Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine Winter Clubs feature: Alpine Club of Canada Columbia Mountains Section

This story is part of a feature that first appeared in print in Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine’s December 2021 issue. Read the entire e-edition here:

Revelstoke’s winter clubs are pillars of the community. No matter how you choose to slip, slide or shred on the snow and ice, there’s a group of volunteers and enthusiasts ready to welcome you in.

For our Revelstoke Winter Clubs feature, we invited local winter sports activity clubs and club-like organizations to share an update on their activities, tell us about what they have planned this season, and let potential new members know how to get involved.

Here is what the Alpine Club of Canada Columbia Mountains Section had to tell us:

Helicopter fly-in Base Camp Trip, Selkirk Mountains.
Photo by July Wilkey.

Alpine Club of Canada Columbia Mountains Section

Established: 2018

Members: 462

Q: What are the main activities of Alpine Club of Canada Columbia Mountains Section?

A: During the winter season the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) Columbia Mountains Section (CMS) offers a combination of volunteer-led trips and professionally guided courses for our members.

We typically offer volunteer-led beginner and intermediate ski touring and splitboard specific days both at Revelstoke Mountain Resort slackcountry and Rogers Pass. This is a great opportunity for newcomers to the backcountry scene to get out with experienced trip leaders. We offer a good selection of winter backcountry courses taught by certified ACMG ski guides.

To attend any of these trips and courses participants must purchase an ACC membership and CMS Section affiliation through the National Alpine Club of Canada website. Total cost of annual membership is $53 for an adult and $30 for a youth. This membership will also give you discounts when booking spots in one of the many ACC Huts.

Q: What is new with Alpine Club of Canada Columbia Mountains Section over the past year?

A: Our Section membership just keeps growing! Despite the many challenges faced with trying to organize and plan around COVID-19, we have increased membership from 300 to over 450 in the past year.

Though we were not able to coordinate courses and trips last season for our out-of-town members due to non-essential travel restrictions, we were able to successfully run over a dozen avalanche and backcountry courses here in Revelstoke for our local members. Many great powder days were had throughout the winter. We had some great days out with volunteer trip leaders in the slack country of Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Rogers Pass.

Highlights included a volunteer led overnight traverse of the Three Passes route, a guided trip of the Bonney Traverse and two spring helicopter fly-in base camp trips.

Q: What activities or events does Alpine Club of Canada Columbia Mountains Section have planned for the 2021-22 winter season?

A: Just as we did last winter, we will be offering professionally instructed courses by our local ACMG ski guides. As a non-profit, we can offer these courses at a very competitive price.

Volunteers coordinate the courses, which also brings down the overall cost. We are offering Avalanche Skill Training (AST) AST 1, AST 2, Glacier Travel, Crevasse Rescue and Whiteout Navigation Courses. In addition to the courses, we will again offer volunteer-led ski touring and split boarding trips. These are a great opportunity to get to know some of our trip leaders as well as other participants that are looking for ski touring buddies. Again, for this season we are also offering youth ski touring sessions.

We have five dates planned throughout the winter to get your kids introduced to the backcountry. These sessions are led by professional ski guides with amateur trip leaders at the back of the group to ensure the youth learn in a supportive and safe environment. Check out our website and Facebook pages for dates and course prices.

Q: How can potential new members get involved with your club?

A: The best way to get involved with our Section is to first have a look at our website and FB pages. Then go to the National ACC website and sign up for an annual membership.

This membership will put you on the monthly newsletter email list. When you see a trip or course that you would like to join contact the coordinator via email for more details and to sign up. The coordinator will be able to answer any questions you may have. If you would like to get more involved in helping run the Section we are always looking for volunteers. If you are good with social media, organizing social events, or an experienced trip leader we would love to hear from you. Contact email address are listed on our website.