Hut-to-Hut Ski Traverses
Crossing the Wapta Icefield – a series of glaciers along the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies – is considered one of North America’s most iconic ski tours. Often simply called “the Wapta,” this expansive mountain playground offers stunning landscapes and can be explored through multi-day, hut-to-hut adventures.
While various routes exist across the icefield, two options have emerged as favorites: the Wapta Traverse and the Bow-Yoho Traverse. Both routes take advantage of the ACC’s strategic hut system, allowing skiers and mountaineers to experience this majestic terrain over single or multiple days, with each offering unique perspectives of this remarkable glacial landscape. While the map shows two unique starts for both traverses, it is common to start both traverses either at the Peyto Hut or Bow Hut.
Wapta Traverse
- 50km
- 2400m ascent
- 2700m descent
The Wapta Traverse is a remarkable multi-day trip travelling North to South across a vast expanse of the Wapta and Waputik Icefields, over frozen lakes, and high passes. The journey begins at the Peter and Catherine Whyte (Peyto) Hut, continuing across the Wapta Glacier to the Bow Hut, then on to the Rob Ritchie (Balfour) Hut, and concluding at the Scott Duncan Hut. This hut-to-hut adventure offers opportunities to climb ski mountaineering summits and cut deep powder turns along the way, making it a journey in the truest sense of the word.
Wapta Traverse Huts
From $50
Glacier Travel
Rob Ritchie (Balfour) Hut
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Glacier Travel
Rob Ritchie (Balfour) Hut
- 7km
- 580m
- 18
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Bow Hut
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Bow Hut
- 8km
- 400m
- 30
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $60
Glacier Travel
Scott Duncan Hut
- Balfour Hut, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $60
Glacier Travel
Scott Duncan Hut
- 26km
- 610m
- 12
- Balfour Hut, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Glacier Travel
Peter and Catharine Whyte (Peyto) Hut
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Glacier Travel
Peter and Catharine Whyte (Peyto) Hut
- 10km
- 670m
- 18
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
Bow-Yoho Traverse
- 50km
- 2100m ascent
- 2800m descent
Crossing the Wapta Icefield east to west rather than north to south, this less publicized route takes adventurers across three glaciers – Wapta, Yoho, and des Poilus – making it an excellent choice for those seeking new terrain beyond the classic Wapta Traverse. The journey typically takes three days, connecting three ACC huts: Bow Hut, Louise and Richard Guy Hut, and Stanley Mitchell Hut. The Yoho Valley is a particular highlight, offering iconic summits like the President and Vice President, Mt. McArthur, and typically has more powder than the Wapta. With its fairytale log cabin accommodation at Stanley Mitchell Hut, it’s no wonder Chic Scott calls this route a “quintessential Canadian Rockies ski experience.”
Bow-Yoho Traverse Huts
From $50
Bow Hut
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Bow Hut
- 8km
- 400m
- 30
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Family Friendly
Stanley Mitchell Hut
- Takkakaw Falls, Yoho National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Family Friendly
Stanley Mitchell Hut
- 11km
- 520m
- 22
- Takkakaw Falls, Yoho National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Glacier Travel
Peter and Catharine Whyte (Peyto) Hut
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
From $50
Glacier Travel
Peter and Catharine Whyte (Peyto) Hut
- 10km
- 670m
- 18
- Bow Lake, Banff National Park
- Year Round
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