Our Classic Ski Weeks

Like Ruedi Beglinger himself, our Classic Ski Week is legendary among backcountry skiers around the world. No surprise really; when you combine incredible standards of adventure, excitement, safety, and comfort with some of the best terrain and snow anywhere, our guests are going to have a pretty good week.

Actually, pretty good doesn't cut it around here. Ruedi's sense of Swiss perfection, and his passion for sharing the mountains he loves, makes “incredible” and “unforgettable” the only acceptable standards at SME.

Guests arrive at our Durrand Glacier Chalet on a jawdropping helicopter ride from Revelstoke. After an intensive safety school they are out on their skis exploring our neighbourhood the very first day.

Weather and snow conditions will determine what routes our guides choose throughout the week. But what choices! There are 14 glaciers and 26 alpine peaks in our permit area. And that doesn't even include the tree-skiing possibilities. Climbing and skiing an average of about 5,500 vertical feet a day, our guests usually total between 35,000 and 42,000 vertical feet in a week. In our new, smaller groups, they'll be able to summit peaks, drop down through powder bowls, and rarely if ever cross their, or anyone else's, tracks. It doesn't take long for our guests to realize what a remarkable playground Ruedi Beglinger has found.

It also doesn't take long to realize just how well Ruedi and the other guides know it. After skinning and skiing these mountains every day of each winter for decades, their knowledge and instincts enable them to consistently lead their small groups of guests up the best routes and down all the finest powder runs.

Then, at the end of the day, they lead them back to the comforts of our Durrand Glacier Chalet. Hot running showers, a sauna, freshly prepared European cuisine, and a relaxing evening reading or talking by the fire. It's all great preparation for climbing into a comfortable bed under a feather duvet for a well-earned sleep.

We have guests who come back every winter for another fix of our Classic Ski Week. If you've been, you know why. If you haven't, you should find out.

Ability Level, Classic SME Ski Weeks

Because of the nature of the ski terrain, we ask our guests to meet a minimum level of fitness and skiing ability (see below). The terrain we ski is steep, rugged and has natural obstacles and hazards to navigate around. Of course it is possible to rest on one or more days and simply enjoy the solitude and cozy warmth of the Durrand Glacier Chalet or the Mt. Moloch Chalet.

Guests must be:

physically healthy and in very good physical shape
able to climb a minimum of 5500 v. feet / 1700 v. meters per day
able to link a minimum of 30 short radius turns in a fall-line, in deep snow-conditions and with a pack of 6 kilogram.
able to ski with good control of your skis in difficult situations

Dates and prices: Classic SME Ski-Weeks

Classic SME Ski Weeks: The Durrand Glacier Chalet