At Sol Mountain, expert and intermediate skiers find exciting terrain: a multitude of north-facing glades, pillowy lines, friendly chutes, and breathtaking tree skiing through perfectly spaced trees. Moderate terrain easily reached from the lodge is a bonus for new and beginner skiers. Advanced skiers can head out on daylong tours toward new and untracked slopes and climb peaks in the area.

In the five years we’ve been open, we’ve roamed widely, as have our guests. We’ve etched out runs worth repeating all over and named a handful of them—from Crystal Vision to Peter’s Glades, Blind Faith, and Shazam. There are the friendly chutes in the Banana Belt, the gentle cruising above the lodge in the open glades of Merlot, and the steep and sporty lines in the Twilight Zone. Still, much of our terrain remains to be explored (and named) by our adventurous guests.

B.C.’s Monashee Mountains are renowned for deep snow and the region sees over sixty feet annually. Silky snowstorms roll in from the Pacific regularly and after dusting the Coast Mountains they make landfall in the Monashees. Since we opened in 2005, our ski season has started early in December with a two-meter base. By spring the settled snow pack typically peaks at close to four meters at the lodge site (with a new record of 5 meters in April of 2011 thanx to La-Nina!).

Strategically perched between treeline and alpine elevations, Sol Mountain’s lodge site takes advantage of regionally high winter snow depths. Our lodge sits on a broad plateau at 1,900 metres (6,300 feet) and our lodge tenure (or available ski terrain) ranges to 30,000 acres in the southern Monashee snow belt. (That’s three times larger than Whistler Blackcomb’s 10,000 acres!) Ski terrain ranges from valley bottoms at 1,300 meters to alpine summits up to 2,600 meters.

To our immediate north stands Monashee Provincial Park which affords dramatic skiing in the soaring alpine terrain that surrounds the dominant Mt. Fosthall terrain feature. To our south stands Twin Peaks and Mount Baldur, each which has summit-to-creek runs of 1,000 meters and longer. Immediately to the east we have steep tree skiing that drops down to the head of North Fosthall Creek. The lodge provides a protected home base for day trips that take skiers far and wide over a range of terrain options.

Easy access from the lodge to five distinct drainages offers an excess of north-facing glades and trees that hold cold and dry snow long after the most recent storms have passed. All of the Sol Mountain terrain is a true British Columbia mix of steep and moderate tree skiing, open glades, open alpine bowls, and steep alpine chutes that are between 1,300 and 2,600 metres (or 4,500 and 8,500 feet).

The varied Sol Mountain terrain offers plentiful options for all weather and snow conditions. Options might incude stormy and steep snow days in the endless and open south-facing 35-degree glades of Crystal Vision. It can mean a short trip to the north-facing glades just across Bill Fraser Creek. We can also stick close to home by skiing on the slopes below the lodge in the gentle glades of Back to Basics. At Sol Mountain we have a wide supply of low hazard terrain for skiing when avalanche danger is high. Nonskiers can also head out on groomed tracks through our local meadows on cross-country skis or snowshoes.

When storms break, a wide swath of open alpine terrain opens up around the lodge. An hour ski above the lodge there are the ever-repeatable gentle and silky slopes of Chardonnay. A three-hour trek takes you to our local peaks: the bowls of Mt. Baldur, the north-facing slopes of Sol Mountain, the dominant peak of Mt. Fosthall.

When snowpack instabilities settle, and avalanche danger is low, there are many exciting adrenalin-pumping options available for the adventurous.  This means peeling the skins along the ridge of Mt. Fosthall to rip down east-facing Bermuda Triangle bowl and dropping into the protected northeast-facing gully of Avalung.  Or, just an hour skin up above the lodge to Mission Ridge puts you in the Twighlight Zone: a mecca of steep north-facing gullies and pillow lines.

Sol Mountain’s terrain offers great areas to cross country ski.  Simply step out the door and ski off into rolling alpine meadows. With XC touring gear you can climb above the lodge to Mission Ridge for dramatic views of glaciers and rugged peaks to the north. Trips can also be made to passes and surrounding lakes. We provide trackset trails when snow conditions permit (sometimes it is simply too deep!). Cross country skiing is best on the settled snowpack of late winter and spring.

Sol Mountain's ACMG certified backcountry skiing guides put safety as priority for your holiday.

Prior to the first day in the mountains, all guests are instructed in techniques for traveling in our terrain. Current techniques for conducting beacon searches are demonstrated and practiced.

Sol Mountain's ski guides are trained and certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG), one of the most respected institutions of its kind. This process ensures that guides have extensive ski touring experience, exposure to a variety of operations, experience in a variety of snowpacks, and meet current professional standards. Certifications are also held in first aid and as avalanche technicians through the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA). Lead guides are professional members of the CAA. Guides meet every morning and evening to review field and lodge weather and snowpack information. This information is used to analyze hazards, up-to-the-minute snowpack stability assessments, and ultimately, to select appropriate terrain for each new day.

Sol Mountain Touring is also a member of the Backcountry Lodges of British Columbia (BLBC), ensuring that we meet a comprehensive set of operating guidelines.

Sol Mountain Touring is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable mountain experience. Ski touring in the backcountry mountain environment exposes skiers to inherent risks. All guests must read and sign a Release of Liability and Waiver of Claims Agreement before the start of a holiday at Sol Mountain Touring. This is common practice for all backcountry ski operations in British Columbia. Be sure to review the waiver prior to your holiday. Contact us if you have any questions.

• Guided - Waiver of Liability
  
  
• Self Guided - Waiver of Liability