Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Valley of the Ten Peaks Traverse

The skyline above Moraine Lake is one of the most recognizable mountain landscapes in Canada—but travelling through those peaks is an entirely different way to experience it.

Managing Director Jesse recently joined longtime guest Gonzalo for an ambitious alpine traverse through this spectacular corner of Banff National Park. It’s serious Rockies terrain, with technical climbing, exposed ridges, rappelling, complex route finding and plenty of loose limestone.

Jesse and Gonzalo climbed the regular route on Deltaform, reaching the summit in just under four hours—with the route entirely to themselves.

The descent toward Tuzo proved much more involved, with loose rock, difficult route finding and challenging anchors. From there, they continued across the lower flanks of Tuzo and Mt. Allen before climbing Mt. Allen’s South Ridge.

A good reminder that moving through big alpine terrain is about much more than climbing ability. Route finding, efficiency, judgement and adapting to changing conditions are all part of the experience.

Another memorable adventure for Jesse and Gonzalo in one of the most spectacular corners of the Canadian Rockies.



📸 jessedemontigny

Valley of the Ten Peaks Traverse

The skyline above Moraine Lake is one of the most recognizable mountain landscapes in Canada—but travelling through those peaks is an entirely different way to experience it.

Managing Director Jesse recently joined longtime guest Gonzalo for an ambitious alpine traverse through this spectacular corner of Banff National Park. It’s known for serious alpine terrain. Technical rock climbing, exposed ridges, rappelling, challenging route finding and the notoriously loose limestone of the Rockies can all be part of the experience.

Jesse and Gonzalo climbed the regular route on Deltaform, one of the more technical peaks in the valley. Conditions were good, several bolted stations were in place, and they reached the summit in just under four hours—with the route entirely to themselves.

Getting down was another story.

The descent toward Tuzo was considerably more involved, with endless loose rock, difficult route finding and challenging anchors.

Their adventure continued by traversing the lower flanks of Tuzo and Mt. Allen before climbing the South Ridge of Mt. Allen.

It was a great example of just how much goes into moving through big alpine terrain: climbing ability is only part of the equation. Route finding, efficiency, judgement and the ability to adapt to what the mountains give you are just as important.

Another memorable adventure for Jesse and Gonzalo, and a pretty spectacular place to spend a few long days in the mountains!

This September take your first steps into mountaineering.

Before the snow starts to fly, alpine ice conditions can be at their best—and our September 12–14 Snow & Ice Long Weekend is a great opportunity to get out there and learn.

Over three days on the spectacular Columbia Icefields, you’ll get hands-on experience with the essential skills needed to start exploring alpine terrain:

🧊 Movement on rock, snow and ice
🪢 Rope systems and belaying
🏔️ Glacier travel and crevasse rescue
🧭 Route finding and hazard management
⛑️ Mountain safety and decision making

Then it’s time to put those new skills into practice with a summit bid on a classic objective such as Mt. Athabasca, Boundary Peak, Mt. Wilcox or A2.

No previous mountaineering experience required—just a good level of fitness and an eagerness to take your mountain adventures higher.

📅 September 12–14
👉 https://yamnuska.com/mountaineering/beginner-mountaineering-courses/beginner-mountaineering-course/

Fair warning: three days might be all it takes to spark a lifelong passion for the alpine.

Snow and Ice Long Weekend Learn mountaineering on this beginner course in the Canadian Rockies. Develop snow, ice, crampon, ice axe, and glacier travel skills.

Enjoying the steep snow and alpine ice on the Silverhorn. 🧊⛏️

A little steeper, a little more technical, and a whole lot of fun.

❄️ It’s never too early to start planning for next winter.

Whether you’re new to the backcountry and looking to take your Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST 1), or you’re ready to build on your experience with AST 2, now is a great time to start planning.

Our avalanche skills courses combine practical, hands-on learning with the knowledge you need to make more informed decisions in winter backcountry terrain.

🏔️ AST 1 – Build a strong foundation
🏔️ AST 2 – Take your skills and decision-making further

Winter will be here before we know it. Start planning your avalanche training now and be ready when the snow arrives.

👉 Explore our Avalanche Skills Training courses and upcoming dates.
https://yamnuska.com/avalanche-courses/

Avalanche Courses & Training Learn how to recognize avalanche terrain in one of Yamnuska Mountain Adventures' avalanche safety training courses. Reserve your spot today!

Climb Mount Hector – August 30

Looking for one more big alpine adventure before summer winds down?

Join us August 30 for a guided ascent of Mount Hector, one of the Canadian Rockies’ classic 11,000ers. It’s a big day out, with glacier travel, steep snow, an exposed summit scramble and incredible views across the Wapta and Waputik Icefields.

Learn more & book:
https://yamnuska.com/mountaineering/canadian-rockies-11000ers1/mount-hector/

This is a great objective for those with some previous glaciated mountaineering experience and the fitness for a full day in the mountains.

