I was fortunate enough to spend a week with some friends and
Christoph at his Burnie Glacier Chalet in April 03.
First the town of Smithers is a charming and energetic mix of northern
frontier spirit and modern culture. Great place to stage out
of.
The skiing terrain accessed out of the Burnie Glacier Chalet is superb.
Massive, interconnected glacier runs of 4,000', uninterrupted fall lines,
multiple summits to attain, enough options and exposure's to keep full
groups entertained for weeks. Also stunning visuals. We skied from 7:00AM
to 4:00PM every day.
The Chalet is a modern building with all of the comfort and
amenities that are needed. Designed and built by Christoph and friends it
functions perfectly and is very strategically located. Warm and
relaxing.
The food was arranged and prepared by Monica. It was nourishing,
plentiful and very good with an emphasis on healthy organics. Much of the
food was raised or grown by Monica, Christoph or other local sources.
Chickens, eggs, potatoes, baked goods and more straight
from the source. A great pleasure morning, noon and night.
Lastly, enough cannot be said about Christoph. A year round lifetime
guide, Christoph is clearly a master of his craft. He adds to this a very
happy, engaging and energetic personality. I got the sense right away
that Christoph was completely dedicate to our comfort, enjoyment level,
well being and safety 24/7. I cannot stress this enough. He is the
diametric opposite of the stereotypical Austrian/German master race
"berg fuhrer" It's fun just to be around him and he's a
great motivator.
I speak from some past experience and basis for comparison. I have skied
at several other remote touring lodges in Canada an the US. I am a
co-founder of Telluride Helitrax, in Telluride Colorado. I was a senior
heli-ski guide in Telluride for 17 seasons (now retired)
In closing I highly recommend the operation to anyone who
likes ski mountaineering and hope I am able to return soon.
Regards,
Mark Frankmann