Durrand Glacier Chalet

Elevation 1946 m. / 6384 ft., built in 1985

The Durrand Glacier Chalet is our main lodge. All guests fly by helicopter from Revelstoke to the authentic Swiss style Durrand Glacier Chalet. This beautiful lodge is located on an incredibly scenic knoll at tree-line with a 360 degree vista including the Durrand Glacier to the east and the glaciated peaks of the Northern Monashee Mountains to the west.

Keeping the wilderness civilized!

You may be staying high in the alpine, less than a one hour walk from a glacier. But we still think you should be very comfortable. We are, after all, from the Swiss Alps. What's more, this lodge is our home, and we like to treat our guests well. That includes Swiss housekeeping standards, private bedrooms with cotton linens, and freshly prepared food with a European flair using local organic produce from the weekly Farmer's Market in Revelstoke. And of course the afternoon tea-time with homemade tortes that, well, once you've had them you'll never want to go outdoors without your personal baker again.

Visitors to our chalet enjoy every possible amenity that you can reasonably expect to find in an environmentally sensitive, remote mountain lodge at 1946 m. elevation; from hot running showers to a large, sunny deck opening out on views you will never forget.

The Durrand Glacier Chalet is where all SME ski-programs start. This lodge is situated in the centre of a large variety of amazing ski runs leaving directly from its doorstep.

Depending on the weather conditions all ski programs include Hut to Hut skiing from the Durrand Glacier Chalet to the more high alpine Mt. Moloch Chalet and/or the Empire Lake Chalet. The combination of the three chalets definitely brings a great diversity into our ski week. Each hut offers unique terrain and ski runs and allows us to maximize the powder skiing and ski-touring experiences.

There are ski-touring weeks where all tours are based out of the Durrand Glacier Chalet. This is a function of weather conditions which may not allow venturing to the Mt. Moloch Chalet or the Empire Lake Chalet. During these weeks we enjoy the over 150 ski runs around the Durrand Glacier Chalet, enough to keep us skiing fresh tracks for a whole week.

During normal weather cylcles we offer the very popular two chalet hut to hut experience. Since the winter of 2014/15, with the new Empire Lake Chalet, we now offer the three chalet hut to hut to hut skiing program: the Canadian Haute Route.

Without doubt skiing at Durrand Glacier is beyond compare. The combination of amazing terrain, professional guiding and the three beautiful, impeccably serviced and maintained chalets is the consummate ski touring vacation.

Location: At the base of the massive Durrand Glacier and at the head-water of Carnes Creek in the Northern Selkirk Mountains, 45 km NE of Revelstoke B.C.

Access: Helicopter only, from Revelstoke B.C. Flight time, dependent on weather conditions, is 15 minutes one way.

Chance that bad weather makes flying impossible: Since 1985 SME has only had to postpone flying, to the next day, one single time due to poor weather-conditions. There might be times when flying is delayed by a few hours due to severe weather conditions. All our pilots are very skilled mountain pilots who have extensive experience in flying in this area and for Selkirk Mountain Experience.

Skiing from the Durrand Glacier Chalet:

• 3 tree skiing areas with up to 1300 v.m. runs
• 21 alpine peaks
• 10 glaciers
• Highest ski peak: Snow Cap, elev. 2756 meter
• Lowest point to ski: Carnes Creek 1160 meter
• Longest ski-run: Tumbledown Mountain - La Traviata – Jealous Fruits – Carnes Creek, 1590 v. meter