These shots from this summer give a pretty good idea of what makes Hector such a memorable climb!

📷 MB Board (7/28/26)

Big adventures, shared together. 🏔️

Recently, a longtime guest brought his two kids, ages 11 and 14, out to the Wapta Icefields with their guide Jean to learn some mountaineering skills and experience the mountains together.

They had loads of fun learning new skills, travelling on the glacier, exploring, and simply enjoying a great adventure together.

There’s something special about sharing experiences like this as a family. Beyond learning the technical skills, days in the mountains build confidence, teamwork, trust, and resilience. They give kids a chance to challenge themselves, solve problems, and discover what they’re capable of—with a parent right there sharing the experience.

And best of all, it’s uninterrupted time together, away from the usual distractions of everyday life.

📷 Jean G

Passing along a love of adventure and the mountains to the next generation—and creating some great memories along the way. 🏔️🥾

If you’ve spent much time climbing in the Canadian Rockies, chances are Mt. Athabasca has been on your radar.

At 3,491 m, it rises directly above the Columbia Icefield and is surrounded by some incredible alpine objectives—Andromeda, Boundary Peak, Snow Dome and many more.

We spend a lot of time in this part of the Rockies. It’s an amazing place to learn glacier travel and mountaineering skills, put those skills into practice, and eventually take them onto bigger objectives.

But there’s more to these mountains than the climbing.

1. It’s a Canadian Rockies mountaineering classic

Athabasca is one of those mountains that represents a step into true alpine climbing.
Glaciers, crampons, ice axes, rope travel, changing snow and ice conditions, route finding and a high alpine summit all come together on one mountain.

For many climbers, objectives like Athabasca are exactly why they started learning mountaineering skills in the first place.

It’s one thing to practise those skills.
It’s another to use them to stand on top of a 3,491 m Rockies summit.

2. It sits beside one of the greatest alpine classrooms in Canada

Look around from Athabasca and you begin to understand why we spend so much time at the Columbia Icefield.

Athabasca. Andromeda. Boundary Peak. Snow Dome. And a massive expanse of glaciers connecting the landscape.

The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, and the surrounding terrain gives climbers an incredible progression—from learning how to move on snow and ice to tackling increasingly complex alpine objectives.

This is where skills become experience.

3. Climbers have been drawn to Athabasca for well over a century

The first recorded ascent of Mt. Athabasca was made in 1898 by J. Norman Collie and Herman Woolley.

Their climb was part of an era when European climbers were beginning to explore and map the high peaks and glaciers of the Canadian Rockies.

Imagine climbing here without the Icefields Parkway, detailed maps, modern forecasts, lightweight equipment or decades of accumulated route knowledge.

The equipment has changed dramatically.

The attraction of these mountains hasn’t.

4. But the history of thi

Your GPS knows where you are. But do you?

Phones, GPS watches and mapping apps have transformed how we travel in the mountains—but technology hasn’t replaced good navigation skills.

Knowing how to read a map, use a compass and understand the terrain around you can make you a more confident and capable mountain traveller.

In our latest blog, we look at why traditional map and compass skills still matter in a digital world—and why the best navigators know how to use both.

👉 Read the full article: https://yamnuska.com/news/why-map-and-compass-skills-still-matter-in-a-digital-world/

Why Map and Compass Skills Still Matter in a Digital World Think GPS is all you need? Discover why experienced mountaineers still rely on map and compass skills for confident backcountry navigation.

There’s a moment on almost every scrambling trip when the trail disappears, the terrain gets steeper, and you look up and think…

“Okay. What’s the best way through this?” ⛰️

That’s where good scrambling skills make all the difference.

Our Mountain Scrambling Skills Course is designed to help you move beyond simply following a route and start making confident decisions in mountain terrain — choosing your line, recognizing hazards, understanding weather, managing exposure, and moving efficiently when things get steep.

And sometimes the biggest takeaway isn’t a particular technique. It’s confidence.

One participant this season came into the course having never scrambled before and encountered more exposure than they’d ever experienced. With coaching and instruction along the way, they finished with new skills — and a much better understanding of how to move confidently through that kind of terrain.

Another participant told us the weather and route-finding instruction became some of the most valuable things they learned all weekend.

And then there was Yev, who summed up the experience rather well:

“The course increased my confidence, improved my skills, and unfortunately convinced me that signing up for more courses is a good idea.” 😄

That might be our favourite kind of problem.

If you’ve been hiking in the Rockies and are ready to start exploring the terrain beyond the trail, our upcoming Mountain Scrambling Skills Course is a great place to build the skills to do it well.

🥾 Route finding
⛰️ Terrain assessment
🌦️ Mountain weather
🧭 Decision-making
💪 Movement skills & confidence
🏔️ Plenty of time actually putting it all into practice in the mountains

Ready to take the next step beyond hiking?

Learn more and book your spot:

Scrambling Skills and Safety Learn mountain scrambling skills in the Canadian Rockies. Build confidence with route finding, movement, and terrain assessment.