Course Details

 Backpacking


Backpacking Photo

Become a competent backcountry traveler on our Backpack training program.

Clients are empowered with the skills and decision-making tools to enable them to successfully live and travel comfortably in a backcountry setting. Under the mentorship of professional ACMG Guides, you will be challenged and rewarded by trip planning and leading day-hikes to surmount a number of alpine summit objectives using these newfound skills.

This program utilizes beautiful Cathedral Provincial Park, a cirque of granite spires and ridges with a unique climate in that it provides favorable weather conditions in an alpine environment. With jeep ride access available to tree-line, you will base-camp beside alpine lakes surrounded by 8,500′ granite spires. Day-hike objectives combine a network of trails together with backcountry route finding and ridge walks to reach many of the major summits in the Park.

This program not only develops hard skills to include trip planning, menu planning, navigation, route finding, backpacking and low impact camping, it emphasizes leadership development and provides ample opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. You would be very hard-pressed to construct a program that could rival the access, terrain and superb weather conditions Cathedral Provincial Park has to offer, anywhere else in BC.

You can put your mind at ease, knowing you are in the capable hands of our experienced, professional Association of Canadian Mountain Guides staff. Safety is our priority while providing clients with an enjoyable, educational experience.

We specialize in single or multi-day experiential and technical training programs, having provided 20,000+ student days of programming since 1994. If there are a few of you booking together, let us design a custom course for your group.

*BC Park Permits & Camp Fees - All Permits & Camp Fees included with course fee ($45 value).

*Jeep Ride Access - Provided by Cathedral Lakes Lodge and included with your course fee ($90 value).

*Food & Menu Planning - We can provide this service for an additional cost of $45 per person or simply help you to organize this on your own.

*Transportation - Clients are responsible to provide transport to and from Cathedral Provincial Park.

*Liability Insurance - Skaha Rock Adventures Ltd. is a fully insured business.

*Waiver & Medical Forms - All participants must read, understand and sign our waiver and medical form documents before their arrival. Please see Waiver for more details.

Topics Include:

  • Route Plans & Navigation
  • Map & Compass
  • Low Impact Camping
  • Menu Planning
  • Stoves & Cooking
  • Tents, Tarps & Shelters
  • Latrines
  • Backpacking & Day Hiking
  • Weather
  • Pace Setting
  • Travel & Safety Concerns

Equipment

provided

Group safety equipment is provided and includes;

  • Map & Compass (Ashnola River 92H/1)
  • First Aid Kits
  • Repair Kits
  • Kitchen Tarps & Cord
  • Emergency Shelters
  • Satellite & Cell phones
  • VHP Radios

bring

Required group equipment will be organized according to the number of clients and guides booked per trip.

  • Tents (group)
  • Stoves & Fuel bottles (group)
  • Cooking Pots(group)

Personal Equipment and Clothing

  • Sleeping bag (-5 degrees temperature rating)
  • Sleeping pad
  • Back pack (60-80 Liter size pack)
  • Hiking Boots (a stiff trekking shoe or single leather ½ shank boot is ideal)
  • Running Shoes / Sandals for camp
  • Water bottles x 2 (1 Liter size)
  • Cup and spoon
  • Blister Kit (personal supply)
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen / Lip balm
  • Pocket knife / Lighter
  • Headlamp & spare batteries
  • Camera
  • Toilet paper
  • Insect repellant
  • Large Garbage bags
  • Nylon Stuff Sacks
  • Ski Pole(s)
  • T-Shirts
  • Lightweight polypropylene underwear, tops and bottoms
  • Pants (Wool, pile or synthetic type)
  • Shorts
  • Middle-weight wool or pile sweater
  • Pile jacket / vest
  • Gortex jacket and pants
  • Down jacket (optional)
  • Socks (wool)
  • Toque and baseball cap
  • Gloves (lightweight)

rent

Camping equipment if necessary.

Mountain Equipment Co-op Rentals



Booking Policy

general information

registration and payment:

Our programs are reserved on a first-to-pay basis. To secure your course date(s), you may either send a cheque or telephone us directly with your credit card information for the full amount plus 12% hst. Once we have received your payment we will send you your confirmation package explaining where to meet and what to bring (refer to Equipment above).

