The Backcountry Skiing Experience

There’s something about skiing in the backcountry that gives such a different feeling than inbounds skiing. Maybe it’s the stillness of the mountainside, so undisturbed unlike the bustling ski resort. The snow looks like a blank white canvas, completely untouched except for the occasional tracks from a Snowshoe Hare. Backcountry skiing is such a unique experience, to be so far away from everything else and get to enjoy the quietness and stillness of the outdoors. However, for the inexperienced skier backcountry skiing can be quite intimidating. There are many hazards to be wary of in the backcountry, such as avalanches and tree wells. Even though backcountry skiing can be dangerous, with the right knowledge it can be a very safe activity.

The safest way to experience the backcountry is to book a trip with a guide outfitter. There are many different options for getting a guided backcountry experience. One option is to hire a guide to take you touring around the backcountry. For skiers, you use special alpine touring bindings with skins so that you can hike up the mountain with your skis on. For snowboarders, you use a snowboard called a splitboard that turns into small skis for hiking, and then pieces back together as a regular snowboard when you are ready to ride down the mountain. This type of backcountry experience can be the most rewarding because you are earning the turns that you make by hiking up the mountain. This is a truly amazing experience, and if you want to make it a longer trip you can stay at a backcountry hut or lodge to turn the trip into a multi-day adventure. Nothing like hanging out by a wood stove in the mountains after a long day of skiing!

If you are looking for a backcountry experience but don’t want to exert yourself hiking up the mountain for just a few runs, a great option is cat skiing. And no, cat skiing has nothing to do with your fluffy feline friend at home. Cat skiing is the type of backcountry experience where a group is taken up the mountain in snowcats and then led by a guide back down the mountain. In this form of backcountry skiing, you can still access all the great terrain and untouched snow that you could access by ski touring, but you do not have to exert yourself hiking back up and can therefore get many more runs in a day. This is probably the easiest way to access the backcountry, and there are many outfitters across the country. However, snowcats can only access so much terrain, which is why heli-skiing is the ultimate form of backcountry skiing.

Imagine getting dropped off on a mountain peak by a helicopter. Sounds pretty epic, right? Heli-skiing enables you to access so much more terrain than by ski touring or with a snowcat. With a helicopter, you can easily get 100’s of miles away from the closest town. Heli-skiing allows you to also access much steeper terrain than you could with a snowcat, making it all the easier to ski your dream line. Places such as Alaska and British Colombia are very popular for heli-skiing, with remote and rugged mountain ranges. The one downfall to heli-skiing is that it can be extremely expensive, so give ski touring or cat skiing a try before pulling the trigger on an expensive heli-ski trip. If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding, a guided backcountry trip is a must if you haven’t tried it yet!