A deep dive into the world of Ski Mountaineering
Backcountry 3.0 is a day-long, in-depth introduction to ski mountaineering principles, techniques and skills. This course is designed for backcountry skiers and splitboarders who are interested in exploring steeper, higher and more exposed lines.
Ski mountaineering is the next step for backcountry enthusiasts who are looking to get farther out from the trailhead, while having the tool kit to tackle steeper slopes. This course is the third act in our three-part Intro to Backcountry series. Please see Backcountry 1.0 and Backcountry 2.0 for descriptions of the previous courses.
LOCATION
This course will take place on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. Operating in partnership with the Tahoe National Forest and the Truckee Donner Land Trust, our outdoor classroom contains some of the best terrain in the region to begin your avalanche education. For your day out, we have many trailhead options at our disposal and, with your input, your guide will pick the location with the best conditions for the day. Our permitted zones include Tahoe National Forest, Eldorado National Forest, Inyo National Forest, Truckee Donner Land Trust, Mt. Rose / Carson Pass, and Humboldt-Toiyabe. We also offer this course in South Lake Tahoe. See here for details.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Skiers and splitboarders in this intro to ski mountaineering course should expect to get approach, assess, and descent technical terrain with various hazards present. Your guide will be hands-on, teaching and coaching you through lessons on rope technique, ski cramponing, and self arrest scenarios.
Each morning starts off with a safety meeting with your guide and a gear check to make sure everyone has what they need for the day. Depending on the zone, we’ll either tour right out of our offices, or take a short drive to a trailhead.
Your guide will come prepared with a defined itinerary for the day, but you’ll have the opportunity to shape the day depending on your goals.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
Advanced skiers or riders who have taken both our Backcountry 1.0 course, Backcountry 2.0 course and also have 5-10 days of backcountry experience are welcome to join. Skiers and riders who have not taken our courses but have 25+ days of backcountry experience are also welcome. Course participants must be expert level skiers/riders, competent in a variety of terrain and snow conditions, and able to link turns on ungroomed runs while maintaining control. This is comparable to confidence skiing or riding all ungroomed black diamond runs at the resort confidently and in variable conditions.
Skiers or riders 12-16 years old can join us with a parent. 16 years and over are able to join without accompaniment.
SKILLS COVERED:
- Steep skiing techniques
- Basic snow climbing, using ice axe and crampons
- Basic rope techniques for steep ground and glacial travel
- Use of ski crampons
THE ALPENGLOW APPROACH
Alpenglow was founded based on a single vision: to facilitate powerful mountain experiences at the absolute highest standard. We wanted to create a guide service where guests would be treated like partners, where team sizes would remain small and tight-knit, and where we’d never compromise quality in favor of the bottom line.
We’re proud to say we’ve never wavered in that approach. We are committed to innovating and updating our techniques to make mountain travel safer and more efficient with each passing year. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality of instruction for every course, trip, and expedition. All our lead guides are AMGA- or IFMGA-certified or aspirant guides, and all of our staff members are highly experienced and carefully vetted. Both at home and abroad, we do our utmost to take care of our people, uplift local mountain communities, and protect the environments we explore.