SUMMER:
Haute Route Trek

Cortina Via Ferratas

Dolomites High Peaks: Ultimate Via Ferratas

Dolomites Hut Trek

Mont Blanc Alpine Course

Mont Blanc Ascent

Monte Rosa Peaks

Matterhorn Ascent

Ortler/Dolomites Trek

Canadian Rockies Rock

Bugaboos Rock Climbing

Dolomites Rock Climbing

Provence Rock Climbing

Austria Hut Trek

Stubai Peaks Traverse

WINTER:
Ice Climbing Canada

Avalanche Courses

Haute Route Ski

Rogers Pass Skiing

Wapta Ski Traverse

Dolomites & Ortler Range

Canadian Rockies Snow Shoeing

Fairy Meadows Ski

Sorcerer Lodge Ski

Kokanee Glacier Cabin

Banff Snow shoeing

Colorado 14er Ski

Dear Friends and Clients,
It's Winter in the Canadian Rockies again - quite a contrast to our family beach vacation in Mexico, which we returned from a few days ago. The peaks are white around our house in Canmore and there is about 1 meter of settled snow currently around tree line in the Interior Ranges of BC - probably about an average snowpack for this time of year. Encouraging is that this snow base is pretty well set up and we might be spared the usual unstable layer of recristalized snow (i.e. the famous November Facets) close to ground.

Even the Alps, which have seen a very meager winter last year, are in for an early season start this year - ski areas like Kitzbuehl and even the Feldberg in the Black Forest close to my home in Germany have opened already! All in all, it is looking very promising!

What's in store for the winter? Not much change: I will be working my 12th season guiding heli-skiing for Canadian Mountain Holidays out of Revelstoke BC. As in previous years, I will do so on a reduced schedule in order to be able to run some of our OnTop programs myself, namely custom ice climbing trips early season and a good number of ski touring weeks in spring. I will also return to Europe for a ski traverse in the Oetztal Alps / Austria and two Haute Route trips, for the latter (depart April 15) we would still have spots open.

I'm glad that our friend Karin Stubenvoll will support Ann Vanier on the administrative side of OnTop. In times, when it's unusual to get a knowledgeable real-time person on the phone or an authentic e-mail response from a true human, we will continue to provide a very personalized service in spite of the growth in our business over the last years.

Other than that, things are going great in the Wilz family and we are looking forward to seeing many of you this winter - either in the snow or at the least drop by for a visit in Canmore!

Cheers,
Jorg Wilz
Owner, Mountain Guide (UIAGM / IFMGA)

We have greatly increased our programs for hut-based backcountry ski touring weeks in the Selkirk Range of the Canadian Interior Ranges in B.C. For 2008, we are cooperating with Yamnuska Inc. in order to be able to offer more departures while maintaining the quality of our trips in regards to guides and client care in the field and during the booking process.

Please have look at our multiple departures for Sorcerer Lodge, a spring ski touring week at Fairy Meadows Hut and the Kokanee Glacier Lodge in February.

We also have spaces left for a spring ski touring week at famous Battle Abbey which Jorg will be guiding with with fellow guide and hut owner Robson Gmoser. Check out Robson's web site for more details but best to contact us, if you are interested!

We now offer the Avalanche Safety Training (AST1 and 2) Certificates as part of all our ski touring courses at Rogers Pass in BC's Glacier National Park. Great terrain while lodging in a Best western Hotel with hot tub and Sauna every night!

We also intend to increase our programs for ski touring in Europe - in our opinion still the best place for extended ski traverses due to the extensive and well run hut system of the European Alpine Clubs. Expect soon new pages for our Oetztal and Stubai Ski Traverses in Austria.

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