You know the sound: diesel hum, hot coffee, and the promise of steep trees. But this winter, the cat isn’t here to do all the work. It’s here to take you deeper, faster, and then it’s up to your legs to take you the rest of the way..

After 25 years guiding skiers through some of the steepest, most soulful terrain in the Kootenays, White Grizzly is opening a new chapter: Cat-Assisted Ski Touring.

This is not cat skiing 2.0. It’s something entirely different — a blend of power and patience, the perfect balance between mechanized access and human endurance. It’s for those who crave solitude, challenge, and fresh tracks far beyond the usual boundaries.

 

What Is Cat-Assisted Ski Touring?

Cat-assisted ski touring combines the efficiency of snowcat access with the purity of traditional ski touring. Each morning, the cat bumps you deep into the Selkirks,  to the farthest edges of the terrain where no one else goes. From there, it’s skins on and silence.

You’ll climb through still forests and high alpine bowls, guided by ACMG-certified professionals who know every ridge and drainage. The snowcat fades into the distance, leaving only you, your crew, and the sound of your breath.

By midday, you’re dropping into long, untouched lines, the kind that only a handful of skiers will ever touch in a season.

Why We Built It

Cat skiing will always be the heartbeat of White Grizzly, fast laps, deep snow, and that full-throttle flow that built our legend. But our passion has always lived in the quiet moments between the runs: the climb, the rhythm, the silence of the mountains when it’s just skins and snow.

Cat-Assisted Touring lets us reach wilder, quieter terrain without losing half the day to the approach. It’s for skiers and riders who want to go farther, who find joy in the uphill and beauty in the effort.

What It Feels Like

Picture this: the morning light breaking across snow-laden trees as your cat rumbles through fresh powder. You step out high in the tenure, clip in, and start your ascent. The air is still. The pace steady. Every stride takes you deeper into the heart of the Selkirks.

By afternoon, you’re carving turns down pristine alpine faces — technical, rewarding, and completely untracked. By night, you’re back at Wild Bear Lodge, boots drying by the fire, stories flowing as easily as the wine.

It’s a day that balances effort and ease, adrenaline and peace — the true soul of backcountry skiing.

Who It’s For

Cat-Assisted Touring is built for experienced backcountry skiers with solid fitness and a love of long climbs. Expect 1,000–1,500 metres of vertical gain per day in technical terrain under expert guidance.

If you’ve ever wanted to go deeper without losing half your day to the approach, this is your trip. If you’re new to ski touring, maybe start somewhere else. And we mean that in the nicest way possible.

Basecamp: Wild Bear Lodge

Tucked deep in the British Columbia interior, far from the tourist trails, Wild Bear Lodge is an intimate wilderness retreat sitting right on the Lardeau River.

After big days in the mountains, you’ll return to good food, warm comfort, and quiet camaraderie. No velvet robes, no maître d’, just authentic backcountry hospitality and a front-row seat to the wilderness.

This is the kind of backcountry ski lodge BC is famous for;  small, soulful, and surrounded by adventure.

How to Book

This is the inaugural season for White Grizzly’s cat-assisted ski touring program, with just four trips on offer for 2026. Seats are already filling fast.

Group sizes are small, ensuring personalized guiding and pristine conditions.

FAQs About Cat-Assisted Ski Touring

1. Do I need touring experience?

Yes. You should be familiar with using skins, avalanche gear, and backcountry travel.

2. How much vertical will we climb?

Between 1,000–1,500 meters per day, depending on group fitness and snow conditions.

3. What’s included in the trip?

Guiding, cat access, lodging at Wild Bear Lodge, and all meals.

4. How is it different from heli-skiing?

It’s quieter, more personal, and deeply connected to the mountain environment — a hybrid of power and patience.

5. Where is it located?

In the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, near Meadow Creek in the Kootenays.