In a previous post, the trip from the Peyto Lookout to Peyto Hut was featured.   The next leg is to bear south toward either Bow Hut or Balfour Hut.    If you choose Bow Hut, there are two route choices to Balfour.   On our last trip, we skipped Bow Hut and followed the high route to Vulture Col.

Stay in the center of the glacier between Mount Rhondda and Mount Thompson.   We found the snow to be incredibly deep, seeminlgy bottomless.   Whoever leads breaks through the snow, and the farther back in the party, the easier it is.   Taking turns leading makes a lot of sense, but it always seems that the strongest, fittest skiers lead the way.   Once over the top of the pass, you will be in a vast, flat expanse of snow.   In whiteout conditions, you will need a compass or GPS to navigate.

Mountaineers may choose to ski to the top of Rhondda, Nicholas, or Gordon.    Many parties also choose to ski down to Bow Hut for their second day, combining this route with “bagging a peak.”   To get to Bow Hut, aim for Nicholas Peak and then bear east down the hill.

A more direct route is to stay to the west of Nicholas and ski up the top of the col between Mount Gordon and Mount Olive.   This is Vulture Col.

It is also possible to go around the east side of Nicholas.   We did this once in a whiteout and made our way between Balfour Hut and Bow Hut.   We encountered some impressive millwells and crevasses even in the deep of winter.   We enjoyed Vulture Col more.

From Vulture Col, it is a steep decent down Vulture Glacier to Balfour Hut.   It is very steep and care must be taken to stay in the middle away from bergschrunds and rockfalls.   We found the toe of the glacier very ragged too.   Balfour Hut sits on a rocky outcrop right in Balfour Pass, a welcome sight.

Balfour Hut is a wooden structure that sleeps 12.   It is our favorite hut of all the Rockies backcountry huts, but it is small so it has the potential to be crowded.   The views are so spectacular that it can be considered a destination in itself.