The northern-most hut on the Wapta Icefield Traverse, and a great base for summer and winter mountaineering. Glacier travel experience and equipment required. 6-8 hours from the highway. Class B+, sleeps 18 (16 in winter).
Being the most northerly of the huts on the Wapta Icefield, Peyto is most commonly used as the first (or last) stopover during a traverse of the Wapta. Several good, moderate mountaineering peaks can be done as day trips from the hut, making it a terrific base for summer and winter mountaineering.
Peyto is a Class B+ hut, with propane stoves and lanterns, a fully stocked cooking area and sleeping foams. In June of 2000, the volunteer huts committee completely renovated the hut. The renovations included the addition of a vestibule and sitting area, new siding, new bunks, new cupboards and a new outhouse. There are now many large windows with views to die for! The hut is well insulated and warms up quite nicely once the cooking stoves are going and body heat is flowing.
All access routes to Peyto involve glacier travel, but the hut itself sits on a bit of moraine at the base of Mt. Thompson. The easiest access is via the Bow Hut, crossing the northern section of the Wapta en route, a very pleasant piece of ski-touring indeed! The usual route used by parties attempting the classic traverse of the Wapta involves crossing Peyto Lake then following an intricate and interesting line through the moraines past the glaciology research station and thence onto the Peyto glacier which is followed to the hut, avoiding crevasses along the way.
Winter access involves crossing some avalanche paths - check conditions before you go.
The hut sleeps 18 people in summer and 16 in winter and is similar in design to the Balfour and Neil Colgan huts.
