Backcountry Hut and Lodge Adventures
Why Choose a Hut-Based Adventure?
While camping in the mountains has a rustic allure, there are times when it is nicer to have a roof over your head. Backcountry huts and lodges offer islands of civilization in the wilderness and are great destinations for being able to enjoy the hills without the complications of camping. Our hut-based adventures range in opulence from staying in more-homley small shelters to backcountry citadels complete with saunas and running water.
Why Choose Starry Summit?
A guided backpacking adventure is a great way to start out or keep building your backcountry travel skills. Guests choose guided adventures for many reasons including:
Simplifying logistics (we provide food, lodge booking, transportation, and all relevant permits)
Safety (guides are skilled in managing backcountry hazards and certified in advanced wilderness first aid and emergency responses)
Learning about the landscape (gain local knowledge about natural history, wildlife, and plants)
Skill building (learn better backcountry travel, navigation, and self-sufficient wilderness expertise)
Less stressful travel (guides prepare meals, plan exciting day trips, and locate all the best viewpoints)
What is Included?
See Description on Each Specific Adventure for Details
Guiding
Park Visitor and Camping Fees
Food During the Adventure (breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks)
Group Equipment (as required sleeping pads, cooking gear, water treatment equipment, bear spray, tarps, etc)
First Aid Equipment (carried by your guide)
Transportation To and From The Trailheads
What is Not Included?
See Description on Each Specific Adventure for Details
Accommodation and meals in the Jasper Townsite
Personal Equipment (i.e. hiking boots, clothing, etc. see list of recommended items on the page describing each adventure)
Gratuities
How Hard Are Trips, Is it for Me?
The adventures we offer vary in difficulty and duration. Hut based adventures allow for easier travel as we hike with day-packs and are a great option for those first getting into outdoor travel, or folks looking for a less stressful way to enjoy the landscape. Please see each individual adventure below for details.
On a regular day our adventures will normally travel between 10-20 km with between 500-1000 m of elevation gain. We recommend each guest start training for their adventure by day-hiking, climbing stairs, and other activities prior to setting off to improve their experience while out in the wilderness.
Why Choose a Hut-Based Adventure?
While camping in the mountains has a rustic allure, there are times when it is nicer to have a roof over your head. Backcountry huts and lodges offer islands of civilization in the wilderness and are great destinations for being able to enjoy the hills without the complications of camping. Our hut-based adventures range in opulence from staying in more-homley small shelters to backcountry citadels complete with saunas and running water.
Why Choose Starry Summit?
A guided backpacking adventure is a great way to start out or keep building your backcountry travel skills. Guests choose guided adventures for many reasons including:
Simplifying logistics (we provide food, lodge booking, transportation, and all relevant permits)
Safety (guides are skilled in managing backcountry hazards and certified in advanced wilderness first aid and emergency responses)
Learning about the landscape (gain local knowledge about natural history, wildlife, and plants)
Skill building (learn better backcountry travel, navigation, and self-sufficient wilderness expertise)
Less stressful travel (guides prepare meals, plan exciting day trips, and locate all the best viewpoints)
What is Included?
See Description on Each Specific Adventure for Details
Guiding
Park Visitor and Camping Fees
Food During the Adventure (breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks)
Group Equipment (as required sleeping pads, cooking gear, water treatment equipment, bear spray, tarps, etc)
First Aid Equipment (carried by your guide)
Transportation To and From The Trailheads
What is Not Included?
See Description on Each Specific Adventure for Details
Accommodation and meals in the Jasper Townsite
Personal Equipment (i.e. hiking boots, clothing, etc. see list of recommended items on the page describing each adventure)
Gratuities
How Hard Are Trips, Is it for Me?
The adventures we offer vary in difficulty and duration. Hut based adventures allow for easier travel as we hike with day-packs and are a great option for those first getting into outdoor travel, or folks looking for a less stressful way to enjoy the landscape. Please see each individual adventure below for details.
On a regular day our adventures will normally travel between 10-20 km with between 500-1000 m of elevation gain. We recommend each guest start training for their adventure by day-hiking, climbing stairs, and other activities prior to setting off to improve their experience while out in the wilderness.
(MODERATE) There are few more storied or scenic valleys in Jasper National Park than the Tonquin. Postcard perfect views of The Ramparts (an impressive range of quartzite mountains), Amethyst Lakes, and not to mention glaciers give visitors an excellent look at what the Canadian Rockies has to offer. The Tonquin Valley is also home to a wide array of wildlife including bears, mountain goats, and one of the few remaining herd of woodland caribou in the Rockies.
This adventure is based out of the historic Wates-Gibson Hut. Constructed in 1959 by the Alpine Club of Canada, the Wates-Gibson Hut is a great base for exploring the Tonquin Valley in both summer and winter. The hut, a large wood cabin, is fully equipped with a well-stocked kitchen, sleeping pads, and wood stove that lets us keep our pack weight low. From the hut we have many options for scenic day-trips to get the most out of the Tonquin. This trip is normally run as a traverse heading into the hut via the Astoria River Trail and exiting via a long but scenic day down Portal Creek.
For a shorter final day we can also retrace our steps back along the Astoria River Trail.
(4 Day Guided Backcountry Lodge Based Adventure)
August 5-8, 2024 (3 Spaces Remain Open)
(4 Day Guided Backcountry Lodge Based Adventure)
August 5-8, 2024 (3 Spaces Remain Open)
(MODERATE) There are few more storied or scenic valleys in Jasper National Park than the Tonquin. Postcard perfect views of The Ramparts (an impressive range of quartzite mountains), Amethyst Lakes, and not to mention glaciers give visitors an excellent look at what the Canadian Rockies has to offer. The Tonquin Valley is also home to a wide array of wildlife including bears, mountain goats, and one of the few remaining herd of woodland caribou in the Rockies.
This adventure is based out of the historic Wates-Gibson Hut. Constructed in 1959 by the Alpine Club of Canada, the Wates-Gibson Hut is a great base for exploring the Tonquin Valley in both summer and winter. The hut, a large wood cabin, is fully equipped with a well-stocked kitchen, sleeping pads, and wood stove that lets us keep our pack weight low. From the hut we have many options for scenic day-trips to get the most out of the Tonquin. This trip is normally run as a traverse heading into the hut via the Astoria River Trail and exiting via a long but scenic day down Portal Creek.
For a shorter final day we can also retrace our steps back along the Astoria River Trail.
(INTRODUCTORY TO MODERATE) Perched near the border of Mount Robson Provincial Park, the Dave Henry Lodge is right in the middle of a multitude of pristine Rockies hiking terrain. The lodge is accessed by helicopter from the community of Valemount via a 15 minute flight. With the lodge as a base, we can day-hike to scenic ridgecrests, visit tranquil lakes, and glimpse a sea of peaks near and far.
(4 Day Guided Backcountry Lodge Based Adventure),
(4 Day Guided Backcountry Lodge Based Adventure)
(INTRODUCTORY TO MODERATE) Perched near the border of Mount Robson Provincial Park, the Dave Henry Lodge is right in the middle of a multitude of pristine Rockies hiking terrain. The lodge is accessed by helicopter from the community of Valemount via a 15 minute flight. With the lodge as a base, we can day-hike to scenic ridgecrests, visit tranquil lakes, and glimpse a sea of peaks near and far.