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 — December 2026Local knowledge. Shared adventure.
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 US$100 USD launch price · Get notified

Camps & courses

Start your season
with us.

Spend four days building your climbing, or two days learning to make more informed decisions in avalanche terrain. Find the experience that fits your winter.

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

01 / ON THE ICE

Four-day camp · Beginner to advanced

Canadian Rockies
Ice Climbing Camp

Three days of cragging, a final day of multi-pitch climbing, and a Canmore home base. Climb with lead guide Maarten van Haeren and come home with photos by Tim Banfield.

When
December 3–6, 2026
Where
Canmore, Alberta
Stay
Lamphouse Hotel · Shared or private room
Group
10 places · Ages 16+
C$3,500Shared room · CAD per person + GST
Private room: C$4,000
Camp details ↓Booking coming soon
Explore the four days
  1. Day 1: Cragging together and getting a feel for the group’s experience.
  2. Day 2: Build technique, movement and efficiency on the ice.
  3. Day 3: Climb at your level, with the option to split into two locations by ability.
  4. Day 4: A multi-pitch objective chosen for your experience and conditions.

Included: lodging, two group dinners, professional guiding, camp photos, and access to the CAMP demo fleet.

Bring: your personal ice-climbing gear and the fitness to hike into the crags and climbs. Let us know what equipment you need. Travel, transportation, and other meals are separate.

Your team: Maarten van Haeren, lead guide; Tim Banfield, photographer and author of How to Ice Climb. Additional guide details coming soon.

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

Two-day course · Climbing-specific focus · 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 online learning followed by a field day in the mountains.

When
November 28–29, 2026
Instructor
Kris Irwin
Day one
Online + evening Zoom
Day two
Canadian Rockies field day
C$400 CAD per person + GST
Course details ↓Booking coming soon
Explore the course format

November 28 · Learn at your pace. Complete the computer-based learning, then join Kris for a Zoom call at the end of the day.

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.

Explore the course details above. Bookings are not yet open.
Questions about either course? Email Tim at tim@iceclimbing.ca.

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 ↗