The approach from the North is the most popular access route to the hut in both winter and summer. Under good conditions Balfour can be reached easily in a day from either the Bow Hut or from the Peyto Hut further north.

Approach from the North

From the Peyto Hut the route ascends the Wapta Icefield to the southeast, and passes St. Nicholas Peak on its west side. From the Bow Hut, the route ascends onto the glacier in a northwesterly direction and circles back to the south around the west side of St. Nicholas, where the two approaches from the north join and follow the same route. From the west side of St. Nicholas, the route ascends to the St . Nicholas-Olive Col, crossing onto its east side before descending the Vulture Glacier to the hut at its terminus. Refer to Chic Scott’s guidebook Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies or Summits and Icefields in the Canadian Rockies for a detailed route description.

From the Peyto Hut you will gain 430 metres to the Olive-St. Nicholas Col, before descending another 1,400 (430 metres) to the Balfour Hut. In the summer, six to eight hours are required for the whole trip from the Peyto Hut and about three to five if you are starting from the Bow Hut. In the winter, five to six hours traveling from the Peyto Hut should be sufficient in good conditions.

Approach from the South

The Scott Duncan Hut is located some 10 km south of the Balfour Hut. It is not common to access the icefields from the south, and the route between the two huts is usually done from north to south (from Balfour Hut to Scott Duncan), but the trip is occasionally done in the other direction. This section of the Wapta/Waputik is one of the most demanding from both a terrain and navigation standpoint. It is recommended that this trip (or the reverse trip) only be undertaken in favorable conditions with stable snow and good visibility.

Access to the Balfour Hut in both summer and winter is via the same routes. Both the south and the north approach routes travel over the same terrain in the winter and the summer, with route adjustments for crevasses, avalanche hazards, and so on. For winter access, a summary of these routes is given below.

Leaving the Scott Duncan Hut, proceed across the Waputik Icefield to the northwest and up to the Balfour High Col. From the col, continue for a kilometre or so in a northwesterly direction parallel to the ridge line of Balfour (potential danger from icefall from above) until the terrain steepens and it is possible to turn right and pass a large cliff via a steep and narrow ramp on its left. From the bottom of the ramp, proceed north to the toe of the Vulture Glacier and the Balfour Hut. Refer to Chic Scott’s guidebooks, as mentioned above, for a detailed description of this route in the winter.

From Scott Duncan the route ascends about 245 metres to the Balfour High Col, and then descends 520 metres to the Balfour Hut. This route can be traveled in five to six hours in the winter, but expect it to take a few hours longer in the summer.