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.