Hiking and Walking

Hikers are expected to come with proper clothing and appropriate footwear. Weather changes in the mountains are often unpredictable and sudden. It is recommended that you adopt a layered look including lightweight rain gear. It is also important to include in your pack your lunch, snacks, an adequate water supply (1-2 litres, more for a long hot day), and other beverages as desired.

• Hiking uses 60% more calories per hour than normal walking.
• Always carry extra food and water on longer trips or where there is substantial elevation gain.

Hike Coordinators may refuse to allow anyone not adequately equipped to participate on the hike.

Please refer to the Common Gear section above for detailed information on clothing, packs, first aid and other gear.

Boots: The boots you choose to wear will be one of the most important articles you bring. You want footwear to fit properly and to keep your feet dry, warm, and well supported. Running shoes and other casual footwear will not keep your feet dry when going through mud, and not warm when traveling over snow -­ yes, even in summer! They do not offer adequate support and footing on steep trails or off trail scrambles. New lightweight trekking boots (i.e., Merrell) are fine for most easy and even moderate rated hikes. Sturdy waterproof boots are required for scree, rough terrain, backpacks and scrambles where a variety of conditions are encountered. Other points to consider:

• Wear new boots around town first to detect any problems
• Tight boots can cut off circulation causing cold feet and pinched toes
• Loose boots can cause blisters
• Insoles provide extra insulation and cushioning

Light runners or sandals for stream crossings should also be included where required.

Snowshoe Gear:

• Adjustable poles with snow baskets & wrist straps
• Snowshoes with synthetic decks and bindings that can be adjusted without removal of all hand coverings. The bindings should have strong crampons bolted in varying pattern underneath for the length of your boot. Finally, the snowshoes should be light weight (~2kg) but large enough to support your weight & the weight of your loaded pack.
• Small pad to sit on at lunch time

Places to rent snowshoes:

• Mountain Equipment Co-op (830-10 Ave. SW, 403-269-2420)
• University of Calgary Outdoor Program Centre (E of the Olympic Oval @ University of Calgary, 403-220-5038)
• Spirit West (1210-11 Ave. SW, 403-263-1381)
• Sports Rent (4424-16 Ave. NW, 403-292-0077)

Cycling

Cyclists are expected to come with proper clothing and appropriate gear. Coordinators may refuse to allow anyone not adequately equipped to participate on the trip.

Clothing:

• Cycling shorts
• Cycling shoes
• Cycling jersey or shirt made from moisture wicking material
• Light fleece or sweater (not cotton)
• Bright colored wind breaker jacket
• Tights
• Cycling gloves
• Rain Gear
• Warm gloves
• Fleece sweater and neck tube

Equipment:

• Helmet
• Cycling glasses (UV filtering)
• Sunscreen
• Inner tubes
• Patch kit
• Tire Irons
• Pump
• Allen keys
• Screwdriver (straight & crosspoint)
• Chain lube
• Rag/hand cleaner

Parts:

• Spare cables
• Spare brake pads
• Spare cleat hardware for your shoes
• Spare spokes
• Spoke wrench
• Chain tool/quick link
• 5 mm thread nuts and bolts

Cross Country Skiing

Please refer to the Common Gear section above for detailed information on clothing, packs, first aid and other gear.

Buying New Equipment: There are a couple of excellent stores which specialize in Cross-Country skiing in Calgary: Lifesport in Kensington and The Norseman in SW Calgary. They are very good at sizing and fitting gear. Mountain Equipment Co-op also sells cross country gear, but selection tends to be more limited than The Norseman and Lifesport. Out of town, there is Trail Sports at the Canmore Nordic Centre and Wilson Mountain Sports in Lake Louise. There is also a second hand sports equipment shop Trailblazers in Cochrane which has a varied selection of snowshoes and xc-ski equipment if you know what to look for.

Rentals: In town, rentals are offered at the University of Calgary Outdoors Centre, Sports Rent, MEC and Canada Olympic Park. Out of town, Trail Sports at the Canmore Nordic Centre rents classic and skate equipment and Wilson Mountain Sports rents touring and classic equipment.

Equipment Checklist:

• Skis
• Poles
• Boots – make sure they are a good fit and warm
• Warm clothes, dress in layers. No cotton on the bottom layer, including socks
• Warm hat that covers the ears
• Wind/water resistant outer layers
• Mitts/gloves
• Wax (if the skis are waxable) – there are starter packs available at the ski shops that have 3 hard waxes, a cork and a scraper.
• Water bottle and holder
• Dry clothes for afterwards

XC Ski Technique and Waxing Tips: There are many resources on the web that offer tips on how to improve your cross-country skiing technique.

• XC Ski world – A good source of information on technique, waxing and training, especially for beginners
• Keith Nicol video demonstrating classic ski technique and some drills to help you improve.
• Keith Nicol’s Cross Country Skiing Tips page.
• CANSI (Canadian Association of Ski Instructors)
• Swix waxing technique videos and how-to wax manuals  for beginner to advanced skiers
• The Master Skier – a large collection of very informative articles from The Master Skier gear towards advanced and competitive skiers

Scrambling

Participants are expected to come with proper clothing, footwear, and appropriate gear. Coordinators may refuse to allow anyone not adequately equipped to participate on the scramble.

Please refer to the Common Gear section above for detailed information on clothing, packs, first aid and other gear.

Scrambling Gear:

• Helmet (climbing helmet preferred)
• Headlamp (useful for those scrambles that require hiking out out in the dark)
• Boots, mountaineering, or backpacking type (good ankle support and also it you go down scree helps to keep the rocks out of your boots)
• Hiking Poles
• Ice Axe (snow ascents, winter scrambling)
•  Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction Device or, Camp Quattro Four Point Instep Crampons (Unisex), Camp 6‑Point Instep Crampons (all are available at MEC).
• Extra clothing layers (it get colder as you go up to the top of the mountain, weather changes fast in the mnts. either rain or snow, it can get windy fast in the mtns.)
• Garden gloves or bike gloves (scrambling to protect your hands from sharp rocks)
• Extra pair of warm gloves or warm mitts to keep your hand warm (either winter or during wet conditions (rain)).
  –toque, headband, neck warmer, hat (waterproof) also keep the sun off your head
• Proper jacket with hood to keep your head warm, waterproof, windproof, keep you warm
• Rain Gear
• Hand warmer or foot warmers (Chemical). These are very important for emergencies when the weather gets nasty and help to avoid frozen hands.
• GPS, proper maps, compass, and well written route description are very useful tools in navigation
• SPOT (Satellite messenger) , Personal locator beacons(PLB), and/or satellite phones (cell phones have limited coverage in the mountains).
• Full First Aid kit along with a quick access Second First Aid kit  (bandaids, wipes for blood, etc). You always get cut on the sharp rocks when you scramble.
• Pad to seat on for lunch, protects you from the cold ground or cold rock (sharp rocks too). Pad is also used for first aid emergencies too.
• Knife
• Survey tape – mark important locations so we can find our way back down the mountain safely. You can get lost and go the wrong way down a mountain. Some people have gotten into trouble this way. Your route going up may look different when you go down. Survey tape is also easier to see from a distance, better than rock cairns.