Jorg's Blog
April 19:
Unfortunately, our office manager Nurdjana decided to step down. She just came back from her native Holland to tend to a seriously sick family member and found that she will foreseeably be going too much back and forth to where she won't be around enough in Canmore. Bummer!
Still very snowy and wintery in the Canadian Rockies. Sunshine Ski Resort down the road from Banff reported the deepst spring snow pack since record keeping! Chamonix has also seen a ton of recent snow and many parties couldn't finish their Haute Route trips this spring. I'm on my way to the Oetztal / Austria for one of my favorite ski traverses.
In May follows an exploratory trip to Norway and Iceland for more ski touring in the mid-night sun.......
February 22:
Hard to believe but we are half-way through the winter already. Snowpacks are slightly above average both in Europe and in Canada and it promises to be a good spring skiing season. Summer planning is runnig hot and the Wilz family will be heading to Europe for most of it. We are planning an extended stay in the Dolomites again and the Bavarian Alps around Garmisch. We hope to see you there!
November 24:
I just came back from Revelstoke to Canmore yesterday after recertifying for my BC avalanche blasting license. A drive that usually takes 3.5 hrs took 6 hours going west and 4.5 hrs coming home with a snow covered highway all the way. The last storm cell was relatively warm and it rained in Revelstoke and Golden but Rogers Pass looked magical with tons of snow in the trees......I'm heading to the Monashees in two days to start the first three weeks of heli-skiing for CMH. Can't wait!
November 8:
This is shaping up to be an awesome early season! Josh Lavigne, Ross Berg and John Freeman, all guides that are in our services regularly climbed the Terminator at the trophy Wall in what looks like quite good conditions. Ceck out their video. Even some of the ice climbs in field are coming into condition already! Most importantly it is snowing in the Columbias: Ski quality reports from Rogers Pass are excellent and the CMH food truck got stuck in the totally level parking lot of the CMH Monashee Lodge in Mica Creek - at 500 meters above sea level!
November 3:
Just saw the first little skiing clip of the season for the area around Revelstoke - looks great with 150 - 180 cm of well consolidated snow at tree line and above. Sounds like the weahter guys may be right: Another LaNinja year with lots of snow for Western Canada. There is also an increasing number of photos and reports out there about climbable ice on the web site of the ACMG, even the climbs on the Trophy Wall seem to be coming into early season shape!
Oct 27:
Finally back home after an 8 week fall trip in Europe: 10 days in the Bernese Alps at my friends Sandra and Rinaldo Borra in Grindelwald where we climbed the Eiger and Moench amongst other peaks. Then a new trip concept in the Dolomites, a 12 Day Via Ferrata Sampler followed by 2 weeks of rock climbing in Meteora Greece (what an amazing place for moderate multi-pitch climbs) and a week of climbing camp in the Provence at our friend and fellow guide Regis LeRoy's house in the vineyards of Gigondas. What's been the biggest enjoyment for me this fall, much more than going to new places (Greece!) or favorite places (Dolomites!) is the fact that I get to go there with clients who have been with me since the early days of my guiding career: Helmut, Ursel and Bert for 26 years now, Ton, Roos and Will for 14 years, Kay, Connie and John for 12 years, Terry for 10 years, Dr. Jim for 7 years, Berit for 6 years and so on.....

While still reminiscing about the sunny rock and the Mediterranean Sea, winter is knocking at our door. The local ski hills Nakiska and norquay are opening this weekend - the earliest ever! The first ice climbs are in too! And I'm looking forward to a great winter 2012 with my "good as new" knee after my meniscal scope last season.

FEATURED TRIPS
Given the excellent spring skiing conditions this year, the Wapta Traverse will offer awesome skiing well into June this year. We still have some spots left for our Apr 24, May 6 and may 20 departure!

New Trips on the Site:
A new Via Ferrata Trip in the Dolomites? Not really, since we've been running it as a custom trip for 16 years now: The Brenta Dolomites Bochette Loop. Probably the best via ferrata hut trek in the Dolomites (i.e.: in the world) in terms of beauty, views, exposure and challenge level. A must for every ferratista!