Guides

All guided trips are led by certified ski or mountain guides. The certification is through the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association IFMGA, or the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides ACMG. This is the highest level of guiding available. A guide will help you get the most out of your ski week. The complex nature of the terrain makes the local knowledge all the more important.

LARRY DOLECKI

Larry Dolecki is the owner and head guide at Icefall Lodge. He is a fully certified mountain guide (IFMGA/ UIAGM and ACMG) and has travelled to ski and climb in many of the great mountain ranges in the world.

Larry grew up in Calgary and spent much of his youth climbing and skiing in the mountains around Banff. After completing a degree in Economics at Queens University, he returned to the mountains to pursue his passion. He regularly leads ski trips to the Alps, guiding hut to hut classics such as the Haute Route, Berner Oberland, or Ortler Traverse. Other far away destinations include the Himalayas, New Zealand and Peru. Despite 15 years of heliskiing, Larry has avoided the “helibelly” by guiding trips at many of the backcountry lodges in British Columbia, including Selkirk Lodge, Battle Abbey, Golden Alpine Holidays and Fairy Meadows.

Icefall Lodge has offered Larry the opportunity to bring together the best aspects of the many different places he has guided. After years of searching, he found the perfect location. It offers a warm cozy lodge, friendly staff, complete wilderness, a spectacular big mountain setting and the best skiing in the world. Let Larry show you around his backyard.

Emelie Stenberg

Emelie was born and raised in Sweden and came to Canada in 2004 to experience powder skiing in the mountains of BC. She was immediately hooked and immersed in the Canadian mountain culture. After graduating from Thompson Rivers University with an Adventure Guide Diploma, and a Bachelor of Tourist Management she moved to Revelstoke, BC to pursue a career as a guide. Since then she has completed the ACMG Aspirant Ski Guide certification and spend her winters heliskiing, catskiing and ski touring. In the summertime Emelie works as a hiking guide and travels extensively to Sweden, the Alps and other great ranges of the world to pursue her big passions; skiing and climbing. Emelie has been with Icefall since 2008 and is looking forward being back sharing the amazing ski experience at Icefall with everyone.

Geoff Osler

Geoff Osler grew up in Calgary where he was exposed to the mountains and skiing from day one. Geoff has ski toured extensively in Alberta, B.C. and the Yukon as well as trips to the European Alps. He currently resides not far from home in Banff. After many winters of work in the avalanche control department at Lake Louise, he now spends his winters cat skiing or ski touring. Geoff is an ACMG ski guide. He has been with Icefall Lodge since it's start and helped with the initial construction of the Lodge.

CORIN LOHMAN

Corin lives in Fernie BC with his family, and has been involved in guiding and caretaking at Icefall Lodge for three years. His career began as a ski instructor in Colorado where the Rockies inspired his goal of becoming a ski guide. He has since worked on ski patrol at Fernie Alpine Resort, and has been focused on seeking out new and challenging terrain to explore throughout the mountains of Western Canada. Corin is an ACMG Assistant Ski Guide, and enjoys sharing his passion for backcountry skiing with others. In the summer, Corin spends his time raft guiding on rivers around Fernie, and doing environmental work. He is also an avid climber, having ascended peaks in the Rockies and Sierra Mountains. Corin is fluent in both French and German.

PIERRE HUNGR

Pierre is a Mountain Guide certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA/UIAGM). He has been with Icefall Lodge since its first year of operation. His winters are split between heliskiing near Revelstoke and ski touring at Icefall. In springtime Pierre guides ski mountaineering and ski traverse trips in the Columbia Mountains of BC as well as the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. His summers are busy with alpine climbing and rock climbing trips in the Coast Ranges of BC, as well as occasional guiding in the Canadian Rockies and the European Alps. Pierre is a Professional Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA), is a Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors (CANSI) Telemark Level 1 instructor, has a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of British Columbia and is fluent in French and Czech. He is currently based out of Vancouver, BC, where he lives with his wife aboard their 35’ sailboat.

Mike Mariash

Mike first visited Icefall in 2006 and has been drawn to return each year for a mix of crushing Larry Labor and exploration of the stunning mountain terrain. Known as a skier Mike left his home town of Edmonton, AB to pursue the art of mogul skiing. No longer satisfied with skiing over tracks he began ski touring and taking avalanche courses in 2002 from his new home base of Revelstoke, BC. Chasing the endless winter he spent three seasons in South America backcountry skiing all over Chile and Argentina. Since receiving his Assistant Ski Guide certification Mike has worked Heli Skiing, Cat Skiing and traveled around the world to teach avalanche courses and ski touring in Japan and Alaska. Practical and full of details, his avalanche courses are presented with tireless enthusiasm for talking about snow. Mike is also fluent in French after 10 years of treeplanting with multicultural camps deep in the BC backcountry.