Summer Equipment and Information List
Expect to encounter a wide variety of weather conditions (often within the same day) select clothing that can be layered accordingly.
Please keep in mind the 30 lb. helicopter baggage limit.
Packing List
| First and Second layer hiking clothes – tops (short and long sleeve) and bottoms | Small day pack |
| Rain gear: waterproof jacket with hood, waterproof pants, backpack rain cover & a small umbrella | Good blister care package and personal emergency medications |
| Warm jacket, lightweight gloves | Sunglasses, sunscreen cream and insect repellant |
| Wind shell: jacket and pants | Water bottle and/or thermos |
| Hiking socks (wool or synthetic) | Pocket knife |
| Hiking boots: leather with good support are preferable | Flashlight: small with extra batteries (for night use) |
| Swim suit | Personal toiletries kit & medications |
| Gaiters (optional but useful) | Camera and battery charger |
| Warm hat and sun hat | Hut shoes: slippers or sandals |
The Lodge
The lodge is solid, bright and comfortable so dress inside can be light and informal. Light hut shoes are recommended, slippers or sandals being most commonly used.
There are 2 washrooms with hot and cold running water in the lodge. We also have a wood heated sauna/shower house, which we fire up every afternoon before dinner. Towels and face cloths are provided. Soap and shampoo are provided. We regret that our electrical system doesn’t have the sufficient capacity to operate hair dryers/curlers.
Space and Weight Limits
Space in the helicopter is limited. Please limit the weight of your total luggage to 30 lbs. Please do not bring rigid luggage such as suitcases and frame packs, they are difficult to pack into the rounded baggage compartments and oversized bags are hard on our backs! A small duffel bag, for example 12”x 20”x 12” less than 60L, and a daypack are recommended.
We have a simple pre-flight weigh-in procedure at the hangar. This involves weighing each piece of luggage followed by weighing each group of passengers. Once we know these weights we gain the considerable advantage of being able to optimize the load on each flight into the lodge. We can also determine baggage weights in excess of our allotted 30 pounds per person and will ask all those with overweight luggage to leave it behind.
Scheduled Times
Alpine Helicopters Ltd provides air transportation to the lodge. The machine we usually use is a Bell 407, which carries six passengers and their luggage. All groups meet at 8:45 Mountain (Alberta) time at the Alpine Helicopter hangar at the Golden Airport. At the end of your stay, all guests will normally be back at Alpine Helicopters hangar in Golden between noon and 1 p.m. DELAYS due to inclement weather are possible and we strongly advise you not to book connecting airline flights for the same day. Allow at least four hours for the drive from Golden to the Calgary Airport. DELAYS due to weather are possible if your flight into the lodge is delayed we wait at the hangar throughout the day until weather lifts. If there is an overnight delay extra costs are at guests’ expense.
Safety Considerations
Backcountry hiking, rock climbing and mountaineering are wilderness experiences influenced to a great degree on terrain and weather conditions. We have no control over these conditions and reliable prediction of them is impossible. Inherent in any wilderness activity are risks and dangers that are beyond our control, which you must be prepared to share with us.
AS SPECIFIED IN OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, WE ARE ENCLOSING A RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND WAIVER. PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE HELICOPTER HANGAR. NO NEED TO PRINT THIS DOCUMENT WE WILL HAVE A COPY FOR EACH GUEST AT THE HELICOPTER HANGAR. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN THE WAIVER IN THE PRESENCE OF A MISTAYA LODGE EMPLOYEE PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE TO THE LODGE. BY SIGNING THIS CONTRACT YOU GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO SUE MISTAYA ALPINE TOURS, THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALPINE HELICOPTERS LTD. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
In the event that evacuation is necessary, payment of helicopter costs will be the responsibility of the individual involved. We recommend that you consider purchasing hospitalization and ambulance transportation insurance prior to your trip and be certain that your coverage is adequate. This is particularly important for those traveling from outside of Canada. Additional coverage can be purchased through your travel agent.
Other Helpful Information
Gratuities are not included in the package price. We are often asked for guidelines regarding customary amounts. Over the past few years, tips have typically averaged 10% of your package price. Tips are divided equally amongst lodge staff. We are unable to process credit card transactions at the lodge so you may want to bring cash with you to the lodge for personal purchases.
We have three-color topographic maps of the Wildcat Creek Basin. These maps clearly depict trails, routes, creeks, lakes, glaciers and landforms. The cost of these maps is $3.00 printed on waterproof paper.
Communication is limited at the lodge if you wish to leave an emergency contact number with friends or family please leave the Mistaya Office number and we will relay messages. (250) 344 6689
** Smoking is not allowed in the lodge and please do not bring pets. **
