Balfour/Rob Ritchie Hut
Balfour/Rob Ritchie Hut is an Alpine Club of Canada backcountry hut at the toe of the Vulture Glacier, used as a midpoint stop for the Wapta Traverse. The current hut was built in the fall of 1989 and is on low, rocky hills; it sits just inside the Banff National Park boundary, east of Balfour Pass and the Continental divide.
The hut has glacial-stream water, a propane stove, and an outhouse bathroom, with bedding/mattresses and no dedicated heat source. Capacity is 18 (summer) for max capacity, and 16 (winter) with winter ski access on routes tied to the Bow Hut and Peyto Hut; the approach from the North is the most popular in both seasons. In winter it’s also a base for skiing and ski mountaineering objectives such as Mt. Olive and Mt. Balfour; Mt. Gordon is described as an optional route from the hut in winter.