The Gold Range Traverse

The Gold Range Traverse has become a Revelstoke classic. The southern Monashees stretch along the west side of the Columbia River and beckon the eyes of most skiers. When you stand on Mt Mackenzie, you get a great view of most of the traverse.

We started at the Pingston Creek FSR and climbed our way up to the Frigg Glacier, south of Mt Odin. Mt Odin’s north face is a heck of a ski run.  Temperatures dictated travel that day and we set up a camp at valley bottom in order to allow for a solid refreeze on the south aspect ascent that lay ahead. From there we continued north.

We embarked on this trip April 13-20, 2010. A week of high pressure made for excellent travel conditions with sold melt freezes on the solar aspects and dry snow on the norths. There were a few afternoon siestas to wait out the heat of the day.

There are plenty of great ski runs along the way. I’d recommend taking a bit of extra time to ski them.

The Blanket Glacier Chalet was gracious enough to fly in our cache. If you read this Marty, I think I owe you another beer for that🤘

We opted for a tarp and snow shelter hybrid for accommodations. It lightened the packs and is actually quite comfortable.

The last day we had a great run on Mt Begbie and followed it up with a slushy run down the Womb. All in all, it was a great trip and the Gold Range Traverse is highly recommended.

If you’re interested in a guided ski traverse, we offer them.  Our traverse page lists some options and trip dates, but we are always stoked to explore new terrain, so don’t hesitate to ask about a custom trip.

Avalanche Canada’s Mountain Weather Forecast is a great resource.