Cat Skiing Trip 2009! - Come and get your fill of the deep, steep, endless powder backcountry skiing and boarding can offer! This tour takes place January 9-11, 2009 with two days of cat skiing/boarding with Fernie Wilderness Adventures, two nights accommodation at the beautiful Stanford Inn (1 head per bed) and return transportation on the Backmobile. Price also includes breakfast Saturday and Sunday and dinner Saturday evening. Join us by contacting the office today! click here for PDF promo
British Columbia is blessed with the highest concentration of cat ski operations in the world. Visitors from around the world flock to B.C. to experience the dry, light powder of the Columbia Range and the Rocky Mountains.
Corporate cat skiing adventures are becoming increasingly popular as companies seek unique and memorable incentive travel options. So, what exactly is cat skiing?
Snowcats or cats are mechanized track-driven vehicles equipped with comfortable 12 person cabins are used to access the high alpine slopes of backcountry ski areas. A highly experienced lead guide and a tail guide (the tail gunner) escort each group of twelve skiers that ride in their own cat.
Snowcat rides are warm, relaxed and very sociable. They give guests an opportunity to converse with their companions, rest for the next run or to adjust their gear. Skiers wanting a longer rest can sit out a run and visit with the cat driver on the ride back down the mountain. A tasty lunch complete with hot soup is grazed on during the day in order to keep the vertical clicking. Guests can leave extra clothing in the cat and adjust what they wear each run.
Snowcats access the tops of high bowls and great alpine slopes. Runs typically have vertical drops of 1200 feet - 3000 feet. With 8-12 runs standard for a day of cat skiing, racking up 15,000 vertical feet of pure untracked powder makes for an incredible day on the slopes!
There are a variety of accommodation options associated with cat ski packages. More value priced packages might have guests staying in a nearby town and include daily transportation to the snowcat staging area. However, the ultimate experience is to stay in the remote backcountry lodges, which are very comfortable and provide a unique wilderness experience. These lodges will typically house guests in double occupancy bedrooms and include excellent cuisine, a games room, a well stocked bar, hot tubs or saunas and massage facilities. The first run of the day is nearby and guests often ski to the lodge door at the end of the day. Guests arrive at the lodges by helicopter, snowmobile or by snowcat.
Snow cat skiing is well adapted to short holidays, and many of our partner operators offer 3-day and 4-day full-service tour packages. Unlike heliskiing, cat skiing is not normally weather-dependent and there is rarely any down-time. Cats can climb when choppers can not fly. Cat skiing is not typically hardcore and is well suited to strong intermediate skiers and strong expert skiers alike.
Backside Tours inclusive group packages are available for a three day package and include transportation to and from Edmonton, Calgary or Vancouver to any of our partner cat ski operations. Please contact us for full details.