For Groups, we require a 50% deposit. The balance owing will be due at the time of your course start date plus 12% hst, depending on your final groups’ numbers.

If you use your credit card, we would ask that you bring this with you for the first day of your program and we will take an imprint and leave you a copy for your own records.

Please acquaint yourself with our Booking Policy below.

booking policy

  1. Public Courses -100% payment + hst required upon registration.
  2. Group Bookings - 50% deposit + hst required upon registration.
  3. Cancellations made more than 10 days prior to their course date will receive course refunds minus $50.00 administration fee or transfer of course fee to another date.
  4. Cancellations within 10 days prior to course date will receive a 75% course credit towards another course date (non-transferable – conditions apply).
  5. Cancellations within 2 days (48 hours) prior to course date will receive no refunds or course credits.

*No dogs allowed on any of our programs.

All of our public programs run with a minimum of two persons with the exception to Introduction to Rock (requires three people).

Skaha Rock Adventures Ltd. reserves the right to cancel a course at their discretion and a full refund or alternate date will be offered. Participation in any of our programs is continually subject to the discretion of our staff.

booking as a group:

If you are booking as a group, please note that we require one individual to be the spokesperson for that group. That person is responsible for distributing all course information and gathering all course fees from the other group members.

minors:

The spokesperson for the group is responsible to ensure that all minors under the age of 19 years have both the minor and their parent and or legal guardian read, understand and sign our waiver form agreement. Without this properly signed document, clients cannot participate in our programs. See Waivers for more details.

institutional groups and medical forms:

Institutional groups (Schools, Cadets Corps, etc.) must have minors and their parents complete our Medical Form. Otherwise all other applicants must report potential medical problems to Skaha Rock Adventures Ltd. prior to the start of their course.

Waiver

waiver information

download waiver

PDF Icon

Download Waiver. Two pages. Print on letter size (8.5 x 11) paper.

PDF Icon

Download Medical Form. One Page. Print and fill out for Minors and Group Courses.

groups and minors

Waiver forms are an integral part of our programming. Without them we would not be able to operate. If they are not properly completed then they are not recognized by the insurer, which means you may not participate on any of our programs. With your cooperation we can ensure that both the students’ and Skaha Rock Adventure Ltds’ needs are properly cared for.


Students and Supervising Staff may not participate in the program without having read, understood and signed the waiver of liability agreement. Those under the age of 19 years must have a parent or legal guardian co-sign their waiver. This document cannot be altered in any way.


Please remember to bring all completed forms with you. Without a properly completed waiver, your student will not participate in the activities. They will have to wait in the parking lot with a supervisor until the group returns at the end of the day.


COMMOM MISTAKES WHEN COMPLETING THE WAIVER FORMS INCLUDE;

  • Waiver forms must be printed onto ONE SIDE only of a LETTER SIZED sheet of paper with FONT letter size UNCHANGED from what you see. Shrinking this document onto a SMALLER SIZED sheet of paper is UNACCEPTABLE. You need to download/print this document from our website onto letter sized paper for a minor’s parents to sign and bring along with you as long as it has not been altered from the above.
  • Once you have downloaded our TWO PAGE, LETTER SIZED document, ensure you INITIAL THE FIRST PAGE at the bottom before continuing on to the second page and signing at the bottom.
  • We discourage waiver forms that have been signed and then faxed by a parent. However we will accept completed original waiver forms faxed from the parent for the interim, but we MUST have the ORIGINAL non-faxed version of the form sent to us for our record keeping.
  • SIGNATURE OF WITNESS must also be completed at the time that the participant signs their name.
  • A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN must co-sign waiver together with the minor.
  • PARENT’S ADDITIONAL INDEMNIFICATION section must also be completed for minors under the age of 19 years.

course schedule

how to register?
cost:
ratio:
number of days:
prerequisite:
$445
8:1
4 / 3 nights
Yes
Day-Hiking experience useful but not required.

Ages: 13+ years.