Curious about ice climbing? Come to the Canadian Rockies with She Moves Mountains and see what it’s all about!
If you want to learn to climb ice, you won’t find a better place than the Canadian Rockies, and you won't find a better teacher than our esteemed guest instructor, the one and only Sarah Hueniken.
We aren't exaggerating when we say that Sarah is one of the most accomplished ice and mixed climbers in the world, and one the most sought-after instructors on the planet. The word badass honestly doesn't even do her justice. We are incredibly excited to be able to offer this amazing course with Sarah at the helm.
Perfect for complete beginners, you’ll come away from our women’s ice climbing retreat with the skills and confidence to climb ice anywhere. Not to mention some really sweet memories, and a new friend or three.
To top things off, flights to Calgary are readily available, and Canmore—our ice climbing home base for the duration—is just over an hour away.
Surrounding Banff National Park and Canmore, the Canadian Rocky mountains are literally the best place on Earth for ice climbing. In terms of ice the quality and quantity of routes, the area is like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Everest combined, complete with top-notch ice in every direction.
Save your spot now, and join us for some unforgettable ice climbing in Canmore!
Canada Ice Climbing Retreat
- Regular price
- $3,050.00 USD
- Sale price
- $3,050.00 USD
- Regular price
What's Included & Not Included
What's Included & Not Included
Included:
- Four nights’ accommodation in the luxurious Hotel Malcolm in downtown Canmore.
- Gourmet packed lunches.
- Morning pastries and coffee.
- Welcome and farewell dinners.
- Ice climbing equipment like crampons and ice tools (boots, clothing & personal gear are your responsibility).
- Low-ratio, personalized guiding from an all-star team of certified ACMG and IFMGA guides with local expertise.
Not Included:
- Trip insurance.
- Airfare.
- Transportation to and from Canmore upon arrival and departure (rental cars are very affordable, or a shuttle service is available from Banff Airporter).
- Dinner on the 17th and 19th.
- Personal climbing equipment (helmet, harness, etc.).
- Ability to control the weather (In a worst-case scenario we may have to change plans due to weather and conditions, but we’ll do our best!).
- Gratuities for your guides. We recommend between 15-25% depending on your experience.
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
We have a very strict cancellation policy. We highly recommend purchasing trip protection to protect your investment.
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Climbing
While our instructors are always something to be proud of, but this is truly a unique opportunity to learn from the absolute best guides and ice climbers anywhere. Our team of Canadian guides is made up of some of the most highly trained in the world, including women certified by ACMG, AMGA, and IFMGA.
Over the course of three days, our experienced guides will teach you the proper ice climbing techniques you need to make all your ice climbing dreams come true. We’ll move between instructional sessions and climbing routes of all shapes and sizes, all with the goal of making you an efficient, competent, and confident ice climber.
We’ll also make sure you’re paired with climbers and climbs that match your ability, so you don’t have to worry about being held back or pushed too far.
To maximize your learning and fun, and give you the best experience possible of these incredible mountains, we'll pair up to four climbers per guide for top-rope and instructional sessions.
Accommodations
Canmore is located near the Banff National Park in Canada's Rocky Mountains, and is Banff’s less-famous nextdoor neighbor. It’s also perfectly located as a central jump-off point for climbs throughout the range.
A classic Canadian mountain town, Canmore comes complete with gob-smacking views, great restaurants and bars, supermarkets, and other amenities. After all, one of the best parts of any climbing vacation is the vacation, and we want to make sure that you've got something good to come home to after a day out in the cold.
We'll be based right in the heart of downtown at the gorgeous and brand-new Malcolm Hotel. With a killer location, cozy rooms, multiple bars and restaurants, and a heated rooftop pool, the Malcolm is the perfect home away from home. We'll be offering shared rooms with two queen beds, or single rooms with one.
Meals
In addition to eating at our lovely hotel, we’ll also go out to dinner at some of our favorite restaurants in town.
We'll be sure to visit both the Crazyweed Kitchen and Blake, two local favorites with inspired Canadian fare, great drinks, and atmospheres that keep us coming back.
We like to try hard, but we also like to relax and live well, so we’ve hand-picked our favorite hotels, restaurants, bakeries, and snacks to give you a taste of it all.
Schedule
Day 1 | Welcome to Canada!
You get yourself to Canmore and we'll have a room ready for you! The airport in Calgary is just a short drive away, or shuttle service is available through Banff Airporter. The journey is beautiful and only a little over an hour as you cross the front ranges and wind your way up into the Bow Valley, home to Canmore and Banff.
We don’t like to make anybody do too much after a long day of travel, so you’ll be on your own for the evening. Your only job will be to find something tasty for dinner and get some sleep.
Day 2 | Ice 101 - The Basics
We’ll officially start the trip with pastries and coffee at the hotel before getting our gear together and heading out for the day.
We’ll begin with the basics of ice climbing on one of the many fantastic crags around Canmore. After focusing on the basics of good footwork and body positioning, we'll transition into the finer points of ice tools and how to swing them.
While we will start on moderate terrain, you'll be surprised how quickly you can progress once you get comfortable with the techniques.
We'll finish the day by working into some steeper climbs before heading back into town. Once there, you'll have time to warm up before going out to a welcome dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants.
Day 3 | Ice 102 - Advanced Technique
After another breakfast, we'll once again head out to climb for the day. We'll warm up with some more top-roped climbing before spending the day putting a bit of polish on our ice technique. We'll cover techniques for steep ice, as well as advanced techniques to help you maximize efficiency with good body positioning and proper movement.
After a full day, we’ll head back to town for another night at the hotel. This time you'll have the night off from any group activities, so you can rest and recoup, or head out and explore on your own.
Day 4 | Putting it All Together
This will be the culmination of everything you’ve learned so far as we’ll tackle a variety of steeper, longer, and more advanced routes. Depending on the group's interests, we can also cover anchors and equipment for lead climbing on ice (though participants will not be ready to lead yet), as well as techniques for mixed climbing on snow, ice, and rock. Whatever we do, we'll reconvene in the evening to finish the day with a much deserved meal of some of the best food in the Rockies.
Day 5 | Heading Home
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and you’ll have to go home. A short journey from our hotel to the airport should have you on your way. Of course we recommend staying a few more days to climb or relax, but that one’s up to you.
FAQs
Age & Physical Requirements
- No ice climbing or mountaineering experience is required. This is a beginner-level course.
- Top-roped rock climbing experiences is helpful, but not required.
- This course will not involve camping or heavy packs, but you should be ready to hike and climb mulitple days in a row.
- Climbers should feel capable of hiking with a 20lb backpack while ascending and descending up to 1,000’ of elevation in a day.
- A climbing harness, helmet, mountaineering boots, backpack, and cold-weather clothing are required for this course. If you don’t want to buy everything, many of these items are available for rent in Canmore at a relatively low cost. We’re happy to help you with gear (just ask), and a complete equipment list will be available to help.
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Please note that it is mandatory for all participants to be fully vaccinated prior to attending this trip.
How many participants come by themselves?
The majority of climbers come to our retreats alone - somewhere around 90%. If you are hesitating to join because you would be coming solo, please know that we expect a majority of our participants to be joining by themselves.
I've never climbed before. Can I still attend?
You do not need to be an experienced climber to attend. Climbing experience is helpful, but having the ability to hike up and down on rugged surfaces and take care of yourself in the cold will set you up to have a great time. With multiple instructors and options we can accommodate a wide range of abilities.
I'm an advanced climber. Will I be able to lead climb?
Probably. Lead climbing is certainly not a requirement for anybody on the trip, but we're happy to let you lead as long as you have prior experience as a leader and can pass a belay test similar to those found in most gyms (minus the falling).
Our main goal is to keep everyone safe, so on our first day out together we’ll just want to see that everyone is able to manage the rope, communicate, lead and belay safely before being cleared to do it throughout the week.
If you don’t plan on leading, we’ll just want to go through a quick belay test to make sure you’re good to go belaying those who are. For those aspiring to lead, we will try our best to coach you through the process throughout the week with the aim of you learning to do so safely.
What is the average age of climbers who attend?
We generally have a wide range of ages at our retreats. The average tends to fall anywhere between the ages of 26 to 45. But we have had quite a few women in their 60's join as well. It really is up to the attitude and physical ability of the participant.
What will the weather be like?
Good question. Since ice climbing only works when things are frozen, the simple answer is cold, but of course it's the weather so it's never that simple. Just because you're going ice climbing doesn't mean you have to freeze your butt off either. With the right gear it can actually be pretty comfortable, but we'll be honest - it can also be pretty chilly. February is almost always the best (i.e. not the coldest) time of year to climb in the Rockies, but it can still get pretty Arctic sometimes. Most days are between 15 and 25°F, and that's pretty manageable for most people. If you get a warm spell you might find some days that are close to or a bit above freezing, but if you get a cold snap you should expect to be really cold, sometimes even laughably so. The bottom line is this is ice climbing and it's supposed to be cold, but whether that's a little cold or really freaking cold is anybody's guess, so come prepared for anything and we'll deal!
How many people will be on the trip, and is it mostly men or women?
Because ice climbing can only safely be done in small groups, this trip will be much smaller than some of our others. If the trip sells out, we will have 10 climbers and 5 guides.
Our trips are 90% women. Men are perfectly welcome, but they tend to be outnumbered, making even these mixed gender trips a very woman-centric space. Our guide team will also predominantly be made up of women.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
need info
I'm plus sized. Am I able to climb?
We aren't experts in this area as this is not the lived experience of our current instructor team. But we want you here and we are committed to making your experience a positive one.
If you can:
- Hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15 lb backpack
- Do 20 squats
- Have good balance
- And maintain a positive attitude
CLIMBING IS FOR YOU!
Currently the most limiting factor is the ability to fit into a harness. We have harnesses that can accommodate up to a 56inch waist. We are looking into getting a fleet of fully adjustable harnesses before next season starts.
If you want to learn more from plus sized climbers I highly recommend looking into Climb Big. Climb Big is an organization with a mission to "Make climbing more accessible for fat folx."
Can I bring my pet?
We know you love your fur babies, but unfortunately we cannot allow pets on any of our group trips or clinics.
Are payment plans available?
Yes we have types of payment options. Please visit our Payment Plans page for more information.
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