Alpine Club of Canada to build a backcountry hut at des Poilus
The Alpine Club of Canada is one step closer to building a new backcountry hut on the classic ‘Yoho Traverse’ at roughly the midway point between the Bow and the Stanley Mitchell Huts.
Last week the Parks Canada Advisory Development Board made a recommendation that the project should proceed. “The largest network of backcountry huts in North America will be getting larger, hopefully this summer!” says Lawrence White, ACC Executive Director, “This hut will offer winter adventurers the opportunity to access or exit the Waputik Icefield via the historically significant Little Yoho Valley in British Columbia”
In direct support of Yoho National Park’s Management objective to connect visitors to exceptional experiences, the new hut will provide an important connection of the historic Bow-Yoho traverse adjacent to the world-renown Wapta Traverse, often referred to as the ‘Haute Route of Canada.’ (Bow Hut pictured, above.) The Waputik Icefield straddles the Great Continental Divide. Combined, the Wapta and Waputik Icefields have no fewer than 15 individual glaciers and 20 summits that provide varying levels of intrigue for step into the wild and fully immersed mountain experience.
The ACC envisions a two-storey structure approximately 1,000 square-feet with overnight capacity for 18 people. In addition to being an extraordinary facility for guests, it will also be a demonstration site for green technologies and a commitment to long term sustainability in off-grid alpine locations. The hut will be equipped with similar amenities to the Club’s other huts, and stocked in the same fashion with high quality foam sleeping pads, cooking and eating utensils, stoves, tables and benches.
The Alpine Club of Canada’s fundraising campaign will assist with this project. “Even though the hut will be built by volunteers, significant funds will be required to pay for materials and other building costs,” states White. Contributions to the project can be made through the ACC’s campaign website: www.accnewheights.ca.
Submitted by ACC