iceclimbing.

Canadian Rockies · Winter 2026

Find your winter.

Great ice. People who know it. Join us in our backyard for ice climbing camps and avalanche training built around climbers.

Explore camps & courses
A climber in a yellow jacket on Cascade Falls, with snowy Canadian Rockies peaks behind
CANADIAN ROCKIES / PHOTO: TIM BANFIELD
Canmore & the Canadian RockiesNovember to December 2026Local knowledge. Shared adventure.

Camps & courses

Start your season
with us.

Spend three days building your climbing, or build your avalanche knowledge with flexible online learning and an in-person field day. Find the experience that fits your winter.

An ice climber on a towering frozen waterfall beneath limestone cliffs in the Canadian Rockies

01 / CANADIAN ROCKIES ICE CLIMBING CAMP

3 climbing days · 4 lodging nights · Beginner to advanced

Build your skills. Climb with confidence.

Three days of focused coaching with ACMG-certified guides Maarten van Haeren and Seb Taborszky. Develop your technique, build confidence and tackle new challenges, with instruction matched to your starting point and climbing goals.

When
December 2–6, 2026
Where
Canmore, Alberta
Stay
Lamphouse Hotel · 4 nights · Shared or private room
Group
10 places
C$3,675Shared room · CAD per person · Includes 5% GST
Private room: C$4,200 per person · Includes 5% GST
Book your place →
Explore the itinerary
  1. Wednesday, December 2: Check in at the Lamphouse Hotel in Canmore in the evening.
  2. Thursday, December 3: Cragging together and getting a feel for the group’s experience.
  3. Friday, December 4: Build technique, movement and efficiency on the ice.
  4. Saturday, December 5: Climb at your level, with the option to split into two locations by ability.
  5. Sunday, December 6: Check out of the hotel.

Optional Sunday multi-pitch: Want to extend your trip? We can arrange multi-pitch climbing with the guides on Sunday, December 6. The extra guiding day and another night of lodging both cost extra. Contact us to arrange the add-on and confirm pricing.

Included: four nights at the Lamphouse Hotel, two group dinners, three days of professional guiding, camp photos, a CAMP ice screw and a $50 Vertical Addiction gift card for every participant, 10% off CAMP products at Vertical Addiction during or after the course, and access to the CAMP demo fleet, subject to availability.

Bring: your personal ice-climbing gear and the fitness to hike into the crags and climbs. Travel, transportation, and other meals are separate.

Missing some kit? Contact us before arranging rentals. We have limited spare climbing equipment, but no extra boots. You may still need to rent some equipment if you choose the optional Sunday multi-pitch add-on.

Your team: Maarten van Haeren, lead guide; Seb Taborszky; Tim Banfield, photographer and author of How to Ice Climb.

Routes and the daily plan depend on weather, conditions and the group.

An avalanche descending over ice-climbing terrain at Pilsner Pillar in the Canadian Rockies
Ice climbs sit below avalanche terrain, too. Learn to recognize what is above you.

02 / KNOW THE TERRAIN

Flexible online learning + field day · 8 places

AST1 for
Ice Climbers

Avalanche training through a climber’s lens. Join Kris Irwin, a full mountain guide and Canadian Rockies ice climber, for flexible online learning followed by an in-person field day on November 29, 2026.

Field day
November 29, 2026
Instructor
Kris Irwin
Online learning
Your choice of day, before November 29
In person
Canadian Rockies with Kris Irwin
C$405 CAD per person · Includes 5% GST
Book your place →
Explore the course format

Learn at your own pace. Complete the online learning on a day that works for you, before joining Kris Irwin for the in-person field day on November 29, 2026.

November 29 · Put it into practice. Head into the field for hands-on learning. The location is expected to be Bow Summit in Banff National Park or Black Prince in Kananaskis, depending on conditions.

The course focuses on avalanche awareness and decisions relevant to ice climbers, including the terrain around approaches and climbs.

No lodging is included. Final meeting details and equipment requirements will be provided before the course.

Your instructor

Feedback on Kris’s instruction

Mountain guide & instructor

Kris Irwin

“Great knowledge and teaching/instruction from him. Learned so much and had lots of fun.”

Lyvia J. · Instruction reviewSource ↗

Explore the course details above and book your place.
Questions about either course? Email Tim at tim@iceclimbing.ca.

Greg Barrett ice climbing The Pencil on Polar Circus in Banff National Park

New · Iceclimbing × Ascension Fitness

Get ready for your ice season.

An eight-week training plan for ice and mixed climbers. Laid out in the app, with video demonstrations.

Get notified C$145 CAD launch price · Get notified
Where’s the Snow at!? Coming soon · Where’s the SnowKnow where it snowed.Actual measured snowfall, temperatures and winds from weather stations across Alberta and BC. Recorded conditions, not forecasted snow. Get notified Where’s the Snow launch updates

Fresh snow. More context.

See station-recorded snowfall, temperatures and winds across Alberta and BC. Always check the official avalanche forecast and local conditions; snowfall totals alone don’t tell you whether terrain is safe.

Iceclimbing will store your email for this launch notification. This is a separate list from the training plan. To withdraw, email tim@iceclimbing.ca.

From the blog

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Our backyard
Canmore, Alberta

The people. The places.
The ice that brings us back.

Through @iceclimbing, we know the climbers, guides and places that make this sport special. Now we’re bringing that community together in the Canadian Rockies.

These camps are an invitation to experience our backyard with us, from your first day on the tools to the next chapter in your climbing.

Follow the season at @iceclimbing ↗