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About Us
Great Canadian Snowmobile Tours...
was founded in 1995. This is our 13th winter serving riders from all over the world with quality snowmobile tours and Skidoo rentals. Recipient of multiple snowmobile awards, 'Great Canadian' provides a world-class snowmobile product. This is made easy by the incredible snowfall of Revelstoke, great sleds, fabulous terrain, well-groomed trails and fun guides.
Great Canadian Snowmobile Tours  was the first crown-licensed snowmobile company in Revelstoke BC. With an official tenure to 7 of the best riding areas in the region, it is also one of the largest tenures in British Columbia. The company is the only one in this part of the world to offers such a choice of riding areas. As a tenure holder we take commercial snowmobiling very serious and are insured, bonded and morally bound by regulations we helped develop. As a licensed operator and member of the BC Commercial Snowmobile Operator Ass, we are accountable to how and where we guide. So, when you book a tour with any other company, ask the right questions.
Our tours range from 2 hour introduction to snowmobiling tours to full days trips and night tours. All-inclusive mountain programs, ranging from 2 to 8 days are offered as well. These great trips offer you a choice of snowmobiles, 4-star accommodation, meals, gear and lots of riding fun. Beginners and experts are among our clients each season, and we are able to cater to all riding levels and interest.
Unguided Skidoo rentals are offered as well for those wanting to go out on their own. Guide services are provided for those riders who like to maximize their riding time in the mountains with one of our great guides.
Safety measures under which we conduct our tours are a limitation on groupsize. All our our guides have training in avalanche awareness and safety, first aid, helicopter evacuation and safe riding techniques. We use 2-way radio  communication between guides and our base station for added safety.
In 2005 'Great Canadian' expanded their snowmobile tenure with a cabin on top of Frisby Ridge. Glacier Station, elev. 6200 ft. serves as a day cabin for GCST guests and also hosts the nightly BBQ's for our international programs.
In summer Great Canadian provides a full outdoor adventure program as 'Revelstoke Adventure Center'. Come for an ATV tour, canoe or bike trip, kayaking or hiking tour of the Columbia Mountains.
The owners & staff
Owner and lead guide Alex Szirmai loves to snowmobile and can be found guiding in the mountain most days. Actively involved in the sport Alex is a local club member and sits on the board of the Snowmobile Revelstoke Society, where he is involved with the long term planning and environmental issues of snowmobiling in the region.
Lia Altena, Alex' wife manages their lodge Glacier House Hotel & Resort and takes care of many lodge and snowmobile reservations. Lia snowmobiles every now and then, but loves to ride her Seadoo watercraft each summer.
Our trusted Maralee Faurot has been with Great Canadian over 5 years and handles many of your reservations or helps some stragglers to fuel in our snowmobile shop.
Myles Fraser, lead guides has run snowmobile trips for over 7 seasons with Great Canadian. An upbeat and ever laughing person, Myles is a lot of fun to ride with.
Bryce Campbell, brings lots of riding skills to the job as lead guide, and is still working on perfecting his one-handed power-turn.
Revelstoke BC .JPG "1scenery (Small)")
More than 15 metres (60 feet) of fabulous powder snow guarantee superb snowmobiling between late November and May in Revelstoke BC. This friendly town is located in central British Columbia in the middle of the Selkirk and Monashee Mountain ranges, also called the Columbia Mountain. This region is under the influence of the Pacific Ocean, some 400 Kms to the west and has moderate winter temperatures of between 0 to -10 Celsius (32-15 degr. F), and lots and lots of snow each winter. This makes for T-shirt riding on many sunny days in February till April and some serious deep snow fun in November till February.
Revelstoke is located halfway between Calgary (4.5 hr driving hours) and Vancouver (6 hours) and only 2 hours from the Kelowna airport.
Riding in Revelstoke
Its all about the mountains. The immediate region offers appr 100 kms of  perfectly groomed trails by the Snowmobile Revelstoke Society. Outlaying areas offer another 800 kms of ungroomed mountain roads and trails. But why ride trails when the best riding and most fun is found on top of the mountains? The alpine areas of Boulder, Frisby, Turttle, just to name a few offer spectacular hill-climbs, deep snow and sensational scenery, unparalelled in North America. Great Canadian Tours are largely oriented towards riding the alpine areas. We figure if you're here to experience the sensational powder of the Columbia's, not to ride a bunch of trails.
Novice riders and experts alike are encouraged by our professional mountain guides to discover personal riding limits and to experience the adventures and thrills awaiting in this powder snow paradise. Within hours you learn to ride your powerful snowmobile, and have great fun in the snow. Mountain riding is physically demanding and requires riders to be in good shape.
Our lodge
Glacier House Hotel & Resort was establised in 1999 to serve snowmobilers exclusively. It is Revelstoke's only resort with direct mountain access to Frisby Ridge, Boulder Mountain and Turttle. The  resort is truly a snowmobilers' delight. Enjoy spacious fireplace rooms and cabins, indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, massage and many other spa services, great restaurant and our pub 'Sledders'. Combine this with safe snowmobile and trailer parking, on-site fuel, a heated workshop and guided tours, sled rentals and guide service. Great accommodation packages are available just check out www.glacierhouse.com. for facilities and great sledders' specials.
 Our Snowmobiles
The 2008 season we exclusively ride Skidoo sleds. From the nimble Skidoo 550 Backcountry long track to the powerfull 600 cc adrenaline and new XP platform 800 cc Summit Everest and Summit X, we've got a sled for you.
Dont' get us wrong, all manufacturers produce good sleds these days and many excellent dealers provide services. At 'Great Canadian' we have opted for a one-brand approach for ease of operations and because Skidoo sleds work well for us in the mountains. If you ride something else at home, come try out our new 2008 sleds.
Our Sponsors
Each season we bring on board the 'best of the best' suppliers of snowmobiler products. We recommend our sponsors products and by buying their products you in turn help us create a a better and safer snowmobile industry.
| BRP - Skidoo |
BRP is proud supplier of all our 2008 snowmobiles. Skidoo works hard to bring you not only the most fun machines, but also create machines that pass environmental noise and pollution tests. The new XP platform is sensatinal. Check out the new 2008 Skidoo sleds at www.brp.com. |
| True North Adventure Gear |
Supplier of backpacks, gloves, avalanche gear, The TNA gear is truly tested by, designed and built for sledders. Check out the new Lightning packs, as well as the unbeatable Storm gloves and other items on their website www.tnagear.com |
| Kimpex |
The best whole-salers of quality motorsports gear, parts and supplies, offers great line of products for sledders. Check out their products at your favorite dealer or visit www.kimpex.com. |
| Snowgoer magazine |
Canada's largest publication is onboard in 2008 as our media partner, spreading the gospel of great mountain sledding. In depth reports on the world's best sledding spots, great sleds and more interesting articles can be found. Check it out at www.snowgoercanada.com.
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| Baffin Boots |
If you go to the north Pole (as president Paul Hubner did) or just head out for a weekend ride on your favorite mountain, wear a pair of Baffin boots. Great fit, maximum warmth and always comfortable, you'll find them on all our clients feet. www.baffin.com. |
| Scott Goggles |
When it comes to protecting your eyes and seeing in the worst of worst conditions, we trust the Scott goggles. And we honestly think there's no better and more durable gloves like the Scott ones. check our www.scottusa.com.
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| Pieps |
Trust your life to a Pieps Avalanche transceiver. With distance and direction indication, as well as the ability to cancel the signal of first found persons, its the device to wear in avalanche terrain. www.swissnorth.com. |
| Superclamps & Superglides |
It's the best and most convenient sled clamp there is. And now the boys from Superclamp have introduced the new and patented Superglides for sleds and ATVs. check it out at www.superclamp.net. |
| Braaap 7 |
It's extreme, it fun and entertaining. Braaap 7 brings again hair-rising drops and jumps from the Braaap pro-riders. Get your copy now at www.snosled.com |
Industry Involvement
Great Canadian and Glacier House Resort strongly believe in building partnerships to better the sport of snowmobiling. Our industry involvment ranges from a local to an international level and includes the following:
* Sponsor support for local snowmobile clubs and societies.
* Support for the provincial & state organizations in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan & Washington State.
* Main sponsor support of the Blair Morgan Fantasy Camp fundraiser for spinal research.
* Founding member and president of the BC Commercial Snowmobile Operator Association, and organization that has worked hard with the BC Wilderness Association to improve back-country policies and industry standards and regulations .JPG "5 caribou (Small)")
Environmental Stewardship
Even though we are mechanized, we believe our actions can make a difference to where and how we snowmobile. It starts with getting the best and environmentally cleanest sleds possible, keeping them in good repair and not spilling any oils or fuels. We try hard to respect closures and work hard to not only keep riding areas open, but also create a positive balance between wildlife and environmental sensative areas and users. To compensate for our carbon footpint we have planted over 1000 trees at Glacier House Resort in the past 7 years and are lessening our driving where we can. He, we're not there yet, but we're conscious about what and how we do it and encourage sledders to also do their share in sledding as environmentally conscious as possible.
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