What To Know About Kees and Claire Hut: A Backcountry Camping Guide
Love backpacking or ski touring nonetheless not so keen on tenting? The Kees and Claire hut merely above Russet Lake in Whistler might presumably be the proper risk for you. This Whistler backcountry hut supplies a warmth and dry place to sleep, cooking providers and one hell of a view!
Regarding the Kees and Claire Memorial Hut
The Kees and Claire hut was constructed as part of the Spearhead Huts Mission. The problem appears to assemble 3 backcountry huts alongside the Spearhead Traverse backcountry ski route that takes a U-shaped route from Blackcomb Glacier to Whistler Village.
At present, that’s the one backcountry hut that’s presently in operation.
The hut known as as a memorial to 2 members of the group who’ve been sadly involved in a mountaineering accident. You can be taught further about their story right here. There’s moreover further particulars about them and others that are remembered as part of this memorial hut.
The hut could be utilized by journey lovers year-round and is frequent for people doing snowshoe and ski touring journeys throughout the winter or climbing within the summertime.
It sits above Russet Lake and so is an efficient varied in case you occur to don’t want to camp on the Russet Lake campground.
Simple strategies to Get to Kees & Claire Hut
Routes to the Kees and Claire hut differ counting on which season you’re visiting.
Winter path to Kees and Claire Hut
Every snowshoe-ers and skiers carry on the Kees and Claire hut all through winter.
For many who’re snowboarding there are only a few routes you can take. They embrace:
- Skinning up Singing Transfer from Whistler Village after which as a lot because the hut.
- Taking the Musical Bumps path from Whistler Mountain. You should purchase a backcountry ticket for Whistler Blackcomb as a substitute of a full-day ticket. This costs spherical $60-70. You’ll need to point out your avalanche gear to the ticket agent. Takes the Harmony or Peak Chairs then ski to the Flute Bowl backcountry entry house.
- OR, as a result of the ultimate evening time in your journey of the Spearhead Traverse having come from Blackcomb
Snowshoers staying at Kees and Claire would possibly need to go up Singing Transfer. Maintain eyes and ears open for skiers coming down Singing Transfer. You may’t snowshoe in-bounds so Singing Transfer is your solely risk.
A phrase about Singing Transfer Uphill: You may want to watch Whistler Blackcomb’s uphill snowboarding coverage to entry Kees and Claire hut from Singing Transfer.
If the avalanche risk is extreme, Whistler Blackcomb Patrol will shut some routes to the backcountry. That’s normally the same old Musical Bumps route from Whistler mountain. Please respect these closures.
Summer season path to Kees and Claire Hut
There are three routes to Kees and Claire within the summertime.
- Musical Bumps: Adjust to the Musical Bumps path each from the best of the Peak Categorical Chair or from Roundhouse Lodge on the prime of the Whistler gondola. You’ll have to purchase a sightseeing elevate ticket for the day to have the flexibility to entry the lifts. Musical Bumps is a number of 9.5km hike each strategy from the peak and 10.5km from Roundhouse lodge.
- Singing Transfer Path: This path begins from Whistler Village and as such has way more elevation to type out than the above risk. This hike is spherical 14km and 1450m elevation.
Kees and Claire Hut Reserving
Reservations are required for the Kees and Claire hut. You can information the Kees and Claire hut on the Spearhead Huts web site. Reservations worth $50 + GST and PST per particular person evening time.
In case you’re a member of the ACC Whistler or Vancouver (& possibly Squamish ACC too), or the BCMC, you’ll get a $10 low value.
Areas at Kees and Claire information up shortly, significantly at weekends so information prematurely and maintain your eye open for cancellations in case you occur to’re hoping to stay nonetheless uncover it’s full.
What’s Contained within the Hut?
In distinction to totally different backcountry huts, the Kees and Claire hut is pretty luxurious. It’s set over two storeys with sleeping quarters on the lower storey and a kitchen, consuming and seating house upstairs. There’s moreover a boot and instruments room to dry points off and three composting bogs.
Inside the kitchen house, you’ll uncover 4 stoves along with the entire cookware and consuming instruments you need (cafetieres, bowls, plates, cutlery and so forth). There are moreover some separate stoves and pans for melting snow throughout the winter season since there’s no ingesting water accessible.
Inside the sleeping house, the bunks are minimize up out into separate rooms (with out doorways). Some rooms sleep 4 and others sleep 6 with two double bunks and a pair of single bunks. There are cubby holes to retailer your gear in too.
Since it’s best to take your ski boots or climbing boots off sooner than coming into the consuming and sleeping areas, there are moreover crocs accessible for use throughout the hut.
What to Pack for Kees & Claire Hut
For the Kees and Claire hut it’s best to pack:
- A sleeping bag (3-season actually helpful, sleeping house saved to 5-7C in winter)
- A sleeping mat. There have been some accessible, nonetheless don’t depend upon them being there.
- Meals
- Completely different instruments counting on whether or not or not you’re in need of a ski touring packing itemizing or backpacking itemizing. You gained’t need cooking instruments.
Water at Kees and Claire Hut
Water isn’t presently accessible on faucet on the hut nonetheless that’s one factor that’s deliberate for the long term. For now, it’s best to accumulate water from Russet Lake within the summertime months or take part in melting snow throughout the winter. It’s the accountability of all guests to get entangled on this.