🎿🏔️ Chick-a-Boom Ski Traverse | From Chickadee Valley to Boom Lake and Back in Banff National Park скачать в хорошем качестве

🎿🏔️ Chick-a-Boom Ski Traverse | From Chickadee Valley to Boom Lake and Back in Banff National Park

❄️🎿🧭🪨⚠️🌬️🌞🌌🧠 The Chick-a-Boom Ski Traverse is one of those routes that quietly earns its reputation. Linking Chickadee Valley with Boom Lake in the Bow Range, this classic winter tour blends long glacier travel, sustained avalanche terrain, and a beautifully logical line through big alpine scenery. At 21 km round-trip, 1,250 m of elevation gain, and just over 6 hours on the move, it delivers a full-value ski day without unnecessary padding. The day begins from Vermilion Pass, skinning up the well-traveled track into Chickadee Valley. The valley itself sets the tone early—broad, scenic, and busy on good weather days. Tracks branch off toward Mount Whymper and Boom Mountain, but the main line continues west, climbing steadily toward the back of the valley and into a complex maze of moraines and hanging glaciers beneath Chimney Peak. The approach to Chimney Col is longer and grander than it appears on the map. A wide SE valley unfolds slowly, protected from overhead hazard in places but never trivial. Cornices, hanging glaciers, and avalanche slopes demand constant awareness, especially in warm or windy conditions. At the col, the character shifts completely: skins come off, packs tighten, and attention turns north toward the glacier descent. The ski off the north glacier is the technical heart of the traverse. While generally low-angled at first, the exit steepens dramatically, requiring precise line choice to avoid icefalls and heavily crevassed zones. Good coverage and existing tracks make the skiing manageable, though crusty layers keep it honest. Below the glacier, rolling moraines and alpine benches guide skiers westward through a stunning winter landscape toward Boom Lake. Rather than exiting down to the lake, this loop climbs again—traversing avalanche slopes under massive cornices toward Boom Col. Timing matters here. South-facing aspects can heat quickly, and efficiency is rewarded. From the col, the final descent drops back into Chickadee Valley via a steep slide path, offering fast, engaging skiing before easing into trees and the familiar valley track. 📷 Trip snapshots 📅 February 26, 2022 🕒 ~6:15 hours round-trip 📏 21 km total distance ⛰️ 1,250 m elevation gain 🎿 Ski mountaineering, MN6 / RE3 ⚠️ Glacier travel and avalanche terrain throughout 🧭 What this journey captures Why classic traverses remain popular year after year The difference between busy valleys and serious alpine terrain How timing transforms south-facing exits from fun to dangerous The value of following a clean, logical line through big terrain Why restraint and efficiency matter more than speed The Chick-a-Boom Traverse isn’t about novelty or suffering—it’s about flow. When conditions align, it links some of the Bow Range’s finest terrain into a route that feels purposeful from start to finish. It’s a reminder that the best ski days aren’t always the hardest—just the ones where everything clicks. 📌 Route details, conditions, timing, and written observations can be read in the original trip report at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r6ZC....