast on day one), which you’ll carry and help prepare. Group gear, including bear-proof food bags, fuel, and stoves are supplied. Accommodation is tent-based with some loaner tents available. A complete gear list and equipment rental information can be found here.

This program welcomes cisgender women and transgender, agender, Two Spirit, non-binary, intersex, and genderqueer participants.

Itinerary

Throughout this trip, you’ll develop essential backcountry camping skills (Leave-No-Trace, functional packing, campsite selection, tent/tarp pitching, wilderness cooking, wildlife safety) and wilderness leadership skills (route planning/finding, navigation, weather evaluation, risk assessment, emergency management). The adventure begins with an online pre-trip meeting before departure. During the trip, you’ll journey from the trailhead through forests to alpine terrain, exploring the Elbow Sheep Wildland while developing leadership skills under expert guidance. The experience includes opportunities for summit attempts and ends with a celebratory group lunch in Bragg Creek after returning to the trailhead on the last day
Pre-trip meeting
An online pre-trip meeting will be scheduled 10-20 days prior to the trip for all participants to talk about the itinerary and all trip details.
Day one

Meet your group for breakfast in Bragg Creek for a safety briefing then convoy to the trailhead. Once at the trailhead, your guides will brief you on a few more things, such as bear spray use, Leave No Trace principles, and to help you adjust your pack before departure.

Once on the trail, the group will begin ascending towards an alpine basin, where the group will set up camp for the night.

Day two & three

All other days will be spent exploring the front ranges of the Elbow Sheep Wildland and working on expanding leadership skills under the guidance of ACMG-certified Hiking Guides. On day 3, the group will try for a summit, then head back to camp for the final night.

Day four
The last day will be spent slowly meandering back to the trailhead and back down to the vehicles to meet for a final group lunch in Bragg Creek!

Location

Alberta's wilderness destination

Nestled in the eastern Canadian Rockies in Kananaskis Country, Elbow Sheep Wildland Provincial Park offers pristine backcountry experiences with dramatic mountain landscapes and crystal-clear streams. Explore trails through dense forests and alpine meadows while watching for bighorn sheep, elk, and bears. This remote wilderness area provides authentic mountain adventures for hikers and nature enthusiasts seeking solitude in Alberta’s spectacular scenery.

Guides & Staff

Screenshot 2025-04-09 at 12.29
Bree Kullman (she/her)
Bree has over 15 years of wilderness leadership and instruction experience. She has worked with Alberta...
Screenshot 2025-04-09 at 12.37
Meaghan Buisson (she/her)
Across the last decade, Meaghan has taught wilderness skills and led expeditions in Western Canada and...
Screenshot 2025-04-09 at 12.29
Bree Kullman (she/her)
Bree has over 15 years of wilderness leadership and instruction...
Learn More
Screenshot 2025-04-09 at 12.37
Meaghan Buisson (she/her)
Across the last decade, Meaghan has taught wilderness skills...
Learn More

We sell Tugo® Travel Insurance suitable for both ACC Adventures and personal trips

Open

Details

* Camps are subject to minimum enrollment in order to run.

Adventure Hazards

Terrain

Risks include but are not limited to: ​Cornices and crevasses. Trees, tree wells, and tree stumps. Cliffs, creeks,  rocks and boulders. Holes and depressions below the snow surface. Variable and difficult snow conditions. Snowcat roads and road ranks. Fences and other man-made structures. Impact or collision with other persons, vehicles or objects. Encounters with domestic or wild animals. Loss of balance or control. Becoming lost or separated from the group. Slips, trips, and falls. 

General Hazards

Risks include but are not limited to:Slips trips and falls indoor or outdoor. Equipment failure. Infectious disease contracted through viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi which may be transmitted through direct or indirect contact. Negligence of other persons, including other guests. Negligent first aid. Negligence of the guide Including failure to take reasonable steps to safeguard or protect you from, or warn you of risk, dangers, hazards, on participating in ACC activities

Communication and Rescue

Risks include but are not limited to: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 and transport out of the field. If an Injury occurs in challenging terrain movement to an evacuation point may be slow.

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