HI-Rampart Creek has over 150
ice climbs within 30 minutes drive.Winters at HI-Rampart Creek Wilderness Hostel are a magical time filled with the jingling of caribiners and ice screws and stories of victory and defeat at the hands of the frozen foe. With more 'beta' than any book, Rampart Creek is the places to go and find out what ice climbs are putting fear into the climbers this season or just where the ice is good to throw your axes around. The reason for all this ice talk at the hostel? Rampart Creek has over 150 ice climbs within 30 minutes drive. This concentration of ice is unparalleled in Canada and quite possibly the world. Climbs range from a few for the timid or beginner up to those for extreme (or insane) climbers, with new mixed routes popping up each year. So if you want to get off in your harness, get on up to Rampart and check out what the locals have been trying to hide for years!
Not into ice climbing?
Well, ice climbers go to bed early and tend to leave before most sane people are up. This leaves plenty of time to relax at the hostel, enjoy the sauna and check out some skiing or snowshoeing in the area.
NOTE - Due to the wilderness location, accessibility for the physically disabled is challenging (call for further details). Credit Card needed when making reservations. Due to lack of direct/reliable communication with the Wilderness Hostels the Central Reservation Office is not able to make same day arrival reservations - walk in basis only. 48 hours individual cancellation - at all wilderness hostels. Book ahead to avoid any disapointment as these smaller hostels are very popular both winter and summer.
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A word on HI-Wilderness Hostels
Experience nature. Make new friends. Return to simplicity.
Get back to nature with HI's network of wilderness hostels. They're a varied bunch! Some have lights powered by propane, some have rustic wood-burning saunas, at some you'll get electricity and hot running water, and at others you'll get to pump your own water. But whatever you're after, these hostels with their simple comforts immerse you in the natural splendour of the Rockies.
You'll be able to savour true silence, night skies bursting with stars and the knowledge that some of the world's most magnificent landscapes are, really, right outside our door. Dotted along the Icefields Parkway, and throughout the Parks, these hostels are set into pockets of trees, alongside creeks, or at the base of thousand-foot-high rock faces. Whether you get there by car, bike or on foot, your efforts are rewarded with some of the finer, simpler things in life - a warm fire, cozy lounges, and the chance to share food with new friends while you relive the day's adventures.
From a choice of ten rustic retreats, nestled in the Canadian Rockies, HI's network of wilderness hostels provide the perfect escape. Vast vistas, impressive mountains and an abundance of natural beauty, the Canadian Rockies deliver a picture-perfect landscape.
Our wilderness hostels are dotted throughout this natural winter playground and give immediate access to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, back-country skiing and ice climbing. These hostels are ideal for families, friends, large groups or individuals who want to experience a unique, "off-the-grid" Canadian getaway.
HI has a network of ten wilderness hostels: