Haig Glacier Summer XC Ski Camp with Matt Liebsch
Mon, May 2, 2011 - By Matt Liebsch
Join Coaches Matt Liebsch and Gene Kay for one week of easy distance/ high volume hiking and summer skiing on Haig Glacier in the Canadian Rockies, Saturday August 6 to Tuesday August 16, 2011.
A 10-day trip including van transportation from Minneapolis to Canmore Alberta and back, and helicopter support to carry your gear up to our mountain-top hut.
We will attend back-country orientation training at the ranger station (similar to Boundary Waters training), and then enjoy a 3 hour supervised group hike up to camp.
We stay in back-country huts manned with seasonal staff, radiophone and satellite communications with the ranger station and helicopter support teams down below (no cell phone reception on the glacier).
Our camp includes 3 hearty meals a day, hot showers, TV-movies, a mess hall, a bunk house with separate boys & girls areas, and strength/ recreation area.
Our daily routine includes: early breakfast, hike 45 minutes up to the glacier, ski on fresh piston-bulley tracks until noon. Hike down for lunch, stretch, take a nap, read, (optional) hike or strength, eat dinner, review ski technique video from the morning, go to bed, get up, repeat.
The ski program emphasizes easy distance skiing with some technique coaching & video analysis on several mornings.
Note that this camp is physically challenging due to the alpine environment, changing weather conditions, long distances, and moderately high altitude. You don’t need “State Champ” fitness, but must be able to hike 18K and ski at 8500 feet altitude.
The Haig Glacier Ski Camp, aka The Beckie Scott High Altitude Training Center, is a seasonal Nordic ski camp used by clubs and teams from across north America. The Glacier is located south of Canmore Alberta in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.