- DIFFICULTY LEVELS & TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
To help you choose and prepare for our activities, we have defined the following difficulty levels based on physical effort and required technical skills.
SUMMER SEASON
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY
- Low: Main trails within the National Park and private lands, distances under 5 km.
- Moderate: Main trails within the National Park and private lands, distances between 5 and 18 km, elevation gain under 500 m.
- Intermediate: May include off-trail sections and steep scree slopes. Distances between 10 and 20 km, elevation gain between 500 and 1000 m.
- Difficult: Alpine terrain, may include steep scree, short-rope technique, rock climbing, moraines, glaciers and snow. Elevation gain of 1000 m or more.
- Very difficult: Technical alpine terrain, including rock and ice climbing. Elevation gain of 1000 to 1500 m or more.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Hiking experience required: previous multi-day treks (2 to 3 days) with backpack.
- Winter experience required: multi-day treks (3 to 4 days) in winter conditions.
- Glacier experience required: technical use of crampons and ice axe.
- Climbing experience required: alpine ascents on multi-pitch routes; rock or ice climbing.
WINTER SEASON
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY
- Low: Cumulative elevation gain between 500 and 1000 m, slopes up to 35°.
- Intermediate: Cumulative elevation gain between 1000 and 1500 m, slopes up to 40°.
- High: Cumulative elevation gain above 1500 m, slopes steeper than 40°.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- No prior backcountry skiing experience required. Must be able to safely ski black runs at a ski resort.
- No backcountry experience required, but a good off-piste skiing level is necessary.
- Backcountry skiing experience required, along with strong off-piste skills and experience ascending with skins.
Attention: National Park entry fees are not included in this program.
You can purchase your tickets at
APN – National Park Website